Tomorrow is Election Day!
For a moment, be thankful that we have the privilege to vote a two-page double-sided ballot!
From local offices to those who will represent our region in Washington DC this ballot covers many elected offices.
This map shows 10 precincts designated to the City of Willits. Precinct areas outside city bounds cover much more area.
How many of us will be compelled to cast our ballots?
Monday, June 6, 2022
NEWSBOY contents
County gov’t
Other county news
Presidential quote
County gov’t
County of Mendocino budget hearings begin tomorrow—
Threats to close the museum proved to be just that.
The museum stays open and enters these hearings with a budget $159,434 less than last year (net county cost).
The emphasis in these hearings is on the county’s general fund.
There’s $76.5 million available and if approved as-is the county will spend all but $11, 268.
When county supervisors meet Tuesday, a presentation on the museum is scheduled fourth.
The museum’s time slot follows an overview from the CEO and presentations by Planning and Building Services and Department of Transportation.
About this time last month the CEO’s office proposed to cut museum funding.
Whatever happens at these hearings returns to the board June 21 for final approval.
Service Employees International Union was one of a few voices to speak up at previous meetings.
The union has said that the county did not present all the information to the public or the board.
Leaving decision makers and the public without a complete understanding of the county’s finances.
Hard times?
Regarding reserves and contingencies:
The proposed budget does not include a recommended dollar amount to fund the General Fund Reserve this year. The Reserve level is below the minimum amount allowed by Board of Supervisors’ Policy #32. The policy sets the General Fund Reserve level at 6.35% of prior year General Fund appropriations. This Reserve is the County’s primary protection against an economic downturn or significant emergency. –County of Mendocino budget report
The Proposed Budget does not include a $250,000 recommendation for consideration, to allocate funding for contingencies as required by Board of Supervisors’ Policy #32. Contingencies are used for unexpected expenses that arise during the year. Contingencies would be the first source of additional funding tapped before an emergency or economic disaster required the use of the General Reserve. –County of Mendocino budget report
The county proposes $350,000 to complete a $400,000 heating, venting and air conditioning project at the Fort Bragg Justice Center.
The museum loses a librarian position, other departments gain positions paid for with the same general fund money.
A citizen can only hope it is a typo stating that $15,000 is budgeted for new office carpet.
There’s other general fund expenditures listed in the relevant documents attached to the agenda.
Other county news
10 miles of rail trail
City of Ukiah applied to Caltrans for funding to build a 10-mile rail trail from Brush Street to Laughlin Way.
Supervisors should approve Tuesday a letter-of-support for this exciting development.
For Willits people, the trail will be a “Class I” trail in the same fashion as the Willits Rail Trail.
Consulting firm Alta Planning estimated 290,832 walking and biking trips can be facilitated along the route.
That means about 148,731 less vehicle trips, stated a draft letter.
Water
More letters: Supervisors are poised to approve a letter asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to not reduce the volume of water diverted from the Eel River into the Russian River’s eastern branch.
It’s a controversial and complicated water issue.
To understand it includes an interwoven relationships of Lake Pillsbury, the diversion tunnel at Van Arsdale, PG&E’s tiny Potter Valley hydroelectric facility, irrigation water, Redwood Valley, Lake Mendocino and water rights from down south.
On May 13, 2022, PG&E filed a variance request to FERC that requested a reclassification of the 2021- 22 water year type to Dry/Critically Dry which will set East Fork Russian River flows to 5 cubic feet per second (cfs) with no buffer, rather than the 25 cfs target flow presently in place. If approved without modification, water availability in the Russian River will be drastically reduced. This action will result in significant water rights curtailments for downstream diverters and potential negative conditions in the aquatic and riparian environments. –BOS letter to FERC
It used to be that California was a state of confusion, Texas a state of mind and so on…
Nowadays we live in perpetual states of emergency. It’s mostly a bureaucratic mechanism.
The county is on track to renew emergency declarations for the Hopkins Fire and the drought, citing “drought conditions and imminent threat of disaster in Mendocino County.”
Presidential quote
15th US President James Buchanan
March 4, 1857
Inaugural Address
Next in importance to the maintenance of the Constitution and the Union is the duty of preserving the Government free from the taint or even the suspicion of corruption. Public virtue is the vital spirit of republics,and history proves that when this has decayed and the love of money has usurped its place, although the forms of free government may remain for a season, the substance has departed forever.