LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Registrar of Voters has finished the count for the March 5 Presidential Primary Election, and the results show the District 4 supervisorial race has been won outright by Lakeport’s police chief, there is a new leader in the race for District 1 supervisor and a school bond failed by only 10 votes.
The elections office reported on Tuesday that it had completed the work within the 28-day canvass to finalize and certify the election results.
The certified results will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for acceptance at its April 9 meeting.
The final results show that Brad Rasmussen held onto his lead over three other candidates to clinch the District 4 supervisorial seat.
Rasmussen, who is retiring later this year from his job as Lakeport’s police chief, received 2,007 votes, or 58.72%. He needed at least 50% plus one.
Next in the tally was Laura McAndrews Sammel, the CEO of the Lake County Chamber, with 709 votes, or 20.74%, followed by Scott Barnett with 545 votes, or 15.94%, and Chris Read with 157 votes, or 4.59%.
In the District 1 race, the results flipped from the initial count reported on election night and the two top vote-getters will race to November.
John Hess, the District 1 planning commissioner, held a two-vote lead over rancher Helen Owen in a five-candidate field in the primary tally.
However, with the final count in, Owen has taken the lead. She received 1,185 votes, or 39.06%, followed by Hess, with 1,006 votes or 33.16%.
The rest of the field included Sean Millerick, 508 votes or 16.74%; Bryan Pritchard, 275 votes or 9.06%; and Bren Boyd, 60 votes, or 1.98%.
In the race for the District 5 seat, incumbent Supervisor Jessica Pyska won her second term over challenger Daniel “Boone” Bridges, receiving 2,160 votes, or 56.96% of the vote, compared to Bridges’ 1,632 votes, or 43.04%.
Also on the ballot was the Lake County Superior Court Department 4 judicial seat. Incumbent Judge Shanda Harry won by an overwhelming margin, receiving 10,003 votes, or 75.92% of the votes. Her challenger, attorney Anna Gregorian, received 3,172 votes, or 24.08%.
Luke Bingham, running unopposed, won the seat for Lake County sheriff, receiving 11,431 votes.
In other election news, voters turned down the Kelseyville Unified School District’s Measure Q bond, which intended to issue $35.5 million in bonds.
The measure needed only a simple majority to win, and on election night the “no” votes led by six ballots.
In the final tally, the no votes totaled 1,758, or 50.14%, with the yes votes totaling 1,748, or 49.86%.
Overall voter turnout for the primary election was 42.74%, with 15,626 of 36,561 registered voters casting a ballot, the elections office reported.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — Citing the high costs to the city of dealing with safe and sane fireworks each year as well as a new state law, the Lakeport City Council has approved a new permit fee for fireworks sales.
The city of Lakeport is the only place in Lake County where safe and sane fireworks can be bought, sold and used for a four-day period each July.
The city previously had attempted to stop the sales of safe and sane fireworks. However, in November 2009, city voters approved Measure C, which requires the city to allow the sales by a group of designated nonprofits.
At the council’s March 19 meeting, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said a new Assembly bill, AB 1403, which went into effect on Jan. 1, allows cities to implement a 2% surcharge, or permit fee, on gross sales in order to recover more of the actual costs to respond to and deal with fireworks impacts.
“There’s a lot of different work that goes into dealing with that,” Rasmussen said of the fireworks sales and use.
Rasmussen explained that the city’s handling of fireworks begins with the city clerk processing the permits by the nonprofits to sell them, then work in the field to enforce rules, setting up a special discharge area on Fourth Street during the Independence Day festivities and, finally, cleanup of the debris left behind by the fireworks.
“Annually the costs just for police and public works — not counting any other department — is between $25,000 and $30,000 a year for us to deal with and respond to fireworks issues,” Rasmussen told the council.
Measure C allowed for a 5% surcharge. However, Rasmussen said that doesn’t come close to covering the city’s costs to deal with fireworks.
Over the past six years, Rasmussen said the 5% surcharge averaged $4,000 to $6,000 annually. Then, in 2023, that amount went up to $11,200 because one nonprofit vendor did very well and sold more than previous years. Also, the Lakeport Police Department worked with TNT Fireworks and Revell Communications, who voluntarily gave another 2% over that 5% surcharge.
Rasmussen said last year the city had planned to hire a private company to do fireworks enforcement due to not having capacity. However, that contractor couldn’t provide the necessary insurance documents.
