Discretionary funds: County of Alameda.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Rules for Awarding Discretionary Funds in Alameda County

This law sets rules for how the Alameda County Board of Supervisors can give out discretionary funds to community organizations, nonprofits, and private entities.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to approve by majority vote any award of discretionary funds to a community organization or nonprofit.
• Requiring contracts for these awards to include performance metrics that show how the funds will help the community.
• Prohibits the board from giving out funds unless they are for public purposes and not allowed to give funds in ways that let less than a majority of members make decisions about spending.
• Requires the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to post information online about all discretionary fund awards at the end of each quarter.
• Prohibits supervisors who are running for election from taking actions related to spending these funds 90 days before an election.

Who It Names or Affects

• Alameda County Board of Supervisors
• Community organizations and nonprofits in Alameda County
• Private entities receiving discretionary funds

Terms To Know

Discretionary Funds

Money that the board can choose to spend on programs or projects as they see fit.

Performance Metrics

Measurable goals used to track how well a program is working.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if the board fails to follow these rules.
• It's unclear how this will affect existing programs that receive discretionary funds.
• There are no details on penalties for violating the new requirements.

Official Summary Text

SB 1193, as amended, Wahab.
Discretionary funds: County of Alameda.
Existing law authorizes a county board of supervisors to appropriate and expend county general fund money to establish county programs or fund other programs to meet various social needs of the county population and the needs of physically, mentally, and financially handicapped persons and aged persons. Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors to contract with other public agencies, private agencies, or individuals to operate programs that the board of supervisors determines will serve public purposes.
Existing law prohibits an Orange County Board of Supervisors member from awarding district discretionary funds to a community organization or a nonprofit organization unless the board of supervisors approves that award by a majority vote. Existing law requires the Orange County Board of Supervisors to post on its internet website a log
of appropriated district discretionary funds at the end of each quarter, as specified. Existing law prohibits, within 90 days preceding an election, an Orange County Board of Supervisors member who is on the ballot as an Orange County Board of Supervisors member candidate and has an opponent on that ballot from taking any action related to spending district discretionary funds, as specified.
This bill would prohibit the Alameda County Board of
Supervisors, or a member of that board,
Supervisors
from awarding discretionary
funds
funds, as defined,
to a community organization, nonprofit
organization, or private entity, unless the board of supervisors approves that award by a majority vote and the
contract for the award includes, among other things, performance metrics. The
award includes a description of how the award provides resources of communitywide significance for the district that the member of the board requesting the award represents and identifies the public purposes, as defined, that the award will serve. The bill would prohibit the Alameda County Board of Supervisors from appropriating discretionary funds for an award that is not for a public purpose and from appropriating any funds in a way that allows a member, or less than a majority, of the board to appropriate funds, as specified.
The
bill would require the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to post on its internet website a log of appropriated discretionary funds at the end of each quarter, as specified. The bill would prohibit, within 90 days before an election, an Alameda County Board of Supervisors member who is on the ballot as an Alameda County Board of Supervisors member candidate
from taking any action related to spending discretionary funds, as specified.
from, among other things, placing an agenda item seeking approval to appropriate discretionary funds on the agenda for a meeting of the board.
The bill would prohibit discretionary funds from being awarded at a special meeting or on the consent calendar.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for County of Alameda.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF