Santa Barbara County is getting an early start on its budget process in the face of potentially major cuts which may be needed for the upcoming fiscal year.
County officials say they are looking at ways to reduce nearly $40 million dollars in spending to balance the new budget.
Many of the cuts could come in social services.
Reductions in projected state and federal funding, additional money needed for public safety operations, and high pension costs are among the factors being cited for the financial concerns.
Santa Barbara County Supervisors are set to begin looking at proposed county department budgets with three days of workshops this week, with the first Tuesday.