OC sheriff exceeds budget by nearly $29 million

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department finished the most recent fiscal year nearly $29 million over budget, part of a $77 million overrun across three years, according to Voice of OC.

The department accounts for over 20% of the county general fund and has an annual budget of more than $1 billion, making its spending a central issue for county budget oversight.

The Sheriff’s Department recorded the largest departmental overrun in Orange County over the last three years, Voice of OC reported. The Social Services Agency had a $17 million overage during the same three-year period, the next-highest figure cited.

Brian Wayt, executive director of the sheriff’s administrative services command, said the appearance of overspending reflects how the county structures the department’s budget. "To start the year the CEO’s office underfunds our budget," Wayt said.

Wayt said sheriff officials expected to end last year about $30 million over budget on paper because of that approach. "This is a strategy they use to kind of keep pressure on certain departments to do what they can to keep costs in check," Wayt said.

County spokesperson Molly Nichelson said the approach is connected to limited countywide revenue and sheriff funding from sales tax. "Given the County’s budget has limited General Purpose Revenue to allocate for all County departments, CEO Budget’s strategy is to provide the amount of General Purpose Revenue needed either within the budget or when closing the fiscal year books," Nichelson wrote, according to Voice of OC.

Prior reports cited lower Prop 172 revenue, lower tax revenue and higher overtime costs as factors in earlier sheriff budget gaps, Voice of OC reported. The department missed its 2023-24 budget target by nearly $11 million and exceeded its budget by over $37 million the following year.

Supervisors are scheduled to discuss the year-end budget report at a 9:30 a.m. meeting the following Tuesday, according to Voice of OC.