The city has put that additional 2% from last year aside to use this year, Rasmussen said.
“We only recover a very small percentage of our costs to deal with the impacts,” he said.
Rasmussen reported that all current fireworks permit holders — Clear Lake High School Boosters, Lake County Channel Cats, Lake County Realtors Scholarship & Community Fund and Terrace School Parent Teacher Organization — were notified of the proposed fireworks sales permit fee for sales within the city and were invited to give public input.
Dennis Revell of Revell Communications, who represents TNT Fireworks, said the fireworks company and the nonprofits who sell the fireworks in the city support the new surcharge.
Jen Richardson, representing the Clear Lake High Boosters and Terrace Middle School Parent Teacher Organization, confirmed those groups also are on board.
The only person speaking against the surcharge was business owner Nancy Ruzicka, who had been a proponent of the ballot measure to allow fireworks sales in the city. She said it would dip into the nonprofits’ profits.
District 4 Supervisor Michael Green — also a former Lakeport City Council member — said he respectfully disagreed with Ruzicka, that the city needed to be able to cover the impacts. He called fireworks sales in the city “an attractive nuisance.”
Green — referencing the city’s new Xabatin Park — said there is now twice as much park area to patrol as before. He said he wasn’t swayed by Ruzicka’s claims, although he understands the difficulties of fundraising.
The surcharge, he added, “in no way is a responsive to the larger issue of the disconnect between the city's policy and the county's policy on fireworks, and I know we're not here to talk about a ballot measure that would be needed to change that but that's front and center on my mind, and has been for several years.”
Lakeport Fire Chief Patrick Reitz said the surcharge is needed to help the city. He recounted how last year outside and partner agencies came in to help assist the city with enforcement, which he called “a tremendous effort.”
Reitz said they did a lot of confiscations, with a number of citations and a handful of arrests resulting. He said it takes a very big team to make that happen.
He also clarified that the fire district does not receive any of the mitigation funds. “An event like this is an out of pocket expense for the district.”
Reitz said they tried to trace the illegal fireworks confiscated in the city to find out where they were purchased. He said they found that quite a few of them had been purchased in Colusa County on “sovereign nation property,” referencing tribal lands. Some also came from outside of the state.
He encouraged the council to accept the surcharge, adding, “I don't see a significant impact to the nonprofits.”
Mayor Michael Froio said the surcharge would help the city offset the costs, and Councilwoman Stacey Mattina agreed that it would help.
Councilman Brandon Disney moved to adopt the resolution establishing a 2% permit fee for permit processing inspections, public awareness and education, campaigns and fire operations and suppression efforts related to the sale of safe insane fireworks, with councilman Kenny Parlet seconding and the council voting 5-0.
Also at the March 19 meeting, the council met new city employees Bryan Carlson, Mel Olea, Jen Baker and Michelle Brown, adopted a resolution to submit an application to the California State Department of Housing and Community Development for funding under the HOME Investment Partnership Program and got a progress update from staff on accomplishments and progress toward the fulfillment of the city’s 2023-24 departmental goals.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will consider memberships to a new municipal advisory committee and forming area plan committees to support the general plan update process.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 861 4314 8024, pass code 367719. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86143148024#,,,,*367719#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
In an untimed item, the board will consider making appointments to the newly formed Big Valley Advisory Committee, formed March 12 to serve the Kelseyville Planning Area.
There are five seats and one alternate. Applicants are Angel Acosta, Brian Hanson, Flaman McCloud Jr., Greg Panella, Joy Merrilees, Megan Lankford, Rachel White, Rick White, Sabrina Andrus and Stephanie Moranda.
In another untimed item, the board will consider forming eight local area plan advisory committees to support the “Lake County 2050” general plan update process.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation designating April 2024 as Poetry Month in Lake County.
5.2. Adopt proclamation appointing Brenda Yeager as Lake County Poet Laureate for the years 2024-2026.
5.3: Adopt proclamation designating the month of April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.4: Adopt proclamation designating the month of April 2024 As Celebrate Diversity Month.
5.5: Approve continuation of local emergency by the Lake County Sheriff/OES director for the 2024 late January, early February winter storms.
5.6: Approve continuation of proclamation declaring a Clear Lake hitch emergency.
5.7: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.
5.8: Approve continuation of emergency proclamation declaring a shelter crisis in the county of Lake.
5.9: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to low elevation snow and extreme cold.
