There is an unknown potential federal revenue increase from the selection of a Contra Costa County project for "Community Project Funding." Local matching funds may be required.

While County staff and our federal advocates were seeing reports in the fall of 2020 about the potential return of "earmarks" in the federal budget process, it wasn't until mid-February 2021 that the possibility became more plausible, with the announcement from the House and Senate Appropriations chairs that a reformed process to ensure greater transparency and accountability was underway for "community projects." A press release from the House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro on Feb. 26, 2021 made the opportunity official: the House would accept Member requests for "Community Project Funding, with reforms enacted to ensure the funding is dedicated to genuine need and not subject to abuse. Earmarks, also known as "member-directed spending," were ended when Republicans took control of the House in 2011 following years of controversy; the Senate followed suit. However, banning the practice stripped congressional leaders of a powerful tool to respond to the community needs of a state or congressional district, and local jurisdictions lost a mechanism of federal funding for our local needs.   
  
In March 2021, County staff received guidance documents from the House Committee on Appropriations for "Community Project Funding" requests. Members of Congress were limited to submitting only 10 Community Project Funding proposals (across all Appropriation bills) for their district, with no guarantee that they would be funded. Subsequent to that guidance, County staff began receiving solicitation documents from our members of Congress. The County submitted 11 community project funding requests to Congressman DeSaulnier, 6 project requests to Congressman Thompson, 4 projects to Congressman McNerney, and 3 projects to Congressman Swalwell.   
  
When President Biden signed the Omnibus budget on March 15, 2022, funding for the following 6 County projects totaling $4.7 million was included, thanks to support from Congressmen DeSaulnier, Thompson, and McNerney and Senators Feinstein and Padilla. (Note the total does not include $1.5 million secured for East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, advanced by Congressman McNerney and Senator Padilla.) In addition, funding for the Harmful Algal Bloom Demonstration Program was secured in the amount of $4 million, which was advanced by Congressman DeSaulnier to assist with addressing the health of the Delta.  


1	Contra Costa Crisis Services Hub	$ 1,000,000
2	Mobile Crisis Response Team Expansion	$ 1,061,552
3	Collaborative Care Implementation	$ 900,000
4	Just Transition Economic Revitalization Plan	$ 750,000
5	Veterans Memorial Building Improvements (D-11)	$ 700,000
6	Veterans Memorial Building Improvements (D-9)	$ 300,000
		$ 4,711,552

  
  
For federal FY 2023, departments have been notified of the anticipated opportunity for community project funding; they have consulted with our federal lobbyists and have submitted to the CAO's office project proposals for the Board's consideration. The Legislation Committee (Chair Burgis/Vice Chair Mitchoff) reviewed the project proposals at their Feb. 14, 2022 meeting.  
  
The Appropriations Committee requires a letter or resolution of support from the Board of Supervisors for submitted projects. We have also been advised that requests will be given priority that have the following features:

• Funding from other sources such as state, local, or non-governmental organizations; and
• The requested amount can complete the project.
The "General Community Funded Project Guidance from the Appropriations Committee" for FY 2022 also provided the following information:   
  
Matching Requirements: Several Federal programs eligible for Community Project Funding requests require a State or local match for projects either by statute or according to longstanding policy. The Committee will not waive these matching requirements for Community Project Funding requests. Note: This does not mean that matching funds must be in-hand prior to requesting a project, but that local officials must have a plan to meet such requirements in order for such a project to be viable.   
  
One-year funding: Each project request must be for fiscal year funds only and cannot include a request for multiyear funding.   
  
Transparency: Certain information about project requests submitted by Members to the Appropriations Committees will be made public. This includes: the proposed recipient; the address of the recipient; the amount of the request; and an explanation of the request, including purpose, and a justification for why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds.   
  
Community Support: Community engagement and support is crucial in determining which projects will be ultimately selected for Federal funding. Only projects with demonstrated community support will be considered by the Appropriations Committee. The Appropriations Committee encourages project sponsors to include evidence of support for proposals including:  

• Letters of support from elected community leaders;   
• Press articles highlighting the need for the requested Community Project Funding;   
• Support from newspaper editorial boards;   
• Projects listed on State intended use plans, community development plans, or other publicly available planning documents; or   
• Resolutions passed by city councils or boards.
  
Although County staff have not yet received specific forms to fill out for FY 2023, as was the practice a decade ago, there have been questions posed in the guidance documents that Congress Members would be required to submit for their project submittals. These questions include:
1. Requesting Entity (Legal Title)
2. Full Address
3. Requesting Entity Staff Contact Info: Name/Title/Phone/Email
4. Project Name
5. Funding Amount Requested
6. Total Cost of Project and breakdown of funding sources (detail all local, state and/or private funds. Are these funds secured, expected, or you are still seeking?)
7. Description of Project
8. Project Justification (Need for the project)
9. Justification for why the project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds and is a public benefit
10. If you are a public entity, is the project on your Capital Improvement Program? (Please provide documentation or explain why not)
11. Upload Capital Improvement Program documentation
12. Explanation of how the federal funds will be spent (for example, on equipment, construction, labor, etc.)
13. Cities in which the project is located and will be performed
14. Appropriations Bill for the Request
15. Federal Agency for the Request
16. Account for the Request
17. Are you submitting this request to another Member of Congress? If so, who?
18. Upload letter of support or resolution of support from local elected leaders of your government entity (or entities) in your region
19. Upload other helpful documents (e.g., press articles about the project, documentation that the project is listed on community development plans or regional plans, etc.)
  
The projects that have been put forth for support by the Board of Supervisors for FY 2023 are described in Attachment A. The projects included, in alphabetic order, are:  
  


1	Building Electrification Retrofit Project (Conservation & Development)	$ 700,000
2	Byron Utilities Project (Airports)	$ 1,800,000
3	Human Trafficking Unit Support (District Attorney)	$ 1,000,000
4	Just Transition Economic Revitalization Plan--Phase II (DCD)	$ 500,000
5	Policing the Teen Brain Training Program (Probation)	$ 1,180,000
6	Transition Aged Youth Diversion Program (District Attorney)	$ 1,000,000