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Dear Friend,
This has been a dynamic month with a historic childcare victory, momentous celebrations of Juneteenth and Pride, and critical vigilance and organizing to protect our immigrant communities. We also approved our $5 billion County budget and look ahead to allocating vital resources for homelessness solutions. In addition, we continue to assess the impacts of the state and federal budgets on our County safety net services, and we honed in on looming health care impacts at our June Act for All Committee meeting.
 Our Board unanimously approved First 5 Alameda County’s five-year plan to distribute Measure C funds to expand access to early child care and education, including over $200 million in initial appropriations. This is an important step to recognizing childcare as a public good, supporting the whole child, whole family, and childcare and education providers. Thanks to Parent Voices, SEIU 1021, and many others for your years of advocacy, and to the Community Advisory Council, First 5 Commission on which I serve, and the First 5 staff team! Read more below and visit First 5 Alameda County.
 As Trump escalated immigration detentions and deportations this month, including militarized enforcement in Los Angeles and tearing people away from their families at local immigration courts, I stand firmly in condemning these raids and the violations of our constitutional right to due process.
We all belong, and we will keep each other safe. I am proud that our Board allocated $3.5 million in March to boost deportation defense, know your rights trainings, community organizing and mutual aid, and legal services. It was affirming to participate in our first district town hall in Dublin where we are opposing conversion of the Dublin jail into a detention center, and to join hundreds in an Oakland community vigil, to join thousands for the national No Kings Protest, and to join our state legislators and local leaders in a press conference to show our strong support of our immigrant communities.
Remember to stay informed and organized:
As the Board worked on our annual budget this month, we engaged our community to share information and get feedback. My office organized a virtual Budget Forum, and I shared a Budget Memo to outline priorities, resource opportunities, and ways to increase budget transparency. We adopted a balanced $5 billion budget, without service reductions or layoffs. Read more below and in the Pleasanton Weekly.
There are more budget decisions ahead. Read below to learn more about Measure W and how we can allocate millions of dollars toward homelessness solutions, and join our Oakland or Berkeley Town Halls on Homelessness Solutions. The state and federal budgets will have significant impacts to our safety net, reducing access to health care, food security, and other critical services. Read below about our June Act for All Committee meeting where we focused on health care impacts and recommendations for action.
My team and I enjoyed celebrating Juneteenth across District 5 and making connections at events, including the wonderful Berkekley Juneteenth celebration. We also recognize that true racial, social and economic justice and Black Liberation are still dreams and goals to achieve.
We were also proud to celebrate Pride month, leading Alameda County in a gathering to raise the Pride flag, bringing forth our annual proclamation declaring June LGBTQ+ Pride month, and honoring Arianna Salinas, a trailblazer in the trans Latina community and expert on trans health issues. Read more below.
My team and I look forward to continuing to partner with you.
Warmly,
Nikki Fortunato Bas 勵琪 (she/her)
Supervisor
Alameda County, District 5
P.S. — For information about our Board and Committee meetings, please be sure to follow my social media or check the Board of Supervisors (BOS) meetings web page.
The Alameda County Together for All (ACT for All) Ad Hoc Committee, which I chair, continues to meet monthly and serve as a forum to coordinate a proactive response to protect, support, and lift up communities that are impacted by the federal administration’s policies and budgets.
On June 5, ACT for All turned its attention to health care. The meeting focused on the federal and state impacts on our health care system. Alameda County is a proud leader in advancing health equity and building a preventative approach to healthcare, especially at a time when critical health services are under threat from state and federal budget cuts.
We heard from our local healthcare leaders about the influence of federal and state policies and budget decisions on healthcare access, delivery, and outcomes—particularly for vulnerable populations. A recording of the Committee meeting is available here, and most of the presentations can be found here.
Key Health Impacts of State and Federal Policies & Budget Decisions:
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State changes to Medi-Cal policies:
- Freezing enrollment and eliminating certain benefits for undocumented adults
- Creating a $30 monthly premium for undocumented patients
- Ending the prospective payment system (PPS) to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) for undocumented clients (starting July 2027), which will eliminate state reimbursement for physical, behavioral and dental care
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Federal changes to Medicaid:
- Establishing work requirements
- Requiring new hoops for enrollment
- Reducing the federal match for Medicaid services from 90% to 80%
- Eliminating funding for services, like gender affirming care
Providers are also contending with the elimination of federal grants, as well as impacts of state policies, like Proposition 1 and Proposition 34.
These policy and budget impacts will have devastating health consequences for Alameda County residents and our healthcare providers.
