Marin County will hold hearings starting Monday morning for its $555 million 2017-18 budget, with more hearings and a vote on adoption Tuesday afternoon.

The spending plan, which takes effect July 1, represents a 2.6 percent rise from the current fiscal year’s budget.

It includes a $440.8 million general fund spending plan, up 3.2 percent over the current year.

County employees covered by the budget includes 2,282 positions, a slight rise from the 2,257 staff positions in the budget adopted in June 2016. County Administrator Matthew Hymel said the additional hires have already been approved over the course of the past year.

The only new staffing being proposed in the budget for 2017-18 is a part-time worker to operate a pilot two-year Laura’s Law program for assisted outpatient mental health treatment.

The program, which was approved earlier this year by county supervisors, carries a total $1 million cost over the two years, or $500,000 in each of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 spending plans.

Not included in the proposed budget but scheduled for discussion as potential near-term budget adjustments are a Housing First expansion plan and a Whole Person Care program to combine services for vulnerable and low-income people.

Housing First, which is eligible for both state and federal grants, would add 50 additional slots of Section 8 vouchers and support services to the existing 80 Section 8 spaces through the Marin County Housing Authority to implement a new model to treat the most chronically homeless people. The idea is to give those people a place to live first, and then support them with services to keep them housed.

That is opposite to the current model of housing them in temporary shelters with an expectation of eventual permanent homes, which has proved ineffective for the chronically homeless because they tend to end up back on the streets before reaching permanent housing.

Whole Person Care, which also is eligible for grants, would combine county and community services for housing, mental health, substance abuse and other treatments for low-income residents as well as homeless people

“It has a broader reach than just the most vulnerable homeless people,” Hymel said.

If budget adjustments are indicated after supervisors discuss the two programs, and after hearing public comment, the adjustments would be accomplished using a board letter prior to July 1, Hymel said.

Other “emerging issues” that could be addressed by a budget adjustment include enhancing recruitment incentives for competitive positions such as nurses or accountants, and expanding mental health services at the Marin County Jail.

One-time expenses in the proposed 2017-18 budget total $5.5 million. Those include:

• $3 million for roads and storm damage repairs.

• $1.6 million for Tomales Fire Station replacement

• $450,000 fuel dispensary system replacement.

• $375,000 for BayWAVE Phase II.

• $100,000 for a library flagship vehicle.

The county also will add $150,000 to its renewable energy profile to achieve 100 percent, or “deep green,” renewable energy in all county accounts — two years ahead of its target goal of 100 percent by 2020.

The 2017-18 spending plan is the second year of a two-year budget plan and largely follows that outline, Hymel said.

However, the county is projecting a $7.4 million structural shortfall for the next two-year general fund budget cycle in 2018-20. To offset that projection, the county will begin a hiring review process for all vacant positions, Hymel said.

“We’re hoping to make any reductions through attrition and not have to do any layoffs,” he said.

The proposed 2017-18 budget reflects a 5.5 percent increase in county property assessment values. Property taxes are the main source of revenue for the county, and, along with smaller amounts of sales and hotel taxes and fees for business licenses and vehicles, represent 41 percent of all revenue.

The budget hearings start at 9 a.m. Monday in Room 330 at the Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael. Tuesday’s hearing and the vote on adoption start at 1:30 p.m. in the same location.