Supes go on spending spree across West Marin

By Stephen Barrett

County supervisors last week approved a $267 million budget that provides strong support for environmental conservation and allocates more than $5 million for specific projects and organizations within West Marin.

Much of the money channeled to West Marin comes from a one-time-only, $7-million state rebate that supervisors divided up once they were sure it was included in the state budget.

Supervisor Steve Kinsey said the rebate is only a "small repayment" of the revenue Sacramento has siphoned from local government by withholding property tax revenue since the early 1990s.

Kinsey said the county budget includes money for projects long sought by West Marin residents and reflects the county's desire to build partnerships with private and philanthropic entities that operate at the local level.

Among the funds earmarked to benefit West Marin are:

Marin Agricultural Land Trust will get $250,000 to help with the nonprofit's $10-million capital campaign.

$50,425 for the Marin Resource Conservation District, which encourages and helps ranchers to battle erosion, protect creeks, and improve land-management practices. The Point Reyes Station-based district has typically received about $15,000 annually from Civic Center. They got that, plus another $35,000 to help the district hire personnel to write grant requests.

$60,000 will be kicked in on the massive Bolinas Lagoon Restoration Project.

West Marin Chamber of Commerce will get $15,000.

Stinson Beach will get $15,000 for visitors services. The money will go in Stinson Beach Economic Development Fund, and is more or less meant to match the money approved for the West Marin Chamber.

$50,000 to build public toilets in Point Reyes Station, a project that has been bandied about for years.

$15,000 to install and upgrade port-a-potties and restrooms throughout West Marin, including the Bolinas Community Center.

Woodacre Improvement Club will get $20,000 to build a ballfield.

Bolinas Community Park on Brighton Avenue will get $30,000 for renovations.

The Hicks Valley and Tomales firehouses will get new generators, at a cost of $56,000

The county budget also provides for a 6.87-percent increase in library spending. Also approved was money to buy new radios for county emergency personnel, which will allow them to communicate with each other nearly anywhere in Marin.

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