The following is a monthly letter written by Mendocino County’s 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak to constituents:
Frontier Days is coming soon. This is a cherished tradition in the community. Preservation of the history of our County is the role of the County Museum. We are fortunate to have the Museum, Roots of Motive Power, and other historical societies in Mendocino County. Connecting the past to the present and into the future benefits all of us in many ways. The Museum will be open on July 4 and on July 1st there will be lots of interesting and entertaining activities at the Museum as part of the E. Commercial St. Art Walk.
The County budget is balanced. That is the good news. The bad news is that about $7 million of one time only monies have been used to balance it. This is not good when the ongoing costs have been rising due to inflation while the revenue has been down or flat. Proposals to increase revenues (collect all property taxes, short term rental taxes, increase Transient Occupancy Taxes, etc.) as well as cutting costs (decreasing existing contracts with outside consultants, reducing health care costs, eliminating positions) are on the table.
Cannabis revenues are coming in higher than expected. Some of the changes we have made are benefitting the County and cultivators. The County continues to work well with the State in creating a workable program and pathways to annual licensure.
After being inundated with rain and snow this winter, summer is right around the corner. I am waiting for County Counsel to bring forth the water hauling and extraction for commercial purposes draft ordinance. This will go to the Planning Commission for review. Another item is riparian protections. The County has the capacity to generate maps with areas of rivers, creeks, and streams and wetlands. What has been missing is guidance of appropriate setbacks from waterways. Even though we have water in abundance right now, we have to be prepared for the next drought.
My monthly table talk is on Thursday, June 8, at 10:00 at the Brickhouse Coffee in Willits. Please reach out to me at haschakj@mendocinocounty.org or 707-972-4214.
John
I’m not here to criticize Mr. Haschak whose work I respect. He is more focused on fundamental issues and is more open than his colleagues. But there are several things about this budge to criticize. It is the second year in a row that the budget has been balanced with one-time revenues sources. To no one’s credit, the budget priorities and goals no longer includes not using one-time monies for ongoing costs. Can’t meet a goal? Just make it go away.
Also, budget numbers for previous fiscal years are available at the County’s Budget portal. The expenses for public protection and General Government given in the new budget are not anywhere close to being the same. As a result, one cannot form any opinions on this budget.
Lastly, a budget is a plan and almost always actual events deviate from plan. Especially in uncertain times such as now. I’d like the BOS to form a Finance Committee with Mr. Haschak at the helm. To meet at least once a month to monitor the actuals vs. budget and to take corrective action as needed. Last year the BOS found itself surprised by a $12 million deficit at the end of the fiscal year. A red flag here and there might have a least mitigated this.
The Board of supervisors are predatory against the Mendocino County taxpayers. They use every situation to create a new tax or push new Measure to levy property taxes such as: wildfires, previous droughts, floods, their bankruptcy of our shut down Mental Health Hospital, homelessness, etc. then the BOS takes the taxpayers money and uses it for their own raises, remodeling their own offices, and their pet projects. Mendocino County residents pay higher property taxes than any other county in all of California and nearly the highest sales tax as well. No amount of money will ever satisfy a group of people that mishandle millions, don’t disclose embezzlement of tax dollars to the taxpayers, lose millions of dollars and don’t know where it went, and can’t seem to add and subtract.