If you are interested in improving public safety in Humboldt County, consider applying to serve on the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Measure Z Expenditures. This committee recommends to the Board of Supervisors projects to be funded by the local half-cent sales approved by voters in 2014 and renewed in 2018. Measure Z generates more than $11 million in revenue annually, and the committee reviews on average more than 40 projects each year to be funded with these revenues.
There are currently two open alternate positions on the committee. These positions are not voting positions, but do attend every meeting to discuss Measure Z. The positions vote when they are needed to determine the presence of a quorum (six members of the committee).
Pick up an application on the county website or in the Clerk of the Board’s Office at 825 5th Street, Room 111 in Eureka. Submit your application to the Clerk of the Board via email or mail in.
Applications are due by Jan. 17, and the Board is scheduled to make the appointments on Jan. 22. The first meeting for the alternates will begin on Jan. 31. All meetings begin at 2 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers in the Humboldt County Courthouse. A full schedule of this year’s meetings is below:
Schedule of meetings:
Thursday, Jan. 31
Thursday, March 7
Thursday, March 14
Thursday, March 21
Thursday, March 29
Thursday, April 4 (tentative)
Thursday, Sept. 12
The successful applicant will serve a 4-year term and be appointed by a majority of the Board of Supervisors. The entire committee is made up of nine individuals (one selected by each member of the Board, one nominated by the Humboldt County Fire Chiefs’ Association, and one nominated by the Sheriff, two at-large positions) and two alternates.
Since voters passed this measure in 2014, the committee has overseen approximately $33.8 million in expenditures to make our community safer. In that time, Measure Z has funded more than 70 projects including:
- Hiring more than 40 Sheriff’s Office personnel
- Maintaining ambulance service on Highway 299
- Funding law enforcement officer positions to provide service in the cities of Eureka, Arcata, Blue Lake, Trinidad, Rio Dell, and Fortuna.
- Student resource and juvenile probation diversion positions in our local schools
- Bringing nearly $6 million of equipment for volunteer fire departments
- Providing more than $6 million for road improvement and safety projects, and more.
To learn more, visit the Measure Z page on our website.