5.10: Approve continuation of the second reading of ordinance amending Article XXVII of Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code to address membership of county of Lake Health Services in the existing Partnership Health Plan of California Commission to the April 9, 2024, Board of Supervisors meeting.
5.11: Adopt proclamation commending Christine Smith for her 23 years of service to the county of Lake.
5.12: Adopt resolution to establish two extra-help classifications – certified law clerk and legal intern – for the District Attorney's Office, Budget Unit 2110.
5.13: Adopt proclamation designating the week of April 1 to 7, 2024 as Public Health Week.
5.14: Approve waiver of 900-hour limit for extra-help accountant, Cindy Silva-Brackett.
5.15: (a) Waive the formal bidding requirement under Lake County Code chapter 2, section 2-38; and (b) authorize the IT director to issue a purchase order in the amount of $64,470.83 to ECS Imaging Inc. for Laserfiche Cloud renewal .
5.16: (a) Waive the formal bidding process under section 2-38(b) because the competitive bidding process would produce no economic benefit in this case; and (b) authorize the IT director to issue a PO to Berkeley Communications in the amount of $49,846.19 for the NS224 disk shelf, support and services.
5.17: Sitting as Board of Directors of Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency, approve agreement between the California Department of Water Resources and Lake County Watershed Protection District for technical support services and license for groundwater monitoring station in order to drill groundwater monitor wells on county owned land within the Big Valley Basin to further monitor groundwater conditions and authorize chair to sign.
5.18: Adopt resolution expressing support for the Lower Lake Daze Parade and Street Fair and temporarily authorizing a road closure, prohibiting parking and authorizing removal of vehicles and ordering the Department of Public Works to post signs.
5.19: Approve amendment one to equipment repair and service contract between the county of Lake and Peterson Tractor Co. in the increased amount of $150,000 for a total not to exceed $450,000 for FY 23/24 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.20: (a) Approve amendment 13 to agreement between the county of Lake and Sun Ridge Systems Inc. for the purchase and installation of Timekeeping Systems software interface in the amount of $7,360; and (b) authorize the chair of the board to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:05 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation commending Christine Smith for her 23 years of service to the county of Lake.
6.4, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.5, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation appointing Brenda Yeager as Lake County Poet Laureate for the years 2024-2026.
6.6, 9:20 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating April 2024 as Poetry Month in Lake County.
6.7, 9:25 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of April 1 to 7, 2024 as Public Health Week.
6.8, 9:27 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of April 2024 As Celebrate Diversity Month.
6.9, 9:30 a.m.: Presentation of update on 2024 drought conditions and drought-related projects.
6.10, 9:45 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
6.11, 10 a.m.: Hearing, consideration of request for post-abatement hearing on account and proposed assessment of summary abatement – action of recreational vehicle on Feb. 2, 2024; located on State Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks.
6.12, 10:15 a.m.: Consideration of a letter of support for inclusion of Calpine’s The Geysers Facility in the California Leg of the Biden Administration’s “Investing in America” Tour, with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm.
6.13, 10:30 a.m.: Consideration of an oppose unless amended position letter on SB 964 (Seyarto).
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Presentation of Lake County Behavioral Health Services' external quality review organization report for fiscal year 2022-23.
7.3: Consideration of first amendment to the at-cost project reimbursement and indemnity agreement between the county of Lake and Lotusland Investment Holdings Inc. for county permit processing of the Maha Guenoc Valley Mixed-Use Development Project.
7.4: a) Consideration of changing seat designation from crop grower to organic farmer for committee member Bruce Merrilees on the Lake County Ag Advisory Committee; and b) consideration of appointments to the Lake County Ag Advisory Committee.
7.5: Consideration of appointments to the Big Valley Advisory Council and the Middletown Cemetery District.
7.6: Consideration of proposed formation of eight local area plan advisory committees to support the “Lake County 2050” update process.
7.7: Consideration to adopt resolution to approve the CalPERS 180-Day wait period exception for CalPERS retiree Richard F. Hinchcliff in order to hire him as an extra help deputy district attorney, senior.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation: Air pollution control officer.
8.2: Public employee evaluation: Community Development director.
8.3: Public employee evaluation: Public Works/Water Resources director.
8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(1) – One potential case.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Community members also can participate via Zoom. The webinar ID is 865 9013 6162, the pass code is 146270. One tap mobile is available at +16694449171,,86590136162#, or join by phone at 669-444-9171 or 253-205-0468.
