May 8, 2026

SACRAMENTO — San Mateo County leaders warned state lawmakers Thursday that a decades-old funding mechanism is depriving the county of hundreds of millions of dollars needed to sustain public safety, housing and other core services.

Local officials said the state’s current payment structure has already left San Mateo County and its 20 cities short of approximately $157 million over the past two fiscal years, with projected losses expected to exceed $1 billion over the next decade, unless the state acts.

Appearing before the California State Senate Budget Subcommittee on State Administration and General Government, State Senator Josh Becker, Supervisor Jackie Speier and other local leaders urged lawmakers to restore the funding and establish a permanent solution.