Santa Cruz County freezes hiring, travel as it faces down $23.2 million budget deficit

Santa Cruz County freezes hiring, travel as it faces down $23.2 million budget deficit

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County budget managers are predicting a structural deficit that will grow significantly this coming fiscal year, even if the county manages to fill the massive financial hole created by cuts at federal and state levels. The county is expected to finish the current fiscal year June 30 with a $5.4 million budget deficit that planners are predicting will balloon to $23.2 million in fiscal year 2026-27 if effective interventi…