Contra Costa County is in the pleasant and unusual position of having to decide how to spend an unallocated addition to the annual budget estimated to be at least $80 million for the next 20 years. Measure X, passed by county voters in 2020, increases sales taxes by 0.25%, with the proceeds to be used to improve essential services. The county Board of Supervisors appointed a 17-member Measure X Community Advisory Board mostly made up of housing advocates, mental health professionals, and social services agency members to make recommendations about how the money should be spent.
Many vital essential services are under consideration for funding to address the growing needs for many in our county related to housing, jobs, health, and food security. The environment was also recognized as an area that needed consideration for funds.
350 Contra Costa was invited by the Advisory Board to make a presentation at their August 3rd meeting to present a community perspective on transformational opportunities that some of these funds could address. Noting that our Board of Supervisors has declared the County is in a climate emergency, Marti Roach from 350 Contra Costa laid out a vision for how $2.5 million of the Measure X funds annually for 10 years could enable the County to establish an Office of Sustainability with adequate staff to address all opportunities for reducing emissions with a priority on benefits to low income individuals and families and impacted communities. This would be a dramatic step up from the County’s current investment in addressing this challenge. “We can either invest in solving this problem or pay anyway in the costs of climate impacts, which will affect all of us, with the most vulnerable disproportionately impacted. “
Measure X funds provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for Contra Costa to secure a baseline of funds to move with speed and scale needed to address the climate emergency.
The Measure X Community Advisory Board is meeting semi-weekly throughout August, with presentation of recommendations to the Board of Supervisors scheduled for later this fall. 350 Contra Costa sent a follow-up letter to the Advisory Board to memorialize our arguments for funding sustainability. We also are reaching out to other environmental groups to provide comments to both boards, which hold virtual meetings open to the public. Stay tuned for opportunities to express your support for a Contra Costa County Office of Sustainability!
Many vital essential services are under consideration for funding to address the growing needs for many in our county related to housing, jobs, health, and food security. The environment was also recognized as an area that needed consideration for funds.
350 Contra Costa was invited by the Advisory Board to make a presentation at their August 3rd meeting to present a community perspective on transformational opportunities that some of these funds could address. Noting that our Board of Supervisors has declared the County is in a climate emergency, Marti Roach from 350 Contra Costa laid out a vision for how $2.5 million of the Measure X funds annually for 10 years could enable the County to establish an Office of Sustainability with adequate staff to address all opportunities for reducing emissions with a priority on benefits to low income individuals and families and impacted communities. This would be a dramatic step up from the County’s current investment in addressing this challenge. “We can either invest in solving this problem or pay anyway in the costs of climate impacts, which will affect all of us, with the most vulnerable disproportionately impacted. “
Measure X funds provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for Contra Costa to secure a baseline of funds to move with speed and scale needed to address the climate emergency.
The Measure X Community Advisory Board is meeting semi-weekly throughout August, with presentation of recommendations to the Board of Supervisors scheduled for later this fall. 350 Contra Costa sent a follow-up letter to the Advisory Board to memorialize our arguments for funding sustainability. We also are reaching out to other environmental groups to provide comments to both boards, which hold virtual meetings open to the public. Stay tuned for opportunities to express your support for a Contra Costa County Office of Sustainability!