Dear Friends,

What a month this has been! I’m deeply concerned about the viability of our democratic institutions and the health and safety of our residents. It is crucial for San Mateo County to be prepared for potential federal funding cuts that could hurt our local safety net system. The good news is that the entire county leadership is alert to the potential cutbacks and committed to continuing to provide services for all San Mateo County residents.

At the board meeting on February 11, we received a mid-year budget report from County Executive Mike Callagy and County Chief Financial Officer Roberto Manchia that shows the county has sufficient revenue to continue funding vital health and social services while also staying committed to the board’s priorities around housing and homelessness, children, families and seniors, and emergency preparedness. I am very grateful for their diligent money management under ongoing economic pressures.

Measure K

I feel strongly that as part of this diligent money management, we have to re-evaluate how we are spending the county’s Measure K dollars. I believe that we need to use this money for bold ideas that benefit residents countywide, such as workforce housing or universal child care. Measure K is a countywide half-cent sales tax extension that voters passed in 2016 to support essential county services and maintain critical facilities.

Since its inception (as Measure A in 2012) this sales tax has raised almost a billion dollars in revenues. Most of the money is used by county departments for countywide services, but currently $2.5 million is set aside for individual board members allotments of $500,000 per year to use for funding proposals at their discretion. When I re-joined the Board of Supervisors in January, I have made it clear that I will not vote for any Measure K funding that only benefits the residents of one supervisor’s district. The county provides services to all residents, not a selected few. I am on the Measure K subcommittee with Board President David Canepa and will focus on using this money wisely, especially during this time of economic uncertainty.

I Want To Hear From You

I returned to the Board of Supervisors to make your lives better and to address our high cost of living. To understand your thoughts and concerns, I want to hear from you. I will hold a series of town halls in all the communities in my district, starting with my first town hall in San Bruno on March 13^th at 6 p.m. at the new Recreation and Aquatic Center. You can ask me about any topic on your mind.

At the town hall we will also have two short presentations on fire safety and emergency preparedness and on immigration rights. I am very concerned about the uncertainty about ICE raids in our communities. The San Mateo County Office of Community Affairs will talk about the rights you have to protect yourself and loved ones. They have been hosting “Know your Rights” events throughout the county, in person and virtually, to provide helpful information about legal rights and support resources. You can find more information on the county website. Here are three useful pieces of advice to keep you informed and ready:

The recent wildfires in Southern California were a tragic and urgent reminder that no one is immune to the dangers of natural disasters. We have areas in our county with similar topography to Pacific Palisades. The old adage - never waste a disaster - has spurred me to help organize a countywide event at the San Mateo County Event Center on April 26^th. Meanwhile at the San Bruno town hall, we will have a presentation from the county department of Emergency Management about wildfire preparedness with easy steps you can take to protect yourself and your home.

I hope to see you on March 13^th in San Bruno!

Save the Date

Please also mark your calendars for two upcoming events:

• "Be Wildfire Ready & Prepared" on Saturday, April 26^th at the San Mateo County Event Center, Fiesta Hall
• Job Fair for public service positions in the county on Friday, May 2^nd at the San Mateo County Event Center, Cypress Hall

More on that in my next newsletter.

All the best,

Jackie