Who's on what and who's in charge in '23
Beef value holds steady | Tomato seeds | Citizen oversight
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Agriculture | Cattle value held steady in ‘21.
Local gov’t | Who’s on what and who’s in charge.
Garden | Every tomato seed in the Willits Seed Library.
City gov’t | Citizen oversight.
Agriculture | Cattle value holds steady
Did you ever pick up one of those “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner” bumper stickers at the county fair?
Even if you don’t openly support the beef industry, tip a hat to cattle ranchers in this county who guided their herds to be third most valuable agricultural commodity.
Mendo’s 2021 crop report valued “cattle & calves” at $17.5 million, behind second place timber at $67.1 million and first place wine grapes at $84.5 million.
Value increased to $17.5 million in ‘21 on $138 a pound.
Cattle & calves were previously valued at $17.3 million at $137 a pound in 2020.
Assistant Ag Commissioner Aaron Hult offered his department’s take on the cattle market:
2021 Crop Report: Cattle production was relatively unchanged in both the number of head and in price per unit, even as uncertainty grows with the ongoing drought and sharp increases in feed and fuel costs. slightly up, but the overall population stayed relatively the same as projections about the availability of future forage remains uncertain. Production values were calculated to be $17,498,400 in 2021, a 1.4% increase over the previous year.
2023 civic service rosters
Willits-area governments with complete elected rosters and the highest administrator for each:
Willits City Council: Greta Kanne, Gerardo Gonzalez, Madge Strong, Saprina Rodriguez and Larry Stranske. City Manager: Brian Bender.
Willits Unified School District: Jeanne King, Jennifer Sookne, Paula Nunez, Diane McNeal, Alex Bowlds. Superintendent: Mark Beebe.
Little Lake Fire District: Arnie Mello, Tom Herman, Tony Madrigal, Nancy Stipe, Skip Lucier. Fire Chief: Bill Carter.
Mendocino County Board of Supervisors: John Haschak, Dan Gjerde, Ted Williams, Maureen Mulheren, Glenn McGourty. Chief Executive Officer: Darcie Antle.
Brooktrails Board of Directors: Rich Williams, Tina Tyler-O’Shea, Joanne Cavallari, Ralph Santos, Ed Horrick. General Manager: Tamara Alaniz.
Ballot Measures passed by voters: Measure I and Measure O.
Measure O, for the libraries, passed 60.82 percent to 39.18 percent.
Measure P, fire services and prevention, passed 55.27 percent to 44.73 percent.
It will be something to watch when the money rolls in.
Measure O is locked-in for the libraries and Measure P was intended for fire departments and prevention efforts.
MCL seed libraries
You can never dream too much about what you would like to grow or what you would grow if you had more water, time or space.
Did you know the Mendocino County Library system operates seed libraries?
Each branch has its own seed stash.
This is every tomato in the Willits Seed Library–find them at the Willits Branch Library:
Tomato
Abe Lincoln
Celebration Hybrid
Arkansas Traveler
Beefsteak
Crimson Cushion Beefsteak
Independence Day
Kellog's Breakfast
Maryglobe
Red Cherry Large
Red Brandywine
Pink Brandywine
Mortgage Lifter
City gov’t | Measure K
City administration mentioned several times this year that it was thinking about assembling an oversight committee for Measure K funds.
Willits voters passed the ¾ cent sales tax measure in November 2020, with 1,308 Willits residents voting “yes” and 701 who voted “no.”
Measure K: Sec. 3.32.140. Citizens’ oversight and annual audit…
B. Beginning with the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2021, the City’s independent auditors shall, as part of their annual audit of the City’s financial statements, review the collection and expenditure of revenue from the tax authorized by this chapter. The auditors’ review shall be a public document. The committee shall annually review the auditors’ findings and report in writing to the City Council regarding the auditors’ findings regarding the revenues and expenditures. The committee’s statement shall be transmitted to the City Council for consideration at a public meeting.
C. By January 31, 2021, the City Council shall adopt a resolution establishing the composition of the committee and further defining its responsibilities consistently with this section. Provisions defining the scope of committee responsibilities and reporting requirements shall address bond oversight, in the event that a decision is made at a later time to sell bonds that are in part backed by the revenues referenced in this section. The City Council shall appoint the initial members of the committee no later than March 1, 2021.
Written and compiled by Zack Cinek | 707 613 0369 | newsboy.zack@gmail.com | Mail: 75 N MAIN ST #121 Willits CA 95490