On Thursday, the council will present a proclamation declaring April 2024 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and a proclamation declaring April 14 to 20 as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
The council also will offer certificates of appreciation for the Bunny Brunch and receive the Recreation and Events Department’s quarterly report.
Under business, the council will consider the second reading of Ordinance No. 269-2024 updating Clearlake Municipal Code Section 3-5 and possible further discussion of fire mitigation fees.
The council also will discuss the Lake County Sanitation District's Southeast Regional Wastewater System and operations within the city of Clearlake.
City Manager Alan Flora’s report to the council explains that, “when the City of Clearlake was incorporated in 1980, most of the existing infrastructure was already in place as the areas of Clearlake Highlands and Clearlake Park had developed as unincorporated areas of the county. The City is in a somewhat unusual situation as a municipality that controls no utilities. This makes coordination of the City’s land use authority and orderly development difficult. This has been a significant concern with the three separate water districts for some time and more recently with the sewer service in the City, provided through the Southeast Regional Treatment System, operated by Lake County Special Districts.”
He said there are ways the city can work more directly with Lake County Special Districts related to sewer service within its jurisdiction. “One direct way is being involved with the governance of Special Districts, and specifically the Lake County Sanitation District, which is the legal entity that provides sewer collection and treatment services to the Clearlake area and other areas throughout the county.”
He said the council delegated authority to the sanitation district’s board in 1983. Flora is asking for a discussion on possible actions, including requesting the city be involved in governance or considering another method of being involved.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; minutes; the continuation of the director of emergency services/city manager’s proclamation declaring a local emergency for winter storms; and authorization for the city manager to sign a consulting engagement letter for accounting support services with Eide Bailly.
The council also will hold a closed session for conference with legal counsel to discuss a case of anticipated litigation and to hold an evaluation of the city manager.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council will meet new staff and begin the process of looking at goals for the coming fiscal year at its upcoming meeting.
The council will meet Tuesday, April 2, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2.
On Tuesday the council will meet new city employee Melissa Carpenter and present a proclamation designating April 2024 as Arts, Culture and Creativity Month.
Under council business, City Manager Kevin Ingram will ask the council to authorize him to execute a professional services agreement with Willdan Financial Services for a comprehensive citywide cost of service fee study in an amount not to exceed $28,000.
Ingram also will lead the council in a strategic planning workshop to determine the citywide departmental goals for fiscal year 2024-25.
On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the City Council’s regular meeting on March 5; the March 22 warrant register; approval of the continuation of the proclamation declaring a local state of emergency due to severe weather conditions including heavy rain and extreme wind; approval of application 2024-013, with staff recommendations, for the 2024 Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast; approval of application 2024-015, with staff recommendations for the 2024 Autism Advocacy and Awareness Spring Carnival; authorization for out-of-state travel for two utility staff members to attend the California Rural Water Association’s Annual Expo.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The Department of Water Resources on Tuesday conducted the all-important April snow survey, the fourth measurement of the season at Phillips Station.
The manual survey recorded 64 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 27.5 inches, which is 113 percent of average for this location.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.
The April measurement is critical for water managers as it’s considered the peak snowpack for the season and marks the transition to spring snowmelt into the state’s rivers and reservoirs.
DWR’s electronic readings from 130 stations placed throughout the state indicate that the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 28.6 inches, or 110 percent of the April 1 average, a significant improvement from just 28 percent of average on January 1.
The focus now shifts to forecasting spring snowmelt runoff and capturing as much of that water as possible for future use.
“It’s great news that the snowpack was able to catch up in March from a dry start this year. This water year shows once again how our climate is shifting, and how we can swing from dry to wet conditions within a season,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “These swings make it crucial to maintain conservation while managing the runoff. Variable climate conditions could result in less water runoff into our reservoirs. 100 percent snowpack does not mean 100 percent runoff. Capturing and storing what we can in wetter years for drier times remains a key priority.”
California’s reservoirs remain in good shape thanks to state efforts to capture and store as much water as possible from record storms in 2023 and again this season.
The State Water Project has increased storage by 700,000 acre-feet at Lake Oroville and by 154,000 acre-feet at San Luis Reservoir since January 1. Statewide, reservoir levels currently stand at 116 percent of average.
