The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors met Monday to discuss the '2026-27 Fiscal Year Recommended Budget', and whether to give District Attorney Dan Dow money for the staff he says he needs to keep the community safe.
In all, supervisors on Monday signed off on more than $1 billion in government funds and an $830 million general fund, directing the largest share of overall spending toward health and human services and the largest piece of the general fund to the Sheriff's Office. Full details on the budget at the county's website can be found here: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/administrative-office/administrative-and-budget-services
At the board's last meeting on May 19, during the normal course of business, Board Chairman Jimmy Paulding called on Dow, who filled out a speaker card just like general members of the public.
"It's my job as the district attorney to let you know the effects on this department, on public safety for this entire community of San Luis Obispo," Dow said regarding the budget.
Dow claims promises made to him by San Luis Obispo County Chief Executive Officer Matt Pontes, when Dow had reached out for budget augmentation requests, were not kept. Pontes provided a detailed statement to KSBY regarding those requests, which can be read verbatim later in this article.
"There were numerous points since the budget development process since last December, really November, December, where I had conversations with Mr. Pontes," Dow said in an interview with KSBY following Monday's hearing.
Dow said that beginning in late 2025, he had asked CEO Pontes for a budget amendment to add five salaries, some of which he had requested for multiple years in a row. Dow explained to KSBY that he even outlined how supervisors could pay those salaries, for a total of five more employees in the DA's office to handle critical needs, such as elder care abuse cases, using county funds, including opioid abuse dollars.
"I told him all five positions we needed, and I explained why, and he said, 'Don't worry, we're going to find a way to fund those.' He had given me a commitment that his team was working to find that funding," Dow said.
But all five positions were not included in the final budget recommendation that supervisors approved, which did not include the positions Dow requested.
"It would be my hope we can work with the district attorney's office, sheriff's office, probation and fire, within that group, to look for more sustaining, more sustainable funding for them as we go forward," Pontes said.
The final vote on the overall budget came in 2-2, with Paulding tipping the scale to a no vote on Dow's request. Paulding and colleagues emphasized that the formal process must be followed through strategic planning.
Dow said there will be consequences given his requested new positions were not granted by the Board of Supervisors.
"What I will tell you is that every time the sheriff's office or any other police department grows in their resources, and if they're doing more work, more investigations, they send more cases to my office, and so our workload increases," he said.
Dow added that without the approval for more positions in his office, they simply won't get to all the cases sent to him for prosecution.
“Misdemeanor theft, misdemeanor drug cases, and yet most of that population of cases are recidivists, repeat offenders,” he said.
In relation to the statements Dow made, asserting promises made by Pontes, the CEO shared the following statement with KSBY News:
"The County Executive Office worked collaboratively with the District Attorney's Office throughout the FY 2026-27 budget process, as it does with all departments. As noted during the budget hearing, the District Attorney's formal budget submission included two Budget Augmentation Requests for two positions. Subsequent to that submission, the District Attorney requested an additional three positions with revised priority order.
The County Executive Office has been reviewing funding opportunities related to the expanded request. As with any departmental request, the County Executive Office works collaboratively with departments to evaluate operational needs and potential funding options. The presentation to the Board during the Budget Hearing included funding options for three positions associated with the District Attorney's expanded request.
Ultimately, the addition of positions is a Board decision, as positions cannot be added to a department's budget without Board approval. In this case, the Board has expressed interest in taking a more strategic and coordinated approach to evaluating public safety staffing requests across departments as part of the budget process."
KSBY will continue to follow the impact of budget decisions on those who live in San Luis Obispo County.
If you have a story idea you would like to send to KSBY Reporter Jessica Roe, you can reach her directly via email at jessica.roe@ksby.com.
