Citing next month’s county budget process and unpredictable federal funding, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has declined to send $375,000 to three groups asking for refugee relocation money.
The vote Tuesday was 3-2 against the one-time allocation of funds, with Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston and board chair Candace Andersen voting to send the money, which would have come from unallocated Measure X funds.
All three members who voted against the refugee money said they want to see it come back to the board when it considers its next annual budget in late April.
They also cited an unpredictable flow of federal funding, not only now — with cuts for social services being challenged in court cases — but the next three-plus years under President Donald Trump.
Board members said they expect a rush of funding requests they will be hard-pressed to fulfill.
Supervisor John Gioia said if the board takes on numerous emergency needs one at a time, “We’re going to have a line through these chambers about all the emergency needs there are.”
“We’re elevating one need above all the others,” Gioia said. “Emergency needs we are going to hear, we’re already hearing, and that we are going to face. And I guess I’m taking the conservative approach today, which is to be prudent and look at how we allocate our limited dollars once we have a better idea of our needs.”
Wary of future budget cuts
The request came from Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay, Church World Service NorCal, and International Rescue Committee.
A memo in the staff report referred to the federal government issuing a stop-work order on Jan. 24 for all open cases in its refugee admissions programs. The local money debated by supervisors would have gone to 125 recent arrived people (55 families) in the midst of a 90-day resettlement process — an average of $3,000 per person.
Supervisor Ken Carlson said he struggled with the decision but is afraid of facing cuts in services down the line.
“I think we need to be a little bit more patient,” Carlson said. “And I know this does not help in the arena of these refugees who are currently here and looking for the support that they are entitled to because they’ve been promised. But I do think that we need to incorporate this more into our overall budget discussions.”
“I guess I’m taking the conservative approach today, which is to be prudent and look at how we allocate our limited dollars once we have a better idea of our needs.” Supervisor John Gioia
Andersen, who brought the proposal to the board, said the uncertainty is exactly why the board should help the groups that need it right away.
“If we’re setting the precedent of saying you can only do these things in the context of every need that may come forward … I don’t have another need before me today,” Andersen said. “I have this one before me.”
Scales-Preston said she spoke from her experience working in the office of U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Walnut Creek, trying to get immigrants from conflict-torn countries refuge in the U.S. who might otherwise face punishment or death if deported.
“I understand that there are other cuts that are coming down,” Scales-Preston said. “I want to protect our workers. I want to make sure everyone keeps their job here with the county. And I know that’s why we have our reserve fund and we have been very conservative with that. But this is (about) lives at risk if they have to return home.”