It's Budget Time!

From Tuesday, June 12 to Friday, June 15, the Board of Supervisors is slated for 2018-19 budget hearings. The total recommended budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2018-19 is $1.63 billion, with $2.7 million coming from the General Fund Reserve. There is also a decrease of 116 positions from the 2017-18 adopted budget. According to Sheryl Bratton, our county administrator, this budget is balanced due to the willingness of department heads to meet targets and stretch resources to meet increased demands.

The budget also reflects the shift to community recovery on all fronts, a pivotal move the county had to make after the October 2017 fires. Due to the fires, which burned 173 square miles, destroyed 5,300 home and 105 businesses, some of the county's main sources of revenue, including property taxes, have drastically changed. These reduced revenue streams are met with the increased costs of recovery needs.

West county will get hit; we already expect special districts to have reduced funding over the next two fiscal years. That said, I am committed to reinvesting as much of the transient occupancy taxes (TOT) west county brings in as possible. Last year our office received $223,000 in TOT funds, which was used to support fire and emergency services providers with essential equipment needs, and helped pay for pedestrian safety improvements in several areas. I'm hopeful we will be able to secure additional ongoing funding.

While this year's budget seems all doom and gloom, there are some highlights, including the recommended amount of funding proposed for road repairs: $9.5 million, up slightly from last year's overall roads fund, is slated for discussion and vote during the budget hearings. Our road maintenance schedule is set for the next year, but we’ll be working on creating a schedule for the following two years. If there are any roads in need of maintenance or repair, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Reports can also be made online using the county's app, SoCo Report It. Issues may also be reported to my office.

The entire proposed budget can be found here: 2018-19 Recommended Budget.

Andy's Unity Park Celebration

On Saturday, June 2, we celebrated the opening of Andy’s Unity Park and community garden in the Moorland neighborhood. Neighbors, community members and more filled out the park for the day-long celebration, which was both somber - Andy Lopez's 18th birthday was Saturday - and thrilling for the neighbors who have waited so long for their park. The event included a prayer song by Chairman Greg Sarris of the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria; a commemorative dance by the Aztec Dancers; poetry, blessings and prayers from community and family members; releasing of doves by Andy's family; and speeches from local nonprofit and governmental groups.

It is a beautiful park with something for everyone: a community garden, dog park, sport field, skate park, pavilion, barbecue pit, amazing playground, and most importantly a memorial space for Andy. The elements of the original altar were incorporated into the new piece, pictured above. The artwork is beautiful and inspiring, even in its unfinished state. Thank you to both activists and neighbors who worked so hard to see this park to fruition. It is truly their park. 

Municipal Advisory Councils

I'm excited to announce the municipal advisory councils slated for the Lower Russian River and Sonoma County Coast areas are making great headway. For the Lower Russian River area, we have formed the proposed boundaries for the MAC. The boundary will be broken into nine districts; we are seeking input from those constituents living in the area about what the districts should look like and how they should be formed.

Coastal residents will have an opportunity to provide input and feedback on the proposed boundaries for the coastal MAC during a meeting on Tuesday, June 26 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Jenner Community Center. During the meeting we will reveal the proposed boundaries, ask for input on areas/communities that should be represented and seek feedback on how MAC board members should be recommended or chosen.

Over the past two months we've heard the same question and concern: “Why is the MAC so large? Our community is completely different from that community!”

It's true -- there are many unique communities within the boundaries of each proposed MAC boundary. And it's also true that those communities have unique needs, concerns and issues. But, it's also true that all of our communities share common problems, including affordable housing, vacation rental over-saturation, crumbling roads and more. We're excited to bring representatives from each of these communities together to create out-of-the-box solutions and recommendations to the supervisors about these issues. I hope you’re excited, too.

Keep on the lookout for upcoming newsletters regarding news about the MACs. If you haven’t signed up for the MAC newsletter or you have any input, questions or concerns, emails my field representative Amie Windsor at amie.windsor@sonoma-county.org.

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