Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Measure W topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears Measure W two-year essential-services plan and community pleas to protect clinics, seniors and Deaf counseling services
Summary
Staff proposed a two-year Measure W Essential County Services plan—$34 million annually plus $14 million one-time—and recommended one-year bridge funding to ease Prop 1-related behavioral-health cuts. Community speakers urged additional funding for senior services, food security, federally qualified health centers and Deaf Community Counseling Services; board asked staff to return with a June 2 board letter.
Alameda County staff presented a two-year expenditure strategy on Thursday for Measure W's Essential County Services Fund and asked the Board of Supervisors to consider three actions: approve the FY26-27 and FY27-28 plans, support bridge funding to mitigate Prop 1 impacts on behavioral-health providers, and direct any confirmed Measure W receipts above the annual estimate to board priority projects.
Staff summarized Measure W's long history and scale: the half-cent sales tax was approved by voters in 2020; over the measure's 10-year life staff estimates roughly $1.8 billion in receipts and said the board has signaled allocations of about $1.4 billion to the Home Together Fund, $258 million to Essential County Services and a prudent reserve of $170 million.
Amy Shrago of the county administrator's office walked the board through the recommended essential-services strategy: four investment categories (stabilizing the safety net; meeting basic needs countywide; unincorporated-area capacity and prevention; and one-time capital and major maintenance). Staff proposed $34 million annually over two years plus $14 million in one-time capital investments targeted to projects such as the Castro Valley Library, Foodhub improvements and other facility maintenance.
On behavioral health, staff recommended short-term bridge funding to help community-based providers transition after changes tied to Proposition 1. In the presentation staff said a component of the recommended bridge approach totals about $21.7 million across two years for behavioral-health bridge funding and that Alameda County Health would cover a reported $10.7 million gap; in the work-session summary staff later listed a one-year bridge figure of $45.7 million, a discrepancy staff said will be clarified in the June 2 board letter.
The public comment period was lengthy. Providers and advocacy groups urged the board to increase allocations for senior services and food security and to approve bridge funding for prevention and early-intervention programs. Dr. Heather Hunt of Deaf Community Counseling Services told the board: "This is not simply a budget issue. It is also an access and compliance issue," warning that DCCS is the only culturally and linguistically competent provider for many deaf and hard-of-hearing clients and that closures would leave some people without equivalent services.
Toni Panetta of the Alameda Health Consortium and multiple federally qualified health centers warned of reductions in clinic revenue and service capacity tied to state changes; Jane Garcia of La Clinica said her organization expects something close to $12 million in cuts and called county bridge funding "the right decision." Craig Metz, the clinical manager for an Intensive Outpatient/Partial Hospitalization program at Fairmont Hospital, asked the board to temporarily fund programs slated to close on June 30.
Supervisors broadly supported returning with a June 2 board letter that will include detailed contract proposals and the bridge-funding list; staff will also post the presentation and related materials. The Board did not take final action during the work session; the staff-recommended FY26-27 allocations will be incorporated into the proposed budget that will be presented to the board on May 28 and considered through the regular budget-adoption process.
Sources: county staff presentation and multiple public commenters at the Board work session.