However, there are challenges ahead as the spring runoff begins. The dry start to the year, soot and ash from burn scars that accelerates snowmelt, and other factors may result in below average spring runoff which can impact water availability.
Recently, the State Water Project increased its forecasted allocation of water supplies for the year to 30 percent, up from an initial 10 percent, due to the storms in February and March.
However, uncertainty about the spring runoff and ongoing pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered species in the Delta has impacted that allocation forecast.
“California has had two years of relatively positive water conditions, but that is no reason to let our guard down now,” said Dr. Michael Anderson, state climatologist with DWR. “With three record-setting multi-year droughts in the last 15 years and warmer temperatures, a well above average snowpack is needed to reach average runoff. The wild swings from dry to wet that make up today’s water years make it important to maintain conservation while managing the runoff we do receive. Our water years moving forward will see more extreme dry times interrupted by very wet periods like we saw this winter.”
That need to adapt to a changing climate is why Gov. Gavin Newsom joined Tuesday’s snow survey at Phillips Station to announce the release of the California Water Plan Update 2023.
The Water Plan Update sets forth a vision for all Californians to benefit from water resources that are sustainable, resilient to climate change and achieves equity for all communities and benefits the environment.
Check out the Water Plan Update to learn more about how the plan focuses on key issues including addressing climate urgency, strengthening watershed resilience, and achieving equity in water management.
As part of the state’s climate adaptation efforts, over the past two years, California has worked with local groundwater agencies and state and federal partners to capture as much water as possible to prepare for the next drought.
In 2023, more than 1.2 million acre-feet of groundwater recharge was permitted by state agencies, with nearly 400,000 acre-feet of flood water recharged using the executive orders issued by Gov. Newsom.
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs. Its natural ability to store water is why the Sierra snowpack is often referred to as California's “frozen reservoir.”
Data from these snow surveys and forecasts produced by DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit are important factors in determining how DWR provides water to 27 million Californians and manages the state’s water resources.
DWR conducts five snow surveys at Phillips Station each winter near the first of each month, January through April and, if necessary, May.
On Monday, Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) introduced the Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act of 2024 (H.R. 7849), legislation providing homeowners in disaster-prone regions with broad incentives to harden their properties against wildfires and other risks.
The legislation is intended to help address the ongoing insurance crisis in California and other states, as the rising frequency and intensity of natural disasters has led insurers to raise rates and, in several cases, exit certain markets entirely.
“Property insurance has quickly become one of the single biggest issues I hear about in my district. People can’t get covered: either the available options are completely unaffordable, or there are no options available at all. It’s an untenable situation — which is why this legislation is necessary,” said Thompson. “By incentivizing homeowners to mitigate disaster risks on their property, we aim to bring insurers back into the market and bring rates back into more affordable territory.”
“Homeowners must be able to harden their property as they see fit, especially as the risk of wildfires due to poor forest management escalates,” said LaMalfa. “With this bill, we’re bolstering resilience, but this will also hopefully reduce overall insurance rates and bring back suppliers that have left California entirely because of the risks.”
The legislation includes four main provisions.
The first creates a grant program, administered through state governments, through which individual households in designated disaster-prone regions (with certain limitations) are eligible for up to $10,000 for specified disaster resiliency work on their homes.
The second and third provisions (Sections 3 and 4 of the legislation) mirror existing legislation (H.R. 4070) stipulating that payments from state-run disaster resiliency programs and payments from various federal emergency agricultural programs are not considered income for federal tax purposes.
The final section, which also mirrors legislation previously introduced by Rep. Thompson, provides a 30% tax credit for qualified disaster risk mitigation activities conducted by individuals or businesses. The credit is meant to complement the grant program by providing meaningful assistance to larger property owners for whom mitigation activity costs would far exceed $10,000.
The U.S. national poverty rate declined significantly to 12.5% during the 5-year period from 2018 to 2022, according to American Community Survey, or ACS, 5-year estimates.
The rate was down from 14.6% during 2013-2017, the most recent nonoverlapping 5-year period.
Comparing the 2013-2017 and 2018-2022 5-year estimates offers a longer-term look at national and local economic trends.
The ACS 5-year estimates differ from the 1-year estimates released in September because they pool five consecutive years of 1-year ACS data, allowing Census Bureau researchers to estimate poverty rates for areas with smaller populations and all 3,144 U.S. counties.
How poverty is measured
Poverty status is determined by comparing annual income to a set of dollar values (called poverty thresholds) that vary by family size, number of children and the age of the householder.
