Supervisors to propose fiscal planning subcommittee to safeguard services from cuts
Dante Ulanday - News Moderator 
San Diego County Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe said Wednesday that they intend to create a subcommittee to shield services from funding cuts.
The proposal, which will be presented at next Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, seeks to establish the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Sustainable Fiscal Planning, tasked with “developing strategic recommendations to maintain essential county services, protect vulnerable residents, and preserve the county’s financial health.”
“When fire seasons get worse, we don’t just wait and hope; we prepare,” said Lawson-Remer, chair of the board. “We should be doing the same thing when we know federal cuts are coming. That’s what this proposal is about, being responsible, being ready, and protecting the San Diegans who count on us.”
The supervisors point to the passage of Congress’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which a county analysis estimates could create more than $300 million in annual fiscal risks, including to programs like Medi-Cal, SNAP, housing and early childhood care.
With a possible federal government shutdown looming, they warn that without a local plan, local services like emergency response, mental health and food assistance could be left vulnerable.
“A budget is a moral document, and when we cut lifelines to the vulnerable, we bankrupt the compassion that defines public service,” said Montgomery Steppe, vice chair of the board. “We’ve long sounded the alarm on the threats of H.R. 1. As cuts loom, we must brace for impact — not by abandoning residents, but by acting.”
The subcommittee would plan for various scenarios regarding funding levels, find local funding options, develop a “roadmap” to protect essential services and return to the full board with recommendations.
Labor and nonprofit leaders offered early support for the proposal.
“San Diego County stands at a fiscal crossroads. Without decisive action, external pressures threaten to widen inequities and undermine our ability to respond to future challenges,” San Diego Foundation Board Chair Mel Katz and CEO Mark Stuart wrote in a joint statement.
