I am commenting today on the ongoing negotiations between the County and the union representing many county workers, SEIU.
At this time, the County is proposing no increase in current wages and an increase in the cost of health care. This represents a hardship to the employees by effectively decreasing our compensation for our work. Worse, this will result in fewer hirings, and more departures from County employment.
When a worker leaves the County, the amount of work that must be done by the remaining workers does not decrease with that absence. Many of the services provided by the County, services to our most vulnerable and in-need residents, are mandated by federal and state regulations. Those regulations do not say “Serve as many as you can manage given your staffing shortage.” Those mandates say Serve All who meet the criteria. When a worker leaves, those who meet the criteria for services does not change, but the number of people providing those services does. With fewer people to do the work, these services will decrease in quality by the simple fact that there are only so many hours in a day, and only so much work a single person can do, no matter how efficient they are.
And worse still, those who qualify for the services that are mandated by federal and state regulation is an ever-growing pool. We should be expanding our ability to serve the county, not stagnating. I’m sure everyone has heard of the mental health crisis? That crisis is real, pervasive, and a matter of life and death to those who suffer from increasing mental health issues. There are more people—residents of Mendocino County—who need those services every day.
If the County stagnates wages and increases health care costs, it will cause workers to leave employment with the County. It will cause shortages in services—services that for some in our County are a matter of life and death. The services provided by the County are in more need than ever, required by state and federal law, and the proposal to pay workers less than market rate will cause the County to be unable to meet the needs of the residents as required by law.
On behalf of the Latino Community Foundation, I am writing to advocate for increased transparency and community engagement by the county with regards to its past and future budgeting of the $16.8 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local Government Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) awarded from the federal government.
The Latino Community Foundation is the premier statewide foundation focused on unleashing the civic and economic power of Latinos in California. The foundation has the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the country and has invested $20 million to build Latino civic and political power and leadership in the state.
Recently, we invested in the local community-based organization Vecinos en Acción (UVA) to ensure the equitable distribution and implementation of ARP dollars. As you may know, the U.S. Treasury Department’s guidelines for how to use these funds repeatedly call for focusing on those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, communities that have endured long standing health and economic disparities, those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical sectors, and those who are low-income.
We stand with UVA’s efforts to ensure a transparent ARP process that prioritizes community engagement.
It is in that spirit that I respectfully request that the county make public its spending plan and allocations for the first installment of the $16.8 million in ARP funds received in August of 2021, and to share any information regarding how the county engaged stakeholders—including community-based organizations—in the allocation of these funds.
Further, as the county embarks on determining how to allocate the second installment ARP funds to be received in August of this year, I urge you to systematize the sharing of information regarding budget making for ARP resources. This includes, but is not limited to, posting information about ARP on the county’s website, with a page dedicated to explaining what ARP is, what these funds are intended for, how the local government has and will make decisions on using the funds, and how the public can get involved.
With deep respect,
Christian Arana
Vice President of Policy
Latino Community Foundation
San Francisco, California
carana@latinocf.org
Dear Mendocino County Board of Supervisors:
I am commenting today on the ongoing negotiations between the County and the union representing many county workers, SEIU.
At this time, the County is proposing no increase in current wages and an increase in the cost of health care. This represents a hardship to the employees by effectively decreasing our compensation for our work. Worse, this will result in fewer hirings, and more departures from County employment.
When a worker leaves the County, the amount of work that must be done by the remaining workers does not decrease with that absence. Many of the services provided by the County, services to our most vulnerable and in-need residents, are mandated by federal and state regulations. Those regulations do not say “Serve as many as you can manage given your staffing shortage.” Those mandates say Serve All who meet the criteria. When a worker leaves, those who meet the criteria for services does not change, but the number of people providing those services does. With fewer people to do the work, these services will decrease in quality by the simple fact that there are only so many hours in a day, and only so much work a single person can do, no matter how efficient they are.
And worse still, those who qualify for the services that are mandated by federal and state regulation is an ever-growing pool. We should be expanding our ability to serve the county, not stagnating. I’m sure everyone has heard of the mental health crisis? That crisis is real, pervasive, and a matter of life and death to those who suffer from increasing mental health issues. There are more people—residents of Mendocino County—who need those services every day.
If the County stagnates wages and increases health care costs, it will cause workers to leave employment with the County. It will cause shortages in services—services that for some in our County are a matter of life and death. The services provided by the County are in more need than ever, required by state and federal law, and the proposal to pay workers less than market rate will cause the County to be unable to meet the needs of the residents as required by law.
Thank you for your time,
Rena Ford
Mendocino County Employee and Resident
Dear Mendocino County Board of Supervisors:
On behalf of the Latino Community Foundation, I am writing to advocate for increased transparency and community engagement by the county with regards to its past and future budgeting of the $16.8 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local Government Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) awarded from the federal government.
The Latino Community Foundation is the premier statewide foundation focused on unleashing the civic and economic power of Latinos in California. The foundation has the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the country and has invested $20 million to build Latino civic and political power and leadership in the state.
Recently, we invested in the local community-based organization Vecinos en Acción (UVA) to ensure the equitable distribution and implementation of ARP dollars. As you may know, the U.S. Treasury Department’s guidelines for how to use these funds repeatedly call for focusing on those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, communities that have endured long standing health and economic disparities, those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical sectors, and those who are low-income.
We stand with UVA’s efforts to ensure a transparent ARP process that prioritizes community engagement.
It is in that spirit that I respectfully request that the county make public its spending plan and allocations for the first installment of the $16.8 million in ARP funds received in August of 2021, and to share any information regarding how the county engaged stakeholders—including community-based organizations—in the allocation of these funds.
Further, as the county embarks on determining how to allocate the second installment ARP funds to be received in August of this year, I urge you to systematize the sharing of information regarding budget making for ARP resources. This includes, but is not limited to, posting information about ARP on the county’s website, with a page dedicated to explaining what ARP is, what these funds are intended for, how the local government has and will make decisions on using the funds, and how the public can get involved.
With deep respect,
Christian Arana
Vice President of Policy
Latino Community Foundation
San Francisco, California
carana@latinocf.org