If a family’s before-tax money income is less than the dollar value of their threshold, that family and every individual in it are in poverty. For people not living in families, poverty status is determined by comparing the individual’s income to their poverty threshold.
The poverty measure excludes children under age 15 not related to the householder and people living in institutional group quarters, college dormitories or military barracks.
The poverty rates in this article are based on the official poverty measure and are different from the Supplemental Poverty Measure, or SPM.
The SPM differs in a number of key ways such as the factoring in of additional resources and expenses not included in the official poverty measure as well as geographic variation in poverty thresholds.
County poverty rates
During the 2018-2022 period, county poverty rates ranged from 1.6% to 55.8% (Figure 1).
Counties with the lowest poverty rates in 2018-2022 included: Borden County, Texas (1.6%); Morgan County, Utah (1.7%); Sterling County, Texas (1.8%); Falls Church independent city (considered a county equivalent), Virginia (2.3%); McCone County, Montana (2.4%); Kenedy County, Texas (2.6%); Douglas County, Colorado (3.0%); and Stanley County, South Dakota (3.2%) among others. These estimates are not significantly different from one another at the 90% confidence level.
Three counties in South Dakota – Oglala Lakota County (55.8%), Todd County (52.2%) and Mellette County (49.1%) – were among those with the nation’s highest poverty rates. All three are in the western part of the state and are home to American Indian reservations. These estimates were not significantly different from one another at the 90% confidence level.
Figure 2 shows the share of total counties per census region along with the percentage of counties in the high and low map categories. The total counties category indicates the percentage of U.S. counties in the region.
Of the 172 counties in the highest poverty category (poverty rates of 25% or more), 142 (more than 80%) were in the South, compared to 45% of total counties.
The 219 counties in the lowest poverty category (poverty rates of less than 7.0%) were more evenly dispersed around the nation. Approximately 44% were in the Midwest, compared to 34% of total counties; 28% were in the South.
Just less than 10% of all counties in the South were in the high poverty category. No other region had more than 3.1% of its total counties with poverty rates of 25% or more. The four regions had a range of 4.4% (South) to 9.6% (Northeast) of its counties in the low poverty category.
Change from last five-year period
Changes in county poverty rates from the last 5-year period (2013-2017) to the most recent (2018-2022) show where and what economic changes have occurred over a longer period.
The national poverty rate decreased 2.0 percentage points to 12.5% and 1,144 counties — more than 36% — had a significant change in poverty rates (Figure 3).
Poverty rates decreased in more than one-third (1,042) of all counties. Only 102 counties experienced an increase in poverty rates compared to 2013-2017. It should be noted that counties that have had geographic changes over this period were not used in the comparison and are identified in Figure 3 as counties with no data available.
Where did changes occur?
Of the 1,042 counties that had lower poverty rates in the recent time period (2018-2022) 466 were in the South, 303 in the Midwest, 191 in the West and 82 in the Northeast.
In the West, 42.7% of all counties had lower poverty rates, while in the Northeast poverty rates decreased in 39.2% of all counties, 32.8% in the South and 28.7% in the Midwest.
Among the counties where poverty rates increased, 49.0% were in the South and 30.4% in the Midwest. There was less of a regional difference where poverty increased. In all regions, between 2.9% and 3.5% of counties experienced poverty rate increases from the 2013-2017 to 2018-2022 period.
Craig Benson is a survey statistician in the Census Bureau’s Poverty Statistics Branch.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — In the face of the climate crisis, the Newsom Administration announced actions to protect water supplies when it’s dry and to capture more water during wet seasons.
In addition to investing billions of dollars to boost water supplies and drastically expanding the state’s storage capacity, the updated California Water Plan demonstrates how planning at a watershed scale provides the most comprehensive solutions for climate resilient water supplies for all Californians.
This plan is directly tied into Tuesday’s snow survey, a key indicator of expected runoff that this plan helps both state and local governments capture and store.
It recorded 64 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 27.5 inches, which is 113 percent of average for this location and above average overall.
“In the past few years alone, we’ve gone from extreme drought to some of the most intense rain and snow seasons on record — showcasing the need for us to constantly adapt to how we manage our water supplies,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “The water plans and strategies we’re implementing are each targeted components of our overall effort to deliver clean water to Californians by capturing, storing, and conserving more water throughout the state. This plan is a critical component of that effort.”
