County supervisors unanimously approved a $7.7 billion two-year budget for San Mateo over the next fiscal years, spanning 2023 through 2025, that will prioritize ending homelessness in the area, among other things.
"This budget delivers on the promise of addressing some of the most important issues facing our region today," he said. Dave Pine, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
The local official stressed that “taxpayer dollars are being invested in programs and services that help homeless people find permanent housing, support children and families, and continue the transformation of mental health care.”
After three days of public hearings, supervisors approved the recommended budget, however, the Board will hold hearings in September on a revised final budget based on emerging needs and changing economic conditions.
Guided by priorities set by the Board of Supervisors, the plan emphasizes investments in maintaining existing initiatives rather than launching new programs.
Highlights of the plan include supporting operations at the County’s first Navigation Center, which opened last May as a state-of-the-art, short-term, low-barrier interim housing program for adults experiencing homelessness with medical, dental, substance use counseling and housing-focused case management to help clients move into a permanent home.
Additionally, it will allow for increased outreach and engagement services to many more unsheltered individuals residing in the county with the goal of connecting them to services and ultimately more permanent housing.
It will also help build the County's Affordable Housing Fund to finance the development and preserve affordable housing for low-income families and individuals, seniors on fixed incomes, and the homeless.
This is in addition to investing in housing for low-income farmworkers, including 18 households displaced by the January mass shooting in Half Moon Bay; and expanding equity training across the organization to improve decision-making and customer services.
It will also make County parks more accessible to children and families with low incomes or other barriers by providing new opportunities for field trips, camping and other activities; and it will continue to modernize park facilities, including replacing old playground slides and other equipment, and improving restrooms and picnic areas.
Mitigating the threat of wildfires to communities near county parks and identifying, classifying and removing hazardous trees, as well as adding an equity manager to the Probation Department to lead Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, will be other priorities.
As well as implementing an electronic health record for patients and clients across County Health, including San Mateo Medical Center’s many clinical sites and services through Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and Correctional Health; and expanding access to housing for clients with mental illness and addictions, along with services and care navigation to support them.
It will also help combat climate change and build resilience with investments to reduce stormwater runoff and greenhouse gas emissions and help communities meet the challenges of excessive heat, poor air quality and power outages.
It will expand treatment options and services for San Mateo County residents with opioid or fentanyl addictions; bolster emergency management staffing to focus on earthquake preparedness; and commit funds to support the County’s Housing Voucher Program to subsidize rents for 200 homeless households in the County.
Finally, it will increase adult literacy and outreach services and support the expansion of makerspaces; allow for the purchase of a new bookmobile to provide essential library programs and services to residents across the county; and implement improvements to Tunitas Creek Beach and Flood County Park, among other county parks.
This budget recommends the net addition of 120 general fund positions, primarily in County Health, in FY 2023-24 for a total of 5,768 positions for All County Funds. Two additional positions are added in FY 2024-25. Approximately 40 percent of the added positions were the result of converting limited-term and additional-help positions to permanent positions.
In presenting the Recommended Budget to the Board, County Executive Mike Callagy emphasized the importance of taking a measured approach.
“This is the longest anticipated recession in history,” said County Executive Mike Callagy, who presented the recommended budget to the Board. “That’s why I propose we take this measured approach that allows us more time to understand both the need for services and the fiscal outlook. We remain dedicated to providing the services our residents rely on.”
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