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Reduced Medi-Cal Coverage: Currently, over 500,000 Alameda County residents are enrolled in Medi-cal. Half of those enrolled (250,000+) are at risk of losing their coverage with new federal and state eligibility changes.
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Cuts to Critical Health Services: Providers are bracing for cuts to critical services and programs, including: reproductive care, gender affirming care, and mental health prevention and early intervention. Furthermore, cuts to programs like CalFresh will impact food security, a social determinant of health.
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Payment Cuts to Providers: Providers are facing reduced reimbursements for critical services as well as increased administrative burdens. At the same time, healthcare providers are also reckoning with higher operating costs.
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Negative impacts to our healthcare system: There will be detrimental impacts to the health of our communities from delays in patient care. As residents lose health care coverage and access to necessary primary and preventative services, providers anticipate increased rates of hospital visits, impacting the quality and level of care that all patients receive.
Though these impacts will touch everyone living in the County, our undocumented residents are most impacted. Fear of immigration raids has deterred many patients from attending appointments and seeking care.
Recommendations to Alameda County as we look and plan ahead:
It’s unlikely that the County will be able to backfill all of the massive Medi-Cal cuts anticipated in the state and federal budgets, but we can leverage additional commitments to HealthPAC to provide health care access for those who lose health insurance. Our healthcare partners also provided valuable recommendations for how the County can help respond to these impacts, by:
- Eliminating the need for double entry of data for mental health providers
- Minimizing the total number of funding streams for programs and services to reduce reporting requirements and administrative overhead
- Maximize flexibility where funding sources allow discretion
- Urgently reduce (or fund) administrative costs.
- Prioritize the stability of system providers to provide continuous access to care
- Establish an interagency forum for community-based organizations for problem solving. Note that Alameda County Health has been and will continue to convene this group.
The committee will recess in July and meet again in August. Stay tuned for more information at the ACT for All web page.
County Approves $5 Billion Budget – Need for Increasing Budget Transparency and Participation
Our Board makes critical budget decisions on programs, capital investments, and reserves. This particular year, our County’s fiscal landscape is evolving rapidly with the sunset of ARPA federal funds,
anticipated cuts from the state and federal budgets, and ongoing and future implementation of policies, settlements, and state legislation. There is a great need for timely information and meaningful community engagement.
On June 12, I held a virtual Budget Forum, two days after receiving the proposed budget. Thank you to over 75 participants who spent their evening with us. We heard presentations from county staff and community partners, and we had an opportunity for questions and feedback. At the forum, community members advocated for critical safety net services, including health care, homelessness solutions, and food security. Participants also raised concerns that there is not enough transparency and community engagement in the county budget process. This feedback informed my advocacy for the final budget and for improving our budget process. You can find the budget forum video recording and presentation slides here: district5.acgov.org/townhalls/.
 On June 26, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a $5.1 billion balanced budget. I was pleased that we were able to close a $105.7 million budget gap without layoffs or service reductions, thanks to the hard work of the County Administrator, Department Directors, and the County budget team. The budget includes $969 million in contracts for 278 community-based organizations that provide a range of safety net services. This includes $89 million in contracts for those experiencing homelessness.
During the budget process, I advocated to increase funding for the Alameda County Community Food Bank due to the increasing need, which is greater today than at the height of the pandemic. I asked the Board to fund $2 million for food procurement and $2 million for meal preparation for the unhoused. I appreciate that the Board asked county staff to bring forth a $6.5 million recommendation to support food security, as well as senior services, at the July 22 Board meeting. I also requested information on funding for the Care First Jails Last recommendations and look forward to the Board receiving this important information.
During the Board’s budget deliberations, I shared my budget priorities for maintaining our safety net during these unprecedented times of imminent budget cuts, identified potential resource opportunities for meeting our service needs, and raised the importance of increased transparency and community engagement in our budget process. Please see my budget memo here for details, and the Pleasanton Weekly.
Let’s Take Action on Homelessness Solutions – Measure W Update
With looming state and federal budget cuts and a growing homelessness crisis, Alameda County has a historic opportunity to invest in homelessness solutions. Measure W has been, and always will be, a general sales tax that can be spent on any county service or program - however, voters supported the measure with the expectation that the funding will be spent on homelessness.