Here are just a couple examples of what California has implemented since the last Water Plan, highlighting its importance:
• Created a Flood-Managed Aquifer Recharge program, capturing and spreading flood flows to recharge aquifers – boosting the state’s water capture and storage abilities. • Integrated climate science and research to help vulnerable communities defend against floods and drought.
This plan is a critical component of how California plans to capture more water, store it in reservoirs, replenish and recharge groundwater aquifers, protect against floods, and more. It’s directly tied to the state’s other water strategies:
• Water Resilience Portfolio. Outlines 142 state actions to protect our water supply from climate impacts by boosting water supplies, restoring natural ecosystems, and building infrastructure to store and move more water. • Water Supply Strategy. Hotter and drier weather could diminish our water supply up to 10% by 2040, and this strategy offsets that loss – adding enough storage, recycling, and smarter water use to supply 8.4 million households every year.
These plans and reports are all intertwined, serving as critical blueprints for managing different parts of California’s complex water supply system – the Supply Strategy is offsetting the 10% loss we’re facing, the Resilience Portfolio boosts water supplies on top of that by building more and restoring natural water sources, and the Water Plan guides California's water management and conservation.
California’s other actions to boost water supplies include:
• Nearly $9 billion in water investments over the last three years. Track water projects in your community here. • Expanded water supply and storage through groundwater recharge and other projects by over 400 billion gallons. • Streamlining projects and limiting litigation delays to spur new and improved water infrastructure. • Large-scale environmental restoration, including the removal of four dams from the Klamath River – the nation’s largest dam removal project.
More is needed to expand California’s water supplies. During this year's storms alone, the Delta Conveyance Project could’ve captured enough water to supply 9.4 million people; the streamlined Sites Reservoir Project could hold enough water for three million households’ yearly usage.
Congress has once again been making headlines for all the wrong reasons, with multiplenews outlets in recent months touting the current 118th Congress as possibly the least productive in the institution’s history. In 2023, Congress only passed 34 bills into law, the lowest number in decades.
As a result, House Speaker Mike Johnson’s gavel seems to be hanging in the balance yet again, as conservative Republicans revolt over his support for the bill.
Even so, the dire warnings from the media, and even from members of Congress, about the legislative branch’s lack of productivity frequently lack context and are often misleading. Let’s drill down into the numbers and see what political science has to say about it.
What makes Congress productive?
Historically, there’s been significant variation in the amount of legislating Congress does from year to year. There are a few well-understood factors that influence this, and all help explain why 2023 wasn’t ever likely to be a banner year for congressional productivity.
One obvious factor is party control of Congress and the presidency. If the Senate, House and the presidency are controlled by the same party, then there is typically more policy agreement between them, smoothing the way for easier passage of bills. Both Democrats and Republicans enjoyed what political scientists like me call “unified government” control during the most productive initial years of the Biden, Trump and Obama administrations.
There’s also evidence that election yearsspur more, not less, legislative productivity. Members of Congress know each other better in the second year of their term; they have dispensed with many of the ceremonial duties that begin a congressional session; and members are eager to demonstrate their legislative action to constituents during their reelection campaigns.
It’s possible that Congress will pick up its pace in 2024. Last year, Congress passed a number of stopgap funding bills, along with smaller legislation on veterans and environmental issues. But crucial issues like foreign aid, social media regulation and immigration are still on the table.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, Congress is in the best position to succeed when it’s led by competent and experienced legislators with lots of political capital.
This hasn’t been the case so far in the current Congress. The House has had two brand-new speakers in the span of a year, and both lacked the political power, experience or acumen to command the chamber and produce passable legislation.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, was ousted in October 2023 due to lack of support within his own party. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has scant experience, having only served three complete terms in office.
Johnson’s job has been made even more difficult by the continually shrinking majority that Republicans have in the chamber. And rampant polarization between the two parties has made finding legislative agreement increasingly difficult.
How you measure productivity matters
Most of the media coverage of Congress’s historic lack of productivity tends to focus on the number of bills passed into law as a key measure. But this is a simplistic approach because it treats all bills as equally important regardless of substance.
Using the raw total of bills passed and enacted into law treats all of these as the same. More accurate counts might give less weight to, or remove, nonsubstantive legislation from the count, and give extra weight to landmark legislation.
A related issue is that the size and scope of the average piece of legislation has changed dramatