May 8, 2019 — At the May 7 Board of Supervisors meeting, the resolution to create a 15-member climate change advisory committee was put off for another day. And the usual crowd of small cannabis cultivators dwindled to a few, with even some of the stalwarts of regulation feeling worn out by endless procedural requirements from state regulatory agencies and high turnover among county staff; a minimum tax on crops that have gone unplanted or can’t compete with the black market; andconfusion about who is in charge of the cannabis department.
At the last budget workshop before next month’s budget hearings, supervisors and the public heard that the cannabis program has cost the general fund $800,000. Other big ticket items included $5 million from the general fund for salary negotiations and the Koff report; $2.5 million for disaster recovery, and $780,000 for vehicle replacement. Half a million has been set aside for construction of the new jail wing, though that number is likely to continue going up due to increasing construction costs. Juvenile hall is on the books for $2.1 million, but an earlier request from probation for $460,000 got knocked down to $200,000.
Budget hearings will be on June 4 and 5.