Supes Set for Hearing on Tobacco Funds

Source from:  thereporter.com By Danny Bernardini 06/10/2008 06/11/2008

When Solano County supervisors redirected $43 million in tobacco settlement money toward a pair of county construction projects in January, they did so with a promise that $3 million would be given annually to community organizations that previously benefited from the funds. Since then, an ad hoc committee has met several times to discuss how that money would be disbursed. Details on how the money should be allocated and what the committee discussed will be presented to the Solano County Board of Supervisors today. The board's decision to use money collected from a settlement with tobacco companies for construction came under great scrutiny from those groups that previously used the funds for community programs targeting tobacco and alcohol use - the original designation for the funds per previous Board direction. But county staff argued that using the tobacco money for construction could save the county $23 million by avoiding interest payments and transaction costs on the Twin Campus projects in Fairfield and Vallejo. The board then voted to redirect the money, but to also continue funding $3 million a year for tobacco and alcohol programs at least three years and to direct future boards to do the same. Included in today's report to the board is a suggestion by the Health Collaborative Ad Hoc Committee that $1.4 million go toward reducing health care rates, $1.4 million go toward health care access and $200,000 allocated for administrative support. committee is also suggesting the board conduct annual meetings to study, review and evaluate the accomplishments and progress of the funding. The Solano County Board of Supervisors meets today at 9 a.m. in the Supervisors Chamber, 675 Texas St. in Fairfield. Enditem