Santa Clara County is facing a budget apocalypse that’s about to shake up local social services harder than a tech startup’s pivot strategy.

With a whopping $70 million in federal funding vanishing faster than venture capital during a recession, county leaders are scrambling to keep critical programs alive. County Executive James Williams’ budget proposal reads like a Silicon Valley downsizing playbook - 279 positions potentially on the chopping block, with 119 of those cuts hitting the county’s health and hospital system.

Mental Health Gets a Remix

The most eyebrow-raising move? Eliminating the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT). Before you panic, mental health advocates are actually cheering this decision. They’re pushing for the Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST), which promises a non-police approach to mental health crises. Laurie Valdez, an activist who’s been fighting for better crisis response, is cautiously optimistic - though she wants to see more TRUST vans actually visible in the community.

Housing and Welfare Take a Hit

California’s welfare grant funding is also getting slashed, which means about 110 families might get cut from housing assistance programs. District 5 Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga didn’t mince words, calling the federal government an “adversary” that’s cutting funds without regard for resident welfare.

Balancing Act Begins

County leaders are playing a delicate budgetary Jenga, trying to preserve core services while dealing with massive funding cuts. They’re even fast-tracking budget reviews to stay nimble. The message is clear: survival mode is activated, and Santa Clara County is ready to get creative.

Stay tuned, because this budget drama is just getting started.