The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.66-billion budget with millions in cuts for the next year as the county prepares for uncertain economic waters.

On Tuesday, the board voted 5-0 to approve the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

The new budget is a reduction of 1.7% compared to last year, but will provide $122.6 million for roads, parks, and other county facilities. The board also approved using $7.4 million to fill holes created by funding cuts from the federal and state governments.

An additional $9.5 million was set aside for next year’s anticipated deficit.

County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato compared the budget to an oak tree that grows its roots over time and through careful stewardship, which allows it to weather the storm when it finally arrives.

She stated that the new budget follows the same model and is designed to help the county prepare for the future.

“It is built to help the county remain strong through whatever lies ahead, and with this budget reviewing today’s needs, while preserving tomorrow’s possibilities,” said Miyasato, who is retiring in August.

The uncertainties facing the county are largely driven by cuts to the federal safety net and potential deficits in the state’s budget. The county receives about 1/3 of its funding from those two sources.

The next year is also an El Niño year, and officials are unsure of how much help the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide if the county suffers storm damages.

The county prepared for the lean year by asking county departments to make cuts to services and eliminate vacant employee positions. The county ended up eliminating 299.2 positions, which were mainly positions that had not been filled.

The county also announced that it expects to lay off 77 employees, but that number may change. Officials have been able to move some employees to other roles and some people willingly left.

County Health announced that it will end or reduce certain services at its health centers, including blood drawing, select specialist services and some pharmacy services.

In his comments, Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino acknowledged the difficulties that county departments are facing and that the board is asking a lot from their staff. He also thanked staff for working hard to reduce the number of people being laid off as much as possible.

“When we started this we were looking at hundreds and hundreds of layoffs,” Lavagnino said. “We’re now down to 60, and we’re still working that number, and I’m just really proud of the work that the people in this room do.”

The board also approved funding for additional items not included in the original budget but were recommended by Miyasato.

The items include funding for the sheriff’s office, community services, the county counsel, and other general programs.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office received additional funding for a warrant officer, the county’s co-response unit in the North County, a second rural crime deputy, and a manager for its Behavioral Science Unit.

The total cost of these programs is $1,042,000 and is funded by a mix of money from the general fund, cannabis revenue and other outside funding.

The board also approved a new film commissioner role, who will be tasked with helping movie and television crews and producers find shooting locations in the county. They will also work with production teams on other logistics for shooting.

The cost of the position is $150,000.

The board also approved setting aside $250,000 for youth education funding and $812,100 for the sheriff’s office to use in the future. The sheriff’s funding may be used for overtime, emergencies, or to fund the Isla Vista Foot Patrol.

In his closing remarks, Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson acknowledged that the new budget is conservative and some departments will be hurting, but said he hopes to revisit them as the state reworks its own budget.

He also thanked Miyasato for her time with the county and help in establishing the new budget.

He said it was important to continue investing in capital projects during hard economic times as well.

“And this budget does that for now, but I think we have some challenges ahead,” he said.