It is no secret that natural disasters are becoming an everyday part of life on the North Coast. From winter storms to floods, earthquakes, fires and landslides, residents continue to be affected throughout the year by emergencies, including putting more strain on public services. With this in mind, the county is looking to hear from community members regarding their priorities.
Over the past three decades, Sacramento has taken over $500 million in revenue from Humboldt County’s budget, and the current state deficit will likely lead to additional clawbacks. Each and every year, the combination of unfunded mandates and state takeaways is costing the county $25 million. Additionally, disaster reimbursements from the state and federal governments often take more than five years to receive, if communities receive anything at all.
State takeaways and lagging, inadequate disaster reimbursements continue to impact Humboldt. For example, county roads are some of the worst in the state. A recent study showed that if nothing changes, these roads will largely be rated as failed in 10 years. Understanding this, the Board of Supervisors directed county staff to explore the potential placement of a local revenue measure, such as a sales tax, on the November 2024 ballot. This research is important as the county heads into an important budget planning process and explores ways to further tighten its belt while providing essential services that residents expect and deserve.
Last fall, the county conducted a survey to obtain initial resident input on service priorities. Some of the priorities identified by your neighbors include:
- Maintaining 911 emergency response times
- Maintaining local streets and roads to reduce the need for future repairs
- Providing communications services for medical and first responders after natural disasters
- Repairing deteriorating county roads
- Becoming eligible for additional state and federal matching funds for road repair
- Maintaining and expanding bus services for seniors, low-income and people with disabilities
- Providing services to address homelessness
The county wants to learn which of these priorities are most important to the community.
As the County of Humboldt works to create a budget that meets the needs of Humboldt County’s residents in these challenging times, residents are encouraged to share their input and priorities to help the county identify creative solutions that align with the community’s values while addressing the county’s current fiscal challenges.
The Humboldt County Community Feedback Survey is available online at humboldtgov.org/roads911. The survey will be open until Friday, June 28.
For more information, please call 707-445-7266.