Supervisors review 2022 strategic plan, debate metrics and whether to prioritize roads and public safety

Mendocino County supervisors spent much of a Jan. 14 workshop reviewing the county’s 2022 strategic plan and a staff-produced tracker that labels items as "complete" or in progress. Several supervisors objected to apparent percentage scores on the tracker and asked staff to present clearer, measurable outcomes tied to specific goals.

Supervisor Ted Williams and others urged the board to couple strategic priorities with transparent budget tracking, including how county funds are allocated to themes such as roads, homelessness and public safety. Staff told the board that most county revenue is encumbered by mandates and that roughly $80 million of county spending is discretionary; that constraint shapes what the board can direct annually.

Board members discussed whether the plan should be pared to a small number of immediate priorities so staff could focus effort, or remain broad and keep many ongoing initiatives. Supervisors proposed removing the numerical percentages from the plan's public tracker or presenting completed items separately so the public can more readily understand what “complete” means for an ongoing effort.

Supervisors also debated whether the strategic plan should guide the budget directly. Several members recommended a calendar and implementation plan: set two to five top priorities for the year, assign measurable goals and regular status reports, and consider a public process before reallocating funds.

Staff told the board they can track agenda items to pillars and said they will explore how to attach dollar figures to strategic categories and to produce more consistent quarterly reporting. The board did not adopt a change at the workshop; several supervisors requested the item return for further work and for a decision on reporting cadence.