Supervisors compromise on $728,000 aid package for low-income residents impacted by floods.

After weeks of discussion over what a financial assistance package for flood-stricken Monterey County households should look like, the Board of Supervisors approved a $728,000 disaster relief program for low-income residents who were displaced by flooding or live in flood zones evacuated during this winter’s storms.

The board voted 5-0 in favor of the package on Tuesday, April 25 after making numerous last-minute amendments that combined elements of two separate proposals by District 1 Supervisor Luis Alejo, who represents Salinas, and District 2 Supervisor Glenn Church, whose North County constituency includes Pajaro.

The approved package consists of $478,000 from the county’s contingency fund, as well as $250,000 reallocated from the county’s little-used Covid-19 funeral assistance program. While Church lobbied to transfer all $350,000 of the funeral program’s unused funds toward the flood assistance package, Alejo insisted on leaving $100,000 to keep that program intact. In the end, a compromise saw the board dip further into the county’s coffers – adding an additional $100,000 from the contingency fund while preserving $100,000 for the funeral program. The supervisors agreed to revisit the funeral funds at a later date, potentially using them to bolster the flood aid dollars.

The compromise did not end there, with the final version of the disaster relief package representing a hybrid of the differing plans pitched by Alejo and Church. Per Church’s proposal, recipients will be able to use the funds as “general assistance” for whatever needs they may have, whereas Alejo had initially suggested a rental assistance program. In line with Alejo’s proposal, the funds will be available to any low-income Monterey County residents impacted in the flood-affected areas – contrasting Church’s desire for the money to be targeted toward the hard-hit communities of Pajaro and San Ardo.

And while Church had sought to gear the program only to those who do not qualify for FEMA disaster aid, the package passed by the board excludes that requirement – keeping with Alejo’s wish to help county residents who are “very frustrated” with the slow-moving nature of federal and state relief programs. Undocumented residents, who cannot receive FEMA aid, are eligible for the county assistance.

The supervisors also approved a $750 per household cap, in the interest of ensuring that the money can reach as many in need as possible. The program will be administered by the nonprofits United Way Monterey County and Catholic Charities, which could be ready to accept applications as soon as next week.

Though the supervisors voted unanimously in favor of the relief package, there was no shortage of reservations expressed during the debate. Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said that she was “very uncomfortable” with how the board’s deliberations played out – especially regarding the last-minute decision to pull an additional $100,000 from the county’s contingency fund.

The move, proposed by Supervisor Chris Lopez, leaves the contingency fund with only around $25,000 left in reserve for this fiscal year, ending June 30. County Budget Director Ezequiel Vega described the decision as a “calculated risk” that the body could take “in order to help the needs of the community right now.”

Supervisor Mary Adams echoed Askew’s sentiments, saying she was “also dissatisfied” with the board’s decision-making process. But in the end, the supervisors agreed that, after weeks of discussions, the time had come to deliver aid to the most vulnerable, flood-ravaged households.