To have a transformational impact and to honor the will of the voters, Measure W must be focused on ending homelessness. I propose that 90% of Measure W be used for homelessness solutions as outlined in the Home Together Plan. The Home Together Plan calls for strengthening all parts of the housing and homelessness response system:
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Prevention: Help people remain housed (e.g. rental assistance, eviction defense, rapid rehousing)
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Intervention: Expand emergency and interim shelter options (e.g. shelter paired with encampment resolutions)
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Permanent Housing: Fund deeply affordable housing and supportive services (e.g. permanent supportive housing, behavioral health care)
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Access: Improve service connection through outreach (e.g. mobile clinics, street outreach)
While homelessness must be the central focus, it is also critical to meet the moment we are in and bolster the safety net. The remaining 10% of Measure W should go towards protecting critical safety net services at risk from federal and state funding cuts. This includes investing in our community clinics and public hospitals, food banks, and behavioral health service providers.
The Board of Supervisors will meet on July 22 to provide direction for Measure W funding, which will likely include how much should be spent on homelessness and housing.
 Our office is hosting two community town halls to share more about this important opportunity and to gather community input on homelessness solutions. We hope to see you there!
Register here for the Community Town Halls on Homelessness Solutions.
Historic Victory for Childcare & Early Childhood Education – Measure C Update
Let’s celebrate and reflect on the incredible work that achieved a historic victory for our children, families, and childcare providers. On June 12, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved First 5 Alameda County’s five-year plan to distribute Measure C funds, a transformational investment to expand access to quality, affordable early care and education in our community.
Measure C represents the culmination of years of hard work, advocacy, and community involvement. This funding is more than just dollars; it’s a commitment to recognizing childcare as the essential public good it truly is. When families have access to reliable, nurturing childcare, parents can work, pursue education, and provide stability and long-term economic opportunities for their children. Good quality, affordable childcare allows families to survive and helps break the cycle of poverty in historically underserved communities.
These Measure C funds are a strategic investment in our community, meeting the needs of child care providers while strengthening the entire fabric of Alameda County. As the Board’s representative on the First 5 Alameda County Commission, I am proud of the partnership between the Commission, our Community Advisory Council, and the County. Special thanks to the late Supervisor Wilma Chan, as well as Supervisors Lena Tam and Nate Miley, for their tremendous vision and leadership in bringing us to this milestone – investing in a whole child, whole family approach that prioritizes equity and opportunity.
Extra appreciation goes to First 5 Alameda County, who have been an incredibly nimble and effective partner throughout this process. Alongside managing Measure C, they’ve taken on major initiatives such as becoming a medical provider, conducting an Organizational Capacity Optimization analysis, and updating their five-year and strategic plans. Their leadership is invaluable, and I look forward to continuing our work together to advance bold, community-centered solutions.
Finally, grants for early care and education professionals are now open! Learn more and apply at first5alameda.org.
Thank you to the dozens of advocates from Parent Voices Oakland, SEIU Local 1021, and many others who showed up to voice their support at our Board meetings. This is a true community victory and one that promises a brighter future for Alameda County’s children, families, and care & education providers.
 I was proud to bring forward a proclamation to the June 17 Board meeting recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month and honoring Arianna Salinas, a trailblazer in the trans Latina community and expert on trans health issues. Amid the federal administration’s attacks on LGBTQ+ communities, and trans people in particular, it is particularly important that we protect, stand with, and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. I also joined the raising of the LGBTQ+ Pride Flag at the County Administration Building and at Oakland City Hall, a symbol of our city and county governments’ commitment to ensuring Alameda County is a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Alameda County Fair (until July 6)
The Alameda County Fair brings fun for the whole family! Enjoy carnival rides and games, livestock, farm animals, exhibits, wine competitions, entertainment, movies on the lawn, concerts, drones and fireworks, shopping, and all kinds of food. Click here for ticket information and more.
Berkeley Parks Live Music Series (July 12, 26)
Berkeley’s parks come alive this summer with a series of free, family-friendly concerts featuring rock, bluegrass, funk, kids’ music, and Latin rhythms. The series includes seven Saturday afternoon events spread across parks from the waterfront to the hills, with some featuring food trucks, kids’ activities, and community giveaways. Full details and event links are available on the Berkeley events calendar here!
There will be two concerts this upcoming month:
- July 12, 2:00 pm–4:00 pm at Grove Park: Funk Fest will feature the musicians Michael Jeffries, Nzuri Soul, Ric Alexander, Rhonda Benin, and Soul House Band. Food trucks or vendors will be on site.
- July 26, 2:00 pm–4:00 pm at San Pablo Park: Kids Fest will feature music from Purple Fox and the Heebie Jeebies. Brown Cap Soft Serve will be available for purchase.
