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Residents press Alameda County supervisors for 'fair share' accounting as FY25‑26 budget develops
Summary
Eden area residents urged Supervisors Miley and Tam to address alleged long‑running underspending in unincorporated Alameda County and pushed for a dedicated office to track investments after staff presented the developing FY25‑26 budget and a projected funding gap.
Supervisor Miley and Supervisor Tam heard repeated appeals from Eden‑area residents on May 28 to account for what community groups say are years of underspending in unincorporated Alameda County as staff laid out a developing FY25‑26 budget.
Deputy County Administrator Melanie told the committee departments submitted a $385 million maintenance‑of‑effort request for services to unincorporated areas and highlighted structural financial pressures: decades of ERAF shifts, increasing state and federal mandates, pension shortfalls and litigation costs. She said the county projects a developing‑year funding gap of about $105.7 million and noted that nearly two‑thirds of general purpose revenue comes from state and federal sources rather than local property taxes.
The budget presentation prompted multiple public commenters to press for greater transparency and a formal mechanism to track investments. Amanda Chang, a staff member at Urban Habitat, told the committee Alameda County received $1,400,000 from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to help reach Transit‑Oriented‑Communities compliance, but she warned that delays in adopting a mobile‑home overlay could jeopardize full compliance and future funding access. "If the county has already expended the resources, it should strive for full compliance to get the most amount of funding possible," she said.
Carmen Lopez, a Fairview resident, urged creation of an office of unincorporated services and asked the board to explain what she said were more than $1 billion in unspent funds over two decades. "We need a transparent budget process," Lopez said.
Supervisor Tam thanked staff for the presentation and proposed a work session for the Unincorporated Services Committee to review the 'fair share' analysis and underlying assumptions. Supervisor Miley agreed the committee should begin that conversation but noted timeline constraints: the county adopts a budget at the end of June, so any analysis may have limited effect on this fiscal cycle but could shape future planning.
Melanie said staff would review the community report and meet with supervisors' offices; the board asked that MACs (Municipal Advisory Councils) have an opportunity to review any follow‑up work. The committee indicated it would pursue a work session and requested staff return with more detailed analysis, including the item’s implications for the county budget process.
The committee did not take formal action on budget adoption that evening; supervisors said they would continue deliberations and consider scheduling a work session before their next committee meeting.
