Body of News Release
Marin County, CA – Marin County seeks residents and workers to volunteer on three committees advising how local, state and federal funds are allocated countywide, specifically in the coast areas.
The County of Marin Community Development Agency (CDA) is recruiting community members to serve on the Countywide Priority Setting Committee (PSC), the Measure W Oversight Committee and the Measure W Working Group. Committee members will help oversee and decide how key federal and state funds ought to be spent, plus money generated from a local tax on West Marin visitors. The application window opens September 21 and closes October 23 for all three committees.
In this participatory process, the County is encouraging those from underrepresented backgrounds and protected classes to apply for the committee positions. With committee input, the County will distribute federal, state, and local money set aside for nonprofits and public agencies for various housing and community purposes in Marin.
Countywide Priority Setting Committee (PSC)
The PSC has two openings and makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on the distribution of federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Programs (HOME), and state funds through the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA). The committee establishes funding priorities and reviews grant applications from local nonprofit and public agencies for affordable housing, community infrastructure, and services to low- and moderate-income households.
The County seeks new members from two areas:
- Ross Valley area (Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo, and neighboring unincorporated communities).
- Southern Marin (Belvedere, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, and neighboring unincorporated communities, including Marin City, Strawberry and Tam Valley)
To ensure decisions reflect Marin’s entire community, CDA is especially encouraging residents who represent the interest of racial and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities to apply. Applicants may live or work within a town or city or in the unincorporated areas. The PSC typically meets four evenings a year for approximately two hours at a time.
Applications for the PSC are on CDA’s Housing and Grants website, by emailing the CDA staff, or by calling (415) 473-7309. Applications are due at 5 p.m. Friday, October 23.
West Marin Measure W committees
Measure W, passed by local voters in 2018, increased transient occupancy taxes on West Marin visitors staying at hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts, and short-term rentals from 10% to 14% to address tourism impacts. Measure W’s geographic boundaries include coastal West Marin from Muir Beach to Dillon Beach and inland communities including Nicasio and the San Geronimo Valley.
Measure W collects roughly $1.2 million in taxes from vacationers with about half the funds devoted to housing-related projects to address West Marin’s severe shortage of affordable housing for its workforce. The other half is dedicated to enhancing fire and emergency services for residents and visitors.
West Marin residents and workers are encouraged to apply for the Measure W Working Group and the Measure W Oversight Committee. The two bodies are slightly different in scope.
- The Measure W Working Group evaluates local and emerging priorities in connection with ongoing housing needs and meets with CDA staff several times a year to recommend funding priorities that are sent to the Board of Supervisors.
- The Measure W Oversight Committee reviews the annual audit report from the occupancy tax to ensure that the money is allocated within the West Marin tax area and designated for purposes approved by the voters. Those purposes are fire protection, other emergency services, and community housing. There is a strong need for experts in accounting, auditing, and other finance professions.
Applications for the two Measure W committees are on CDA’s Measure W website, by emailing the CDA staff, or by calling (415) 473-7309.
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For disability accommodations, please phone (415) 473-7309 (voice), CA Relay 711, or e-mail staff at least five business days in advance of the event. The County will do its best to fulfill requests received with less than five business days’ notice. Copies of documents are available in alternative formats, upon request.