Last week, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved a balanced $8.9 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. As your County Supervisor, I made it my top priority to ensure this budget protects what matters most: your safety.
In early drafts of the budget, I saw proposals that deeply concerned me. They included cuts to the Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) and (POP) units, as well as reductions that would have limited the District Attorney’s ability to prosecute misdemeanor crimes. These are not abstract programs. They are essential boots-on-the-ground efforts that directly impact our neighborhoods. Cutting them would have sent the wrong message to our community and to those who threaten its safety.
I was the first member of the Board to speak out against these proposed cuts. From the beginning, I made it clear that I could not and would not support a budget that undermined public safety. I worked closely with my colleagues and county staff to reverse those proposals, and I’m proud to say we succeeded. The final budget fully restores funding for the Sheriff’s HOT and POP teams and preserves the District Attorney’s ability to prosecute misdemeanors.
These may seem like small line items in a large budget, but they reflect a broader principle. We cannot have safe parks, safe businesses, or safe communities if we are constantly chipping away at the resources that keep them that way. That’s why I’ve said from day one that I will not support any budget that defunds our Sheriff or our District Attorney. This year’s budget reflects that commitment.
At the same time, we’ve made responsible investments in the core services people rely on every day without raising taxes. We’re fixing roads that have gone neglected for far too long, expanding access to mental health and substance use treatment, and continuing to make overdue improvements to our correctional facilities to meet court-ordered mandates and ensure safety inside and outside our jails. These are not flashy projects. They are the nuts and bolts of good government, and they make a real difference in people’s lives.
To me, budgeting is about priorities, and my priorities haven’t changed. When I ran for office, I promised to bring common sense and accountability to county government. That means making sure public safety is never an afterthought. It means asking tough questions, listening to residents, and standing up when something doesn’t look right.
I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish in this budget, but I’m not done fighting for our community. There will always be competing pressures and difficult decisions in county government, but one thing you can count on is that I will always stand on the side of public safety. Because your family’s safety is not negotiable, and your local government should treat it that way.
If you’d like to share your thoughts or concerns with me, you can always reach my office at 916-874-5491 or email me atSupervisorRodriguez@saccounty.gov.
Rosario Rodriguez authored this community commentary. Rodriguez is the Sacramento County District 4 Supervisor, which includes the communities of Folsom, Citrus Heights Orangevale, Antelope, Rio Linda, Elverta, Gold River, Rancho Murieta, North Highlands, Carmichael, Foothill Farms, and Fair Oaks.
