REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
April 21, 2026
FROM
JOANI FINWALL, Registrar of Voters
SUBJECT
Title
Registrar of Voters Budgetary Adjustments for Fiscal Year 2025-26
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the necessary budget adjustments, as detailed in the Financial Impact Section, for expenses related to the March 24, 2026 City of Ontario Special Municipal Election (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Joani Finwall, Registrar of Voters, 387-2100)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Costs). The Registrar of Voters (ROV) requests budget adjustments to the 2025-26 budget, as reflected in the table below, to provide sufficient appropriation for costs associated with the one-time March 24, 2026 City of Ontario (City) Special Election. These adjustments will be funded by revenue generated through invoicing the City of Ontario for all election-related expenses.
|
Funds Center |
Commitment Item/GL Account |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
6800001000 |
52002135 |
Special Department Expense |
Increase |
$1,255,000 |
|
6800001000 |
40759545 |
Fee Ordinance - Election Services |
Increase |
$1,255,000 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On December 16, 2025, the City of Ontario adopted resolutions calling for a Special Municipal Election held on March 24, 2026, to submit two initiative measures to voters. The resolutions request that the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters provide specified election services to conduct the election. This budget adjustment ensures adequate funding for the unanticipated election costs.
This election was not anticipated during the development of the current fiscal year budget and requires additional resources to meet statutory obligations. Costs include ballot preparation, printing, mailing, staffing, and voter outreach. To cover these expenses, ROV will invoice the City for all expenses incurred in conducting the election, ensuring there will be no impact to the County General Fund. This adjustment provides the necessary appropriations to administer the election in compliance with State and local laws.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jolena Grider, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on February 26, 2026; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, Auditor-Controller Manager, 382-7022) on March 18, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Elias Duenas, Administrative Analyst, 387-4052) on March 25, 2026.