Yolo County’s $40 million budget deficit is decades in the making. How did we end up here?

Another challenge for raising revenue is that Yolo County has long focused development efforts in its urban areas and worked hard to preserve agricultural land. “The county has made been very intentional for 50 years at least, but probably longer, of directing our growth into the four cities,” Frerichs said.

That decision has minimized sprawl and maintained the county’s agricultural heritage, but it has also meant less development on unincorporated county land, which is one of the ways to bring in revenue. “It doesn’t chew up and totally destroy this amazing, world-class ag land. At the same time, it has just resulted in less money,” Frerichs said. “If the development is happening in the cities — West Sacramento and Davis or wherever — then those cities are the ones benefiting financially from that development, that growth.”

Abridged, D. Hennessy, 12.9.25