Economics

Help Plan Marin’s Future Funding Priorities

Published

7 years ago

July 27, 2019

Spending for multi-year federal grant and state funding initiatives will be influenced by resident feedback

State and federal funding is available to help counties address community issues such as behavioral health services and critical housing needs. Marin County is asking for help in prioritizing future spending by better understanding the concerns of residents.

A series of planning meetings will take place in July and August where residents will discuss a range of community issues such as mental health services and prevention efforts, substance use treatment and prevention, affordable housing needs, community facilities and park improvements, and public services.

Feedback gathered from the focus group sessions will be used by Marin Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and Community Development Agency (CDA) to inform three separate grant funding plans: the Mental Health Services Act 3-Year Plan, the Substance Use Services 5-Year Plan, and Housing and Federal Grants Division’s 5-Year Consolidated Plan. The new plans will go into effect on July 1, 2020.

“Our intent is to work alongside residents to develop a shared, community vision for services that are culturally competent and assist those with the greatest need in our community,” said Jillian Zeiger, Planner for Marin’s Community Development Agency. “This is a unique time where all three of these divisions have timelines that overlap, so we can reach a broader audience and address issues in a holistic manner.”

CDA’s Consolidated Plan prioritizes county specific needs for funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). These federal grant funds are distributed to eligible projects sponsored by local nonprofit organizations and public agencies and have been used for housing, community facilities, and public services for low- and moderate-income households.

HHS’s Continuum of Substance Use Strategic Plan aims to create a comprehensive approach to preventing, treating and providing ongoing recovery support services for the problems associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Marin’s Community.

The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) was approved by voters in 2004 with aim to help transform the public mental health system through community collaboration, client and family member involvement, and a focus on wellness and recovery.

Planning meetings will be held at a variety of locations around Marin:

August 1, 1-3 p.m. – Marin County Office of Education, San Rafael
August 5, 4-6 p.m. – Bayside / Martin Luther King Jr. School, Marin City
August 14, 6-8 p.m. – College of Marin, Kentfield

An additional meeting on August 27, from 4:30 to 6:30pm, will be held at the Marin Health and Wellness Campus in San Rafael to focus specifically on suicide and behavioral health prevention and early intervention. There will be an additional meeting held entirely in Spanish, details will be announced at a later date.

The County hosted a meeting in West Marin on June 18 and will continue to conduct outreach to West Marin residents throughout the planning process.

To ensure broad community engagement, an online survey is also available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The online survey will remain open until the fall.

Additional meeting information and notes from previous meetings are available on Marin HHS’s MHSA webpage and the Federal Grants webpage.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of February 11 = 17, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026

Published

17 hours ago

February 16, 2026

Oakland Post

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Business

California Launches Study on Mileage Tax to Potentially Replace Gas Tax as Republicans Push Back

Under current law, California depends heavily on revenue from the gas tax to fund roads, highways, and infrastructure, but those revenues are projected to shrink as electric vehicle use grows and overall gasoline consumption drops. The mileage study would look at a “road charge” system where drivers pay based on how many miles they drive, rather than how much gas they buy.

Published

7 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City is the author of AB 1421. File photo.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

California lawmakers are moving forward with a study to explore a mileage-based tax as a potential replacement for the state’s traditional gas tax — a shift supporters say is driven by declining fuel tax revenues as more drivers switch to fuel-efficient and electric vehicles.

The research, tied to Assembly Bill (AB) 1421, would extend and support work by the state’s Road Usage Charge Technical Advisory Committee through 2035.

The bill does not yet enact a new tax. Instead, it extends the study and advisory work until 2035 and would have the Legislature receive findings and recommendations, with a report due by Jan. 1, 2027.

Republicans in the California Legislature have been vocal in their opposition. Assembly Republican Leader Heath Flora criticized the proposal.

“We already pay the highest gas taxes in the nation. Now Sacramento is talking about adding a new tax for every mile people drive,” Flora said. “Piling on another tax right now shows just how out of touch politicians in Sacramento are with the reality working families face.”

The plan has drawn broader GOP criticism from leaders outside the Legislature as well. California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton called a mileage fee “absolutely outrageous” and said, if elected, he would veto the tax, adding that tracking and charging drivers for every mile is unacceptable.

Supporters say the study is a pragmatic response to long-term funding challenges.

On the Assembly Floor on Jan. 29, Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D–Suisun City), the bill’s author, said that California’s transportation funding is “becoming less stable, less equitable, and less sustainable as more drivers switch to fuel-efficient and zero-emission vehicles.”

“Drivers using the same roads often pay different amounts for that use,” Wilson continued. “Low income and rural commuters who must drive farther and less efficient vehicles can pay more while others contribute less despite roadway impacts.”

Wilson and other supporters contend that a per-mile road charge could ensure that all drivers contribute fairly to the costs of maintaining roads, regardless of the type of vehicle they drive.