The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will decide how to allocate a third of this year’s Measure A revenue, or $15.3 million. They’re expected to spend the bulk of it on affordable housing and healthcare for the uninsured.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how the money will be divided:
The county’s Social Services Administration wants $845,860 of the tax revenue to pay for “safety net” services. This would target the homeless, elderly, disabled and victims of domestic violence. The Domestic Violence Advocacy Consortium could get $624,650, if supervisors approve the amount next week. The District Attorney’s Office would get $1.11 million.
The Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits wants another $117,500 for food warehouse repairs, commercial refrigeration for a food bank and a new van for food deliveries.
Another $3.35 million could go to Community Health Partnership, which supports Valley Medical Center. Healthy Kids, an insurance program for low-income children and teens, is asking for $3 million. Readers might remember San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed told the county to pay for it out of its Measure A moneybags.
The Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System could get about $798,976 in Measure A funds, should supervisors pass the plan. The hospital’s Center for Population Improvement: $1.57 million. The Valley Medical Center’s patient advisory task force could get $700,800.
Affordable housing for non-violent ex-cons and low-income families may get $4 million.
None of this includes the extra $9.7 million from Measure A. Supervisors have asked county departments to submit proposals for how to use it. Those plans should come up for discussion during the mid-year budget review in January.
More from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors agenda for October 22, 2013:
• About $300,000 from the federal/state budget reserve could go to the county’s Mental Health Department to pay for homeless support services. The cash comes from about $12 million in annual federal funding. Currently, the average price of a San Jose studio is $1,399 a month and rents are rising nearly 10 percent a year.
• A few years ago the county created the equivalent of 8.5 full-time jobs through a tobacco prevention and control grant. But the funds expired earlier this year, forcing the county to shrink the program down to four full-time positions and cut back expenses in the Public Health Department budget by more than $550,000.
• County officials want to come up with some guidelines and success measures before it moves forward with plans for a 55-acre civic center in downtown San Jose.
WHAT: Board of Supervisors meets
WHEN: 9am Tuesday
WHERE: County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding St., San Jose
INFO: Lynn Regadanz,
ly***********@co*.sccgovorg
> They’re expected to spend the bulk of it on affordable housing and healthcare for the uninsured.
What?!
Obamacare is providing healthcare for the uninsured.
Why does the county have to do this?
There is at least one too many government programs here, but in my opinion, there are TWO TOO MANY.