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County employees press board on rising health‑care costs as community groups urge an "ICE‑free Marin" ordinance
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Summary
Dozens of county employees, union leaders and community activists used the public‑comment period to press the board on two recurring topics: the cost of employee health care and a push from community groups to adopt an ordinance that limits county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
An extended public‑comment period at the Marin County Board of Supervisors’ April 14 meeting centered on two dominant themes: county employees and union representatives pressing for a durable solution to rising employee health‑care costs, and activists urging the board to draft and adopt an "ICE‑free Marin" ordinance that would limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Union speakers and county staff described health‑care increases that could erase negotiated raises for many employees. "If health care goes up by more than the amount you have, many of our members will see a significant reduction in their take home pay," Raleigh Katz of MAPE told the board, urging the supervisors to address the cost increases. County employees delivering public comment described high premiums and out‑of‑pocket costs; one eligibility worker said a recent co‑payment was $900 and that rising premiums are making it difficult to afford care.
Several speakers representing MAPE, MATE and other employee groups asked supervisors to prioritize a long‑term health‑care solution in upcoming bargaining sessions. Jack Buckhorn of the North Bay Labor Council urged the board "to authorize your negotiating team to go that last little bit to close this deal," and speakers repeated requests for changes that would protect lower‑paid workers from net pay losses when health premiums rise.
A second large group of public commenters urged the board to adopt an "ICE‑free Marin" ordinance, which speakers described as (1) prohibiting use of county resources for federal immigration enforcement, (2) requiring transparent reporting on immigration‑related activity, and (3) requiring law‑enforcement identification during operations. Roger Harris, director of the Marine Interfaith Task Force on the Americas, said the ordinance is "a humanitarian thing" and urged the board to "pass an ordinance that comprehensively has no cooperation with ICE." Several speakers tied immigration enforcement to community mental‑health impacts and asked the board to consider additional local protections beyond state law.
Some commenters noted prior forums with the sheriff and asked for more opportunities for direct Q&A with law‑enforcement officials. Other commenters described preparing materials and neighborhood rapid‑response systems for immigrant residents.
A small number of commenters made contested political allegations during public comment. One online speaker alleged public statements by a union leader regarding support for Israel’s military actions; that allegation was raised by a commenter and was not addressed or substantiated during the meeting.
The board did not take immediate formal action on an ICE ordinance at this meeting; several supervisors acknowledged the volume of public input and the need to consider next steps and potential public‑engagement sessions. Separately, union leaders indicated bargaining meetings were scheduled and urged the board and county negotiators to continue talks on health‑care costs.
