 I hope you have been enjoying all that the summer season has to offer. Whether you have travelled or stayed local, for the first time in 4 years, typical summer activities have fully resumed, and life feels a great deal more as it was prior to the pandemic.
While we have certainly moved past the height of the pandemic, as students head back to school and autumn approaches, it is important to remember that COVID is still circulating in the community. However small the number of cases might be at the moment, that can change quickly as variants develop or we let our guard down. Now is a great time to make sure you are up to date on vaccines. And, of course, keep up those other healthy habits, such as frequent hand washing, staying home when you are sick, testing before you gather, and masking up in crowded indoor spaces or when you are around vulnerable individuals.
The Board of Supervisors is now on summer recess, and we will resume regular meetings on September 19. However, my staff remains very busy attending events in the community and helping constituents with their county needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you need any assistance.
I am looking forward to a very busy and engaging fall season, and I hope to see many of you out and about in the district in the coming weeks. Until then, enjoy this final month of summer – and don’t forget the sunscreen!
-Keith Carson
Budget Brief
In June, the Board of Supervisors approved a $4.1 billion Alameda County Final Budget for FY 2023-24 that is balanced and closes a $54 million through a combination of spending reductions, revenue increases and the use of prior year savings.
The Final Budget reflects the priorities outlined in our county’s long-term Strategic Vision, known as Vision 2026, by supporting efforts to address countywide challenges such as homelessness, affordable housing, aging in place, public safety, and the need to maintain and improve aging infrastructure.
You can read the full 2023-2024 Final Budget on our Open Budget website: budget.acgov.org
Town Hall Series on Homelessness
,With more than 8,000 people experiencing homelessness in Alameda County each night, the commitment to addressing homelessness has been a top priority for our office.
Earlier this year, Supervisor Carson hosted a virtual town hall series on this important topic, highlighting the good and impactful work being done as well as shining a light on short and long-term solutions still needed to successfully house and support our impacted residents.
If you missed the town halls or would like to rewatch, visit: district5.acgov.org/homelessness-town-halls. There, you will also be able to access all of the presentation materials.
We still have much work to do, but these were critical dialogues to have so that residents could better understand our successes and ongoing challenges.
Elections Commission
In June, the Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance to establish the new Alameda County Elections Commission to oversee all federal, state, district, and municipal elections conducted by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.
Supervisor Carson introduced this ordinance as part of a set of recommendations he made in the aftermath of the November 2022 General Election, when errors in the vote tabulation for several candidates were discovered after certification by the Registrar. Establishing the Commission will ensure that the County's electoral process will be more transparent and that issues impacting voting access and vote tabulation will be addressed and corrected in a timely manner.
The Commission will consist of 13 voting members – 5 will be selected by the Board of Supervisors; 3 will be selected by outside organizations (the Alameda County League of Women Voters, a member from a disability rights organization, and a member from a voting rights organization); 4 at-large members representing impacted communities and 1 individual with elections technology expertise will be nominated by the Commission.
The Commission is expected to begin its work sometime in late summer/early fall. Regular meeting days and times have not yet been set.
C4ES' First Cohort Completes Program
The Capacity for Equity and Success (C4ES) is a pilot project created by Supervisor Carson and Alameda County Healthcare Services Agency, in partnership with Exceptional Community Connections, LLC. It is designed to work with small and emerging nonprofits and community-based organizations (CBOs) in West Oakland to provide the opportunity to capacity build, grow, and expand their work in the community.
Earlier this year, the participants of the first C4ES cohort were recognized by the Board of Supervisors for completing their program. Participants included: Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, Hoover Foster RAC, Marcus Peters Foundation, Each One Teach One, Chinue X Project, Mama Jean's Create Hub, BlackFemaleProject, SPAAT, Jion Academy, JTF Feed My Sheep, Good Brotha Network, Khadafy Hassan Washington Foundation, What is Your Niche, and Change To Come.
We congratulate all of the participants and hope that they are now empowered with the information and support needed to succeed and thrive! And, best of luck to the participants in the second cohort, which begins its program this month.
To learn more about C4ES, visit c4es.info.
Upcoming Events
Team Carson will be out and about at these upcoming beloved annual community events - be sure to stop by our booth to say hello, receive important County information, and grab some swag!
Solano Avenue Stroll
Sunday, September 10 | 10 AM - 5 PM
Oakland Pride + Pridefest
Sunday, September 10 | 11 AM - 6 PM
Oaktoberfest
Saturday September 30 | 11 AM - 7 PM
Sunday, October 1 | 10 AM - 5 PM
Staff Spotlight: Farewell Jordan!
Our office has been so fortunate to have Jordan Mitchell join us over the past year as our Local Policy Fellow. Jordan was an invaluable part of the team, contributing greatly to our work serving the community. Sadly, Jordan's fellowship has ended and we had to say goodbye, as he will be starting law school this month.
Throughout the last year, I've cherished numerous unforgettable moments while serving alongside the constituents of District 5 and my colleagues at Supervisor Carson's office. As my tenure with the Board of Supervisors concludes, I'm eagerly excited to embark on my new academic adventure!
We will miss Jordan and wish him all the best! |
