The following is a column submitted by Mendocino County 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the Mendocino Voice.
Let’s start with some good news! The Acting Auditor/Controller Treasurer/Tax Collector has closed the books for fiscal year ’23-’24, which ended on June 30. The carry-forward, which is the money left over, is over $11 million. This is due to increased revenue from property taxes, cannabis taxes, and Cost Plan charges. While sales taxes and the Transient Occupancy Taxes were down, the Assessor’s office was able to get several million dollars in supplemental billings. Cost-cutting measures also reduced expenditures.
The Board of Supervisors voted to reimburse the $7 million borrowed from Measure B to pay for the Mental Health wing of the jail. We need to invest in substance-use disorder treatment programs, and now the funds are available. Mendocino County has many people with mental illnesses and substance abuse issues. With this money, we can invest in programs that create healthier, safer communities. These programs should be where people can access them, not just centered in Ukiah.
Last month, the board unanimously directed staff to keep the original intent of the cannabis ordinance which limited a parcel to 10,000 sq. ft. of mature cannabis plants. Staff came back with the appropriate language to close the loophole. Supervisor Gjerde and I voted to honor the original intent and if expansion is on the table, let’s have community discussions open to everyone so that we can agree on a path forward. But the motion we made was not supported by the other three supervisors. The board majority could not agree on any motion, so the default is that the plain reading of the ordinance stands. This means that a person in non-resource lands can have two permits of 10,000 sq. ft. each on a parcel over five acres.
While we made it through another fire season, there is an increased prevalence of natural disasters. A reliable and effective radio infrastructure backbone is crucial to ensure first response communications are clear and resilient. The county just completed Phase III of the Microwave Radio replacement project, replacing all the existing aging and out-of-warranty radio infrastructure. This new hardware will ensure robust and resilient emergency radio communications throughout the whole of Mendocino County.
Due to scheduling conflicts, no Talk with the Supervisor this month. I am available by email haschakj@mendocinocounty.gov or 707-972-4214.