City Government

Proposed Budget Boosts Infrastructure Investments

Published

6 years ago

June 13, 2019

Roads, facilities, affordable housing prioritized as plan heads to Board

The County of Marin will present its 2019-2020 fiscal year budget next week, up 7 percent from this year’s budget and including more than $14 million in new roads, facilities and affordable housing investments.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors will get a chance to accept the $630.7 million proposed budget for review during its June 4 meeting. Budget hearings are scheduled for June 17 and 18, with the second day a target date for the Board to adopt a final budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

This will be Year 2 of a two-year budget cycle. The top priorities in the proposed budget are:

Investing in County infrastructure, such as roads, fire stations, and libraries;

Improving disaster preparedness;

Preserving affordable housing in the form of workforce, senior, or low-income dwellings;

Addressing sea level rise and climate change; and

Eliminating inequities in County policies and programs.

The County hosted a three-day springtime budget planning session in April, and all 22 departments were on board with top-quality service delivery through cross-departmental collaboration, especially with regard to emergency preparedness measures. The proposed budget allocates $600,000 to emergency preparedness, including a $250,000 contribution to the “Lessons Learned” fund created after the 2017 North Bay Wildfires and $350,000 to update business continuity and emergency plans for residents with access and functional needs.

“The wildfires we experienced in Northern California the past few years made a big impression, and we are working to better prepare for emergencies,” Budget Manager Bret Uppendahl said. “We are collaborating with local fire agencies to explore the creation a countywide wildfire prevention program.”

Uppendahl said the 2019-2020 budget, if approved as presented, will be balanced and be largely consistent with the approved two-year budget plan. It will include one-time investments toward top priorities and emerging issues as designated by the Board and residents. The largest proposed budget allocations are $7 million toward road infrastructure improvements, $5 million to facility improvements, $3 million for the Affordable Housing Trust, and $1.1 million to add to the pension stabilization reserve.

“The continued economic stability has allowed us to invest in infrastructure,” Uppendahl said. “The Board has supported investments in our top community priorities while making sure that we are preparing ourselves for future uncertainties.”

A recent County survey of residents showed a strong alignment with the Board’s top priorities.

The service areas receiving the largest portions of the County budget are Health and Human Services ($206.7 million, or 33 percent) and Public Safety ($156.8 million, or 25 percent). Taxes ($265 million, 42 percent) account for the largest source of revenue while salaries and benefits for employees comprise the largest area of expense ($374.8 million, 59 percent).

Learn more about the County’s budget overview webpage. Budget feedback may be emailed to the County budget staff.

All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held at accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats – or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity – please contact department staff by email or at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY).

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Glydways Breaking Ground on 14-Acre Demonstration Facility at Hilltop Mall

Glydways has been testing its technology at CCTA’s GoMentum Station in Concord for several years. The company plans to install an ambitious 28-mile Autonomous Transit Network in East Contra Costa County. The new Richmond facility will be strategically positioned near that project, according to Glydways.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Image of planned Richmond facility courtesy of Glydways.

The Richmond Standard

Glydways, developer of microtransit systems using autonomous, small-scale vehicles, is breaking ground on a 14-acre Development and Demonstration Facility at the former Hilltop Mall property in Richmond, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) reported on social media.

Glydways, which released a statement announcing the project Monday, is using the site while the mall property undergoes a larger redevelopment.

“In the interim, Glydways will use a portion of the property to showcase its technology and conduct safety and reliability testing,” the company said.

The new Richmond development hub will include “over a mile of dedicated test track, enabling Glydways to refine its solutions in a controlled environment while simulating real-world conditions,” the company said.

Visitors to the facility will be able to experience on-demand travel, explore the control center and visit a showroom featuring virtual reality demonstrations of Glydways projects worldwide.

The hub will also house a 13,000-square-foot maintenance and storage facility to service the growing fleet of Glydcars.

“With this new facility [at the former Hilltop Mall property], we’re giving the public a glimpse of the future, where people can experience ultra-quiet, on-demand transit—just like hailing a rideshare, but with the reliability and affordability of public transit,” said Tim Haile, executive director of CCTA.

Janet Galvez, vice president and investment officer at Prologis, owner of the Hilltop Mall property, said her company is “thrilled” to provide space for Glydways and is continuing to work with the city on future redevelopment plans for the broader mall property.

Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl added that Glydways’ presence “will not only help test new transit solutions but also activate the former Mall site while preparation and finalization of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan is underway.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Last City Council Meeting of the Year Ends on Sour Note with Big Budget Cuts

In a five to one vote, with Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Janani Ramachandran excused, the council passed a plan aimed at balancing the $130 million deficit the city is facing. Noel Gallo voted against the plan, previously citing concerns over public safety cuts, while Nikki Fortunato-Bas, Treva Reid, Rebecca Kaplan, Kevin Jenkins, and Dan Kalb voted in agreement with the plan.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland City Council voted on a plan to balance the $130 million deficit at their last regular meeting of 2024. The plan reduces police spending by $25 million, temporarily closes two fire stations, and guts the cultural arts programs. iStock photo.

By Magaly Muñoz

In the last lengthy Tuesday meeting of the Oakland City Council for 2024, residents expressed strong opposition to the much needed budget cuts before a change in leadership was finalized with the certification of election results.

Oakland police and fire departments, the ambassador program, and city arts and culture will all see significant cuts over the course of two phases.

Phase 1 will eliminate two police academies, brown out two fire stations, eliminate the ambassador program, and reduce police overtime by nearly $25 million. These, with several other cuts across departments, aim to save the city $60 million. In addition, the council simultaneously approved to transfer restricted funds into its general purpose fund, amounting to over $40 million.

Phase 2 includes additional fire station brownouts and the elimination of 91 jobs, aiming to recover almost $16 million in order to balance the rest of the budget.

Several organizations and residents spoke out at the meeting in hopes of swaying the council to not make cuts to their programs.

East Oakland Senior Center volunteers and members, and homeless advocates, filled the plaza just outside of City Hall with rallies to show their disapproval of the new budget plan. Senior residents told the council to “remember that you’ll get old too” and that disturbing their resources will only bring problems for an already struggling community.

While city staff announced that there would not be complete cuts to senior center facilities, there would be significant reductions to staff and possibly inter-program services down the line.

Exiting council member and interim mayor Bas told the public that she is still hopeful that the one-time $125 million Coliseum sale deal will proceed in the near future so that the city would not have to continue with drastic cuts. The deal was intended to save the city for fiscal year 2024-25, but a hold up at the county level has paused any progress and therefore millions of dollars in funds Oakland desperately needs.

The Coliseum sale has been a contentious one. Residents and city leaders were originally against using the deal as a way to balance the budget, citing doubts about the sellers, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group’s (AASEG), ability to complete the deal. Council members Reid, Ramachandran, and Gallo have called several emergency meetings to understand where the first installments of the sale are, with little to no answers.

Bas added that as the new Alameda County Supervisor for D5, a position she starts in a few weeks, she will do everything in her power to push the Coliseum sale along.

The city is also considering a sales tax measure to put on the special election ballot on April 15, 2025, which will also serve as an election to fill the now vacant D2 and mayor positions. The tax increase would raise approximately $29 million annually for Oakland, allowing the city to gain much-needed revenue for the next two-year budget.

The council will discuss the possible sales tax measure on January 9.