A food security project years in the making has come to fruition.  The Mendo Food Network is opening a new warehouse in Willits on Saturday, June 29th. The new facility promises to revolutionize food distribution in the county.

Flockworks, a non-profit art edcuation organization focused on fostering creativity and community connection, has grown to be the third-largest employer in Fort Bragg.

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday and discussed a grand jury report that found the county department of planning and building services was not adhering for state law or local ordinances with regard to permits for limited density rural dwellings. The supervisors also discussed withdrawing from a master tax sharing agreement in response to Ukiah’s proposed annexation of county land. 

The Fort Bragg City Council on Monday unanimously agreed to allocate $58,000 in emergency funding to the Fort Bragg Food Bank after hearing testimony about the ripple effects federal cuts to food programs are having on the community. In other action, the city council agreed to rezone the mill site. The council adopted a new fee schedule for the new municipal fiber-optic broadband utility, they adopted a city budget, and they approved the next step in deploying an innovative, wave-powered desalinization buoy. 

In local news Fort Bragg police are investigating a sexual assault on the 400 Block of S. Harrison Street .... in response to  Ukiah’s controversial proposal to triple its size by annexing adjacent county land, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider withdrawing from a tax-sharing agreement The board will meet on Tuesday at  10:15 a.m. at the County Administration Center in Ukiah. Remote access will be available via Zoom.

Meanwhile City officials in Ukiah defended annexation at a packed town hall Thursday night. 

If you’ve been following budget discussions in Ukiah, Willts and Mendocino County you know that declining sales tax is a big problem. In the last five years, Ukiah’s sales tax has not grown a penny. Indeed, after taking into account the roller coaster of the pandemic, the stimulus, followed by the post stimulus slump, Ukiah’s total sales tax has shrunk by 1%. In Willits, sales taxes have shrunk by17% in the last five years. Mendocino County is in better shape, while taxes are down 5% from the pandemic high in 2021, they are up 18 percent in the last five years. However, these numbers don’t take into account a very important missing factor — only a portion of the e-commerce tax that is collected from companies like Amazon is remitted back to the county or local jurisdictions.

For the city, annexation is a way to bolster its tax base and improve service delivery. But for county residents, it means even less money for road repairs, public safety and fire prevention and suppression. Businesses and farms in the areas targeted for annexation expressed fear that joining the city would threaten their livelihood.

The city of Willits is facing a moment of financial reckoning. What began as an effort to complete a series of overdue audits has revealed a municipal budget that is teetering on the brink.  According to a report provided by Finance Director Manny Orozco at the city council meeting last week, during the last year the city faced a shortfall of $4.2 million. As of last Wednesday, the general fund has dwindled to just $32,000.