Those vying for the open seats within the local government will soon be determined. By Friday, candidates must have their declarations in to the elections office. In addition to choosing elected city and county offices, Lassen County voters will have two advisory measures on the March 5th ballot.
Measure “T” establishes an office of Director of Finance for the county, while Measure “U” will ask you if that office should be elected or appointed by the Board of Supervisors. This has come into question during the supervisor’s meetings as the controller auditor/treasurer tax collector positions were combined by default due to a lack of candidates in the last election cycle.
The measures will gauge the voter’s sentiments, but a final decision will return to the supervisor’s desks.
Statewide voters will vote on at least one assembly bill and one senate bill.
AB 531 is The Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2023. It proposes the issuance of nearly 6.4 billion dollars in bonds to fund projects related to behavioral health, mainly focusing on housing for individuals and families facing homelessness or at risk due to medical conditions like those caused by COVID-19. The bill streamlines the approval process for these projects, making them subject to a simplified review. It also extends the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program indefinitely. The bill aims to support the construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of behavioral health treatment resources.
Senate Bill 326 aims to make significant changes to the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). It proposes deleting the requirement for voter approval to amend the MHSA and renaming it the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). The changes include expanding the scope to include substance use disorder treatment, altering the county planning process, and reallocating funds, including up to $36,000,000 for the behavioral health workforce. The bill also adjusts the oversight commission, changes documentation standards for individual service plans, and incorporates substance use disorder treatment into the Medi-Cal program. The bill is set with an urgency statute for immediate effect.
