South San Francisco, CA September 30, 2021 Press Release
2021-22 Spending Plan Earmarks Funds for COVID-19 Boosters, Relief for Individuals and Small Businesses
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved a revised budget for the 2021-22 Fiscal Year that will help drive the economic recovery of individuals, families and small businesses hit by the pandemic.
Overall, the $3.8 billion budget advances three key goals: economic recovery; ending homelessness; and ensuring that government policies and programs reach and lift every neighborhood in San Mateo County.
“This budget targets investment in our greatest resource: the people who live and work here in San Mateo County,” said Board of Supervisors President David J. Canepa.
“We are putting difference-making dollars to work countywide in three significant ways,” Canepa said. “First, by supporting small businesses through grants and fee waivers; second, by investing in housing solutions to end homelessness and; three, by setting up a framework that advances equity to ensure no one in our community gets left behind.”
The County continues to prioritize COVID-19 economic recovery through a wide range of programs. The revised budget includes the addition of $74.4 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, as follows:
|
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) FundingTotal Received: $74.4 million) |
|
| Projects |
Budgeted |
| Homelessness: Navigation Center and/or acquisition of additional hotels |
$20,000,000 |
| Lost Revenue Reimbursement: reimbursement to County departments for loss of County revenue incurred through the course of the pandemic |
$20,000,000 |
| Community Initiatives: community efforts related to equity and recovery |
$10,000,000 |
| Business Support: funds for the creation of the North County Small Business Center, for the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, and for WeHope to develop a modular housing manufacturing plant in East Palo Alto |
$5,500,000 |
| Environmental Health Fees: one-time support to about 5,400 businesses to offset revenue losses incurred due to restrictive COVID1-9 Health Orders |
$5,150,000 |
| Vaccine Outreach, Events, and Mass Vaccination for 3rd Dose: administration of vaccines in communities at increased risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization, and enhanced vaccine outreach through extra help staffing and community-based providers |
$5,000,000 |
| SMC Strong Small Business Assistance Program: 200 grants of $10,000 each to eligible small business that have not received a County or state/federal small business COVID recovery grant or loan in the past 12 months, plus $75,000 to SMCU Community Fund to administer the program |
$2,075,000 |
| Home Delivered Meals Expansion for Older Adults: expansion of the County’s home delivered meals program for older adults for two years, following the end of the Great Plates Delivered program |
$1,950,000 |
| Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Emergency Food Assistance: emergency food assistance for vulnerable populations and creation of grocery delivery programs for older adults |
$2,550,000 |
| Micro Food Business Grant Program: grants of up to $2,500 cottage food operators, $5,000 for caterers, food trucks, food carts, and $10,000 for commissaries and incubator kitchens. |
$500,000 |
| Microenterprise Home Kitchen Ordinance (MEHKO) Pilot and Grant Program: $238,000 for Environmental Health Services to operate MEHKO pilot permitting program and $62,500 for individual grants of $2,500 to 25 MEHKO permit holders |
$300,000 |
| Total |
$73,025,000 |
With $10 million directly focused on community-based efforts to aid in recovery, equity will continue to be a top priority for the County. A draft equity framework has been developed that will guide the County’s internal and external efforts to advance equity.
The 2021-22 Recommended Budget the Board of Supervisors approved in June totaled $3.3 billion. This revised budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year includes an additional $431.8 million, or 13 percent, in allocations, bringing the final total to $3.8 billion. (The fiscal year runs from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.)
Despite the increase in spending, the revised budget includes a net reduction of 15 authorized positions, bringing total budgeted positions to 5,627.
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