Homeless Resource & Job Fair (July 16)
 AC Transit Fare Changes
Fare changes for AC Transit will be in effect beginning July 1st. See the below message from AC Transit for more information:
Public transit agencies across the Bay Area are grappling with serious financial challenges and AC Transit is no exception. Without additional funding, AC Transit is projected to face a $234 million deficit over the next four years, even as we continue to operate at just 85% of our pre-pandemic service levels. While revenues have remained mostly flat, inflation and rising operational costs have significantly strained our budget. We’ve worked hard to cut costs, reducing expenses by approximately $9 million, but the majority of our costs are directly tied to providing service to our riders. In response to these fiscal challenges, the AC Transit Board of Directors has voted to resume the previously approved fare adjustment plans. These changes, initially adopted in 2018 (local service) and 2019 (Transbay service), were postponed five times since 2020 to reduce the burden on our riders during the pandemic. The remaining fare changes will now go into effect on July 1, 2025. You can view the fares here: https://www.actransit.org/fares
Free Youth Summer Coding and Career Program
SurgeCS is a free 4-week summer coding and career program designed for students aged 11-18, specifically underserved and underrepresented communities (but anyone can sign up!). It focuses on programming, AI, ethical software usage, real-world leadership, and career readiness, taught by Aarav Dixit, an experienced high schooler who has interned for various AI labs in top universities such as Oxford and UC Davis, all without spending a penny. Now, Aarav aims to share the resources that helped him get career development opportunities for free with the rest of the world. You don’t need money or experience: SurgeCS will equip students with all the tools they need to pursue careers in STEM. If you’d like to sign up, please contact Aarav at aardixit7@gmail.com for more information!
East Bay Regional Park District Survey
 The East Bay Regional Park District is creating its next District Plan, a high-level document to guide the Park District into its next century. It provides a strategic roadmap with key priorities to move toward the vision of an extraordinary and well-managed system of open space parkland in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Your voice is important - please share your ideas by taking this survey and participating in District public engagement activities.
Interstate 580 Truck Access Study
 The California Department of Transportation is conducting the Interstate 580 Truck Access Study to answer the following question: How would removing the truck weight restriction on I-580 affect safety, efficiency, reliability, and traffic speed along the I-880 and I-580 corridors, and how would this change impact public health equity for nearby communities? Learn more and stay updated on the study here.
Berkeley Pride 2025 (August 16)
 Celebrate Queer Joy and community at Berkeley Pride 2025, hosted by the Pacific Center. For more information, visit the Pacific Center's website. Be sure to save the date!
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s Community Swearing in Celebration
 Annual Public Defender’s Community Block Party in West Oakland
 Annual Berkeley Juneteenth Festival
 Alameda County Raised the LGBTQ Pride Flag!
 Step Up Housing Ribbon Cutting in Berkeley, new permanent supportive housing
 Ms. Margaret Gordon West Port Ribbon Cutting in Oakland, new affordable housing
 Construction Start at Lake Merritt BART Oakland, affordable housing on the way
 Bay Area Community Land Trust Annual Community Gala
 ACUDIR Immigrant Know Your Rights Town Hall in Dublin
 Immigrant Rights Community Interfaith Vigil in Fruitvale, Oakland
 Left photo by Brooke Anderson
Immigrant Rights Press Conference with State Legislators
 “No Kings” National Protest in Oakland.
 Photos by Bob Shonkoff
World Refugee & Immigrant Day at Clinton Park in Oakland
 APIs Mobilize Public Service Career Panel
 Oakland Museum of California Gathering in the Garden
 Oakland Symphony Annual Gala
 Spectrum Community Services senior meals site visit in Oakland
 Pastors of Oakland community prayer service
 Film screening of “John Burris: Godfather of Police Litigation”
 NUHW workers strike at Children’s Hospital Oakland over UCSF integration
 Alameda Building Trades Council awards Chuck Leonard with UA Local 342
Website Change Alert
Alameda County is in the process of transitioning its webpages from the acgov.org domain to alamedacountygov.org in line with State Assembly Bill 1637’s requirements. Please note that the Board of Supervisors pages will begin this transition imminently. Our District 5 page will become district5.alamedacountyca.gov, and the main Board page will become bos.alamedacountyca.gov. The current acgov.org URLs will temporarily continue to redirect to the new URLs to ease the transition.
Find Alameda County resources here: ACGOV - Services | Alameda County.
Find Information on Board of Supervisors meetings here: bos.acgov.org/broadcast/.
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