The County of Humboldt will hold its third annual live, multi-site interactive Community Budget Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26 beginning at 5:30 p.m. This innovative, award-winning meeting gives members of the public an opportunity to weigh in on the county’s $300 million budget, no matter where they live in Humboldt County. Members of the community will also be invited discuss Measure Z, the public safety/essential services measure that was passed by voters in November.

“Our Community Budget Meetings are not only a chance to tell your elected representatives which county services and issues are important to you,” said Chair of the Board and 2nd District Supervisor Estelle Fennell. “It’s also an opportunity to take part in an innovative, fun and educational evening.”

The meeting, which last year was honored by the California State Association of Counties and the Alliance for Innovation, will use the Google Hangout platform and will be broadcast live from sites in each of the county’s five districts. A member of the Board of Supervisor will be at each location and available from 5:30 to 6 p.m. to sit and chat with citizens before the budget presentation begins. If you cannot attend the meeting in person, you will also be able to send in your questions and comments via Twitter by sending a message to @HumCoGov.

To watch the meeting you can tune in to Access Humboldt on channel 10, or channel 7 if your service provider is Wave Cable. You can also live-stream the meeting on the county’s website at humboldtgov.org.

The county is working with several community partners to pull off this event, including Access Humboldt, Humboldt County Office of Education, South Bay School, Redway Elementary School, Garfield Elementary School, and Hoopa High School.

The Community Budget Meeting is one of several important steps in the budget development process. Last week, the County Administrative Office (CAO) presented its five-year financial forecast, and next week the Board will hear the mid-year budget report. After the Community Budget Meeting, county departments will submit their proposed budgets to the CAO for review. In early June, the CAO will present a recommended budget to the Board, and public hearings on the budget will follow shortly thereafter.

Below are the locations where citizens can attend the meeting:

District 1 – Supervisor Rex Bohn
Location:
South Bay School
Library
6077 Loma Ave
Eureka, Ca 95503

District 2 – Supervisor Estelle Fennell
Location:
Redway Elementary School
SDC Building
344 Humboldt Avenue
Redway, Ca 95560

District 3 – Supervisor Mark Lovelace
Location:
Garfield Elementary School
2200 Freshwater Rd
Eureka, CA 95503

District 4 – Supervisor Virginia Bass
Location:
Eureka High School Campus
Access Humboldt Community Media Center
1915 J Street
Eureka, Ca 95501

District 5 – Supervisor Ryan Sundberg
Location:
Hoopa High School Library
5 Loop Rd,
Hoopa, Ca 95546