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Lake County officials say state removed funding for Blue Ribbon Committee projects; committee members sent letter asking for reconsideration
Summary
Members of Lake County's Blue Ribbon Committee sent a coalition letter to state officials asking that funding removed from the current state budget for projects recommended in 2023–24 be restored. A board representative signed the letter; the full board did not take a formal vote.
A supervisor who represents the board on the Blue Ribbon Committee told the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 27 that the state has removed funding — estimated at approximately $14 million in committee materials — for projects the committee recommended in 2023 and 2024, and that Blue Ribbon Committee members sent a coalition letter asking the state to reconsider.
The supervisor, speaking during agenda item 7.2, said the speed of changes to the state budget prevented the item from coming before the full board for prior review. "With the current state budget, as we sit today, the state has removed all of the money, which is upwards of probably over $14,000,000 for Blue Ribbon Committee projects that were recommended in '23 and '24," the supervisor said.
The supervisor said as the board's representative on the Blue Ribbon Committee, they signed the letter "as my position as a supervisor and a member of Blue Ribbon, to ask the state to reconsider and please provide, you know, some some budget funding for for these projects from '23 and '24." The supervisor added they had not yet heard back from the state about any reconsideration.
Supervisor Pyska voiced support for the letter and urged a procedural change to allow faster board responses in the future by incorporating legislative priorities into an annual governance platform. "If we have it in our legislative platform and our legislative priorities, then a supervisor can send a letter or admin can send a letter that aligns with those, when the time it when the time when it's necessary in timing without having to wait for a meeting," Pyska said.
Supervisor Owen, also a Blue Ribbon Committee member, said they would like to sign the letter as well if it was still possible.
No formal board vote on the matter was recorded during the meeting; the item was presented as information and the board closed public input on the matter. The supervisor described the committee's projects as intended to "improve our lake and keep the cultural, value of it as well as continue to provide public recreation, which will help our economy into the future."
