County's $9.5 billion budget will benefit several projects in the High Desert

San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a $9.5 billion budget for the new fiscal year beginning July 1.

Several items will directly benefit the High Desert and First District.

Approved on Tuesday, the budget includes $504 million in investments for public safety, county parks, economic development, and infrastructure.

Bridges and roadways

Bridges and roadways in the Victor Valley will receive partial funding for several First District capital Improvement projects, which include replacing the Rock Springs Road Bridge that spans the Mojave River between Apple Valley and Hesperia.

The project will replace the existing two-lane low-water crossing with a new two-lane bridge for an estimated total cost of $16.2 million, with the county paying nearly $250,000.

The Ranchero Road widening and rehabilitation project, from near Mariposa Road to Seventh Avenue in Hesperia, will receive nearly $9.7 million.

The overall project includes the removal of the two-lane Ranchero Road and the construction of a five-lane roadway complete with new traffic signals at Maple, Cottonwood, and Seventh avenues. The project also involves removing the existing two-lane bridge and constructing a new bridge over the California Aqueduct at an estimated cost of $16 million, a staff report shows.

The county will pitch in $65,000 for the Shadow Mountain Road paving and bridge project in Helendale as part of the National Trails Highway bridges management plan.

The completed Green Tree Extension Project and Bridge project will receive nearly $13.1 from the county. Completed in May, the project extended Green Tree Boulevard 1.5 miles east from Hesperia Road over the BNSF railroad tracks to Ridgecrest Road near Spring Valley Lake and Mojave Narrows Regional Park.

The nearly $47 million project created another east/west corridor connecting Victorville to Apple Valley’s Yucca Loma Bridge over the Mojave River.

Sheriff’s Department

Nearly $12.4 million will fund additional San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department personnel.

County officials announced 38 new positions at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto as the sheriff’s department expands its inmate housing capacity.

The new positions include one lieutenant, five sergeants, one detective/corporal, 21 deputies, one supervising sheriff’s custody specialist, and 10 custody specialists.

The funds will also improve medical and mental health treatment for inmates while ensuring compliance with mandated staffing levels and training, county officials said.

To increase public safety, the sheriff's department will add seven deputy positions at the Victor Valley Station and two deputy positions at the Barstow Sheriff’s Station.

Using First District Supervisor Paul Cook’s discretionary funding, the county will provide $500,000 to fund two Adelanto deputy positions for one year at the Victor Valley Station.

San Bernardino County Fire  

San Bernardino County Fire will receive a nearly $17 million budget increase for its North Desert Regional Service Zone, with over $3.5 million directed toward capital expenditures.

Cook said his office also provided $375,000 in discretionary funding for a new snowcat at Wrightwood station.

Regional parks

A portion of the contract includes $31 million earmarked for large-scale improvements and additional staff at nine regional parks, including Mojave Narrows Regional Park in Victorville and Calico Ghost Town near Barstow.

Additional funding

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office will receive $867,983 to continue filing abatement actions on landowners to prevent recurring illegal marijuana cultivation sites throughout the county.

The new budget will invest $15 million from its general fund for victims of this winter’s severe blizzards in the San Bernardino Mountains.

The mountain communities received unprecedented snowfall in a series of storms that began on Feb. 22 and lasted nearly a week.

Residents were stranded, and homes, businesses, and other structures were damaged by the weight of the snow, which exceeded what they were designed to withstand, county officials said.

The county will invest $72.7 million in its Homeless Initiative Spending Plan to prevent and reduce homelessness.

San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board will receive $500,000 for its Economic Recovery Business Services Outreach Support Program. This will allow the county to partner with local Chamber of commerce chapters to provide resources for small businesses struggling to hire and build their workforce.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: County's new budget will benefit several projects in the High Desert