Last week, I summarized my concerns regarding the proposed tax-sharing and annexation agreement between the City of Ukiah and Mendocino County. The current proposal is a scaled-back version of a previously proposed plan that would still bring a significant stretch of unincorporated land under city jurisdiction (you can see the map online at www.cityofukiah.com/proposed-annexation-project). 

     I already had misgivings about the plan, but after talking with Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall, I have even more concerns. 

     As I mentioned before, annexation would (appropriately) shift some tax revenue from the county to the city. Over five years, $2.5 million in sales tax revenue in the annexation corridor will shift from county to city coffers. County budgets are notoriously inflexible because of legislation that mandates certain spending. This means county officials have little discretionary funding and can only cut certain expenses, one of which is public safety. This should concern all of us given that Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) provides critical services inside city limits as well as the unincorporated areas of the county. Sheriff’s deputies respond to service calls based on a mutual-aid agreement with the City of Ukiah, run the jail, fulfill coroner duties, process subpoenas, and more. Regardless of funding gaps, these duties remain. 

     County Sheriff Matt Kendall opposes the current annexation plan because he believes his budget will be cut, but his expenses will remain mostly unchanged. He is frustrated by the annexation plan’s strategic cutouts, allowing the City to maximize revenues and minimize expenses, leaving the county to carry an unfair burden. For example, the City opted not to include the housing developments in the Brush Street triangle, an area that generates many service calls. 

     Sheriff Kendall points out that some annexation supporters are muddying the waters by lumping "public protection" in with "public safety," making it difficult for community members to understand what services are actually at risk. He wants transparency and thinks the distinction matters.

     Public safety, which includes the Sheriff's Office, public defender's office, district attorney's office, and some probation services, carries a budget of approximately $45 million. Public protection, which covers public health, roads, and environmental health, has a budget of $25 million. Combining these figures obscures where the real cuts would fall. As Kendall put it, in a county budget, $150,000 may not sound like much, but it pays for a Sheriff's deputy, and we don't have any to spare.

     A community poll is expected to reach property owners in the proposed annexation area before the end of June. If you own land or run a business anywhere in this corridor, now is the time to pay attention. If less than 25% of notified property owners return a disapproval, LAFCO's seven-member commission makes the final call on its own. Between 25–50% disapproval triggers a public election. Above 50% disapproval kills the application outright, and the City cannot reapply for a year. 

     If you have questions about property management or real estate, please contact me at [email protected] or call (707) 462-4000. If you have an idea for a future column, share it with me and if I use it, I’ll send you a $25 gift certificate to Schat’s Bakery. 

Dick Selzer is a real estate broker who has been in the business for more than 50 years. The opinions expressed here are his and do not necessarily represent his affiliated organizations.