The upcoming fiscal year represents the county’s second annual opportunity to spend Measure Z revenues. The half-percent countywide sales tax, approved by voters in 2014, is intended to boost support for public safety and essential services.
Competition for those revenues has been fierce, both this year and last, with requests ranging from road repairs to unfunded liability for the California Public Employee Retirement System to an “Avenue of Sculptures” for the City of Rio Dell.
Last month, the citizen-filled Measure Z Advisory Committee recommended funding 17 of the 43 proposals received this year. Before yesterday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Third District Supervisor Mark Lovelace posted the following message:
Afterwards Lovelace noted, “With $12.7 million in requests and only $6.5 million in funds available, our Board was not able to support every worthy application … .”
The board did, however, manage to suggest a proposal that would stretch the funds beyond the 17 projects recommended by the Advisory Committee. By giving some agencies a bit less than they’d asked for, the board’s suggestions would spread the $6.5 million available this year across 25 projects.
These proposals will be included in the county’s proposed budget, which the Board will vote on at its June 7 meeting. Disagree with the recommendations? Better speak up.
Here’s what the county has to say about it:
With $5.3 million of Measure Z funds already dedicated to next year’s budget for public safety services like the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney and Probation Department, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday proposed an additional $6.5 million in spending for projects that will protect our community. Funding for these projects, 25 in all, will be included into the county’s proposed budget, which will be available for public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting on June 7.
The proposals include $1.8 million to the Humboldt County Fire Chief’s Association for equipment such as fire engines, metal building kits, personal protective equipment and hoses. In addition, more than $250,000 would be used for critical emergency response along the Highway 299 corridor, which is an area that is currently not under the jurisdiction of any one agency. Local roads are scheduled to receive $1.5 million, and the Sheriff’s Office would receive nearly $1 million for seven additional staff (four deputy sheriffs, one correctional Lieutenant, one community services officer, one animal control officer).
More projects are proposed for funding. A complete list of these projects is available on our Measure Z web page.
In total, agencies submitted 43 applications requesting more than $12.5 million in funding from Measure Z, which is a half-cent local sales tax passed by voters in 2014. The applications were reviewed by the Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Measure Z Expenditures earlier this year and submitted its recommendations in March. The committee held six meetings, including one public hearing, in which it took public input and evaluated proposals that sought a share of these funds.
CLICK TO MANAGE