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By County Supervisor Candace Andersen Every citizen has the right to know where their tax dollars are spent. A County budget; which is adopted each year following public hearings, input from the community, and work from County staff and the Board of Supervisors; shows how Contra Costa County is using its funds. A copy of the budget can be found at www.contracosta.ca.gov/770/Budget-Documents. With the impact of the coronavirus since early 2020, many County matters and priorities shifted accordingly. COVID-19 has presented a wide variety of new challenges for us, in addition to the ones we customarily encounter when it comes to our County budget. In 2020, we also saw several other milestones that greatly affect the configuration of our County, from the 2020 Election to the Census Count. At the conclusion of the 2020 Census Count, our County’s response surpassed its 2010 self-response rate, achieving the third highest Census 2020 self-response rate of all California counties with a rate of 77.4%. When the census data becomes finalized sometime this fall, we will begin the public process of redrawing our County Supervisor district boundaries.

The recommended County budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year is $4.06 billion. How we spend 70% of that, or $3.037 billion, is mandated by law, and the majority of the budget ($2.3 billion) comes from State and Federal Revenues. As the “safety net,” we administer many State and Federal programs to provide healthcare and assist those in need.

Our General Fund includes normal operating expenditures financed typically by property taxes and charges for services. It is $1.853 billion. Fifty-seven percent of it is spent on our health and human services, 26% on law and justice, and 17% on general government.

With the coronavirus still prevalent, it is worth noting that our County received $227.8 million in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to assist with our response to the virus - $201.2 million came from Federal direct allocation and $26.5 million from State sub-recipient allocation. Additional funding of $110 million has been allocated this year from the American Rescue Plan to pay for COVID related expenses incurred by the County. Another $113 million will be available next year.

Homelessness and housing have been serious concerns during the pandemic, and a series of eviction moratoriums and protections were passed by the state and the Board of Supervisors. We were pleased to see the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) allocate $75,822,311 to Contra Costa. Of that, we are working with the State to distribute $75,307,866 to tenants and landlords for past rent due and $514,445 for local programming to advise those who are behind on their rent payments. Help is offered to both tenants and landlords, with past due rent paid directly to landlords. For more information on rent freeze ordinances, visit www.contracosta.ca.gov/7836/Eviction-and-Rent-Freeze-Ordinance-FAQs. For more information about COVID-19 Rent Relief, visit www.housing.ca.gov/covid_rr/.

Another significant budget development in our County was the passage of Measure X in November. The ballot measure authorized an additional sales tax of 0.5% for 20 years to go towards essential services such as the regional hospital, health centers, emergency response services, safety-net programs, and early childhood services. Measure X is anticipated to generate approximately $90 million in fiscal-year 2021-22.

A crucial element of the passage of Measure X was the formation of the Measure X Community Advisory Board, which saw an immense number of applications from distinguished individuals for available spots. The Measure X Community Advisory Board has begun to meet to develop funding priorities for presentation to the Board of Supervisors. These meetings are online and open to the public via Zoom.

The fiscal-year 2021-22 Recommended Budget included $650,000 in Measure X revenue for a new Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice which will support and expand initiatives already in place to address racial equity and justice throughout the County.

It is anticipated that Measure X will help fund a robust Community Crisis Response program that provides appropriate alternatives to police. Last year, a collaborative effort led by the County’s Behavioral Health Department began to explore and define what it would take to ensure that anyone in Contra Costa County can access timely and appropriate behavioral health crisis services anywhere, anytime. More information about this ongoing effort can be found at www.cchealth.org/bhs/crisis-response/.

Additionally, to address the issue of those with a mental illness cycling through our jails, the Sheriff has been working with our Health Services Detention Health Division to ensure that those entering County jails receive a comprehensive evaluation and are referred to the appropriate mental health and substance use treatment to address their needs. Rather than wait for a state hospital bed to become available, our county is developing an Incompetent to Stand Trial Program within our Martinez Detention Facility. The budget recommendation includes $7.5 million in additional staff costs for mental health services in the jails (40.6 full time employees).

We will continue to work on bold long-term goals to improve our public services, promote economic growth, and enhance the quality of life for our constituents.

If you have any questions about the budget or other County matters, please don’t hesitate to contact me or my staff. I can be reached at SupervisorAndersen@bos.cccounty.us or 925-957-8860. FSRC continued from front page trees in different sections.” Hardly what newcomers arriving in the 21st Pioneers settling the San Ramon Valley shortly after California achieved statehood in 1850 were delighted by the abundance of available water. Co-author (with Laura Grinstead) of Vintage Danville, Lane quotes from Professor James Smith’s Recollections: Early Life in the San Ramon Valley: "Newcomers drove into the valley ... attracted by the splendid valley with its rich pastures and streams of running water.” In Historic Tales of Alamo, California, co-authored with Sharon Burke, Lane remarks: "During the nineteenth century, San Ramon Creek had wetlands on each side and was not as incised as today.” She adds Smith “recalled that the creek was a fine stream of water with many trout and an abundance of willow Beverly Lane (L) and Sally German (R) introduced FSRC's mission at a 2012 Water Conservation Faire at Home Depot San Ramon. Photo courtesy of FSRC. century experience. With headwaters fed by springs in the Las Trampas Wilderness and Mount Diablo State Park, the San Ramon Creek Watershed has 137 miles of creek channels. Part of the Walnut Creek Watershed, the system flows north, so debris entering the channels in Danville and Alamo moves downstream through Walnut Creek. On June 30th, 2012, Beverly and Sally displayed a watershed model borrowed from Chris McCann, Danville Clean Water Program Staff, for their table at the Water Conservation Faire which was held at Home Depot San Ramon. They also received support from Mary Grim, Contra Costa County Resource Conservation District. Dick Heron, now Co-Chairing FSRC with Beverly Lane, discovered the group when they helped sponsor a creek walk that fall in Walnut Creek's Civic Park. Inspired by Arundo removal projects being done by Friends of the Creeks, a Walnut Creek organization established in 1994, Beverly asked founder Lesley Hunt to help assess Arundo infestations along a portion of the San Ramon Creek near El Portal Bridge. In 2013, they walked the area together. Bill Gillespie recalls their visit. “I was working in the yard when two ladies See FSRC continued on page 22