Amador County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Amador County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Chief Probation Officer salary
The Board cut the incoming Chief Probation Officer's pay from $88.87 to $83 an hour on a 3-1 vote, over objections from the retiring chief, the incoming chief, and the Sheriff, who called it unfair to the first woman ever to hold the job. Supervisor Oneto framed it as fiscal necessity, not a statement about the new chief.
Arroyo Ditch loan repayment
Plymouth paid back the $150,000 principal on its defaulted county loan and got a break on interest — $5,000 a year for three years — with money returning to the county's Water Development Fund.
Structural budget deficit in FY 2026-27
The county faces a $3.16 million general fund deficit next year with flat sales tax, slowing property tax growth, and rising pension and insurance costs. Supervisors settled on a hard hiring freeze and a 5% department cut — and warned that even after all this, roads get almost nothing beyond the bare minimum.
Deed-fraud alerts and a new $10 recording fee
Starting January 1, 2027, anyone recording a deed, mortgage, or deed of trust gets a $10 fee on top of recording costs, funding mandatory mailed alerts to property owners after recording under SB 255.
Abandoned Vehicle Abatement fee on the ballot
The $1-per-vehicle fee failed in 2022, and the county has run out of money to tow junk cars and motor homes. Voters will decide again in November; the board flattened the fee to $1 for all vehicle types to improve its odds.
Tax Collector/Treasurer transition
Longtime Treasurer-Tax Collector Elizabeth Nelson retires August 14; Candace Thomas, a nine-year county employee, takes over.
2026 Property Assessments and Slow Housing Growth
Assessments rose just over 3% countywide and only 55 new homes were built last year. More than half the county's homes aren't anyone's primary residence — inherited and vacant homes are a growing drag on neighborhoods and school enrollment.
Park Use Fees and Waivers
New unified rules for all county parks were scheduled for adoption, with fees the Board set by resolution — small community events like potlucks may qualify for fee waivers.
Grand Jury report criticizes Ione finances and Amador Transit contracting
The Grand Jury's annual report found Ione's financial audits roughly 1,300 days overdue, twelve city managers since 2010, and Amador Transit bus-wrap contracts not competitively bid. Entities have 90 days to respond. Plymouth was credited for cleaning up its act.
Nonprofit facility fee waivers need a policy
The SIR waiver exposed an ad hoc system: the county charges nonprofits like the Girl Scouts, Rotary, and churches to use county halls. Supervisors agreed to craft an overarching waiver policy — with criteria like financial hardship and community benefit — at the June 16 meeting.
Grand Jury contingency funding
State law forces the county to grant the Grand Jury's request for an extra $15,700 to finish its 2025-26 investigations and reports.
Pine Grove Cemetery fees and endowment shortfall
Since taking over Pine Grove Cemetery, the county must cover $16-17,000 a year in maintenance and build up a legally required endowment (currently ~$56,000 against a $280,000-$380,000 need). New fees — $2,500 casket plots, $1,250 cremation plots in 2027, with a $1,000 out-of-county surcharge — aim to close the gap, with hardship discounts available for residents.
Take-home vehicle policy
Roughly 50 county vehicles are taken home, some commuting out of county. With layoffs looming, Supervisors want written justification from every department — probation defended its fleet as a mutual-aid necessity — before the April 28 budget meeting.
County direct-deposit failure left teachers without mid-month pay
A local teacher told the Board that a clerical error at the county disrupted direct deposits for teachers' mid-month checks, leaving paycheck-to-paycheck workers scrambling. Supervisors directed staff to investigate where the process failed.
County employee retirement plan fees
County workers were paying 1% a year plus a $25 fee on their retirement investments; switching record-keepers to Nationwide cuts that to 0.29% and lowers transaction fees, putting money back in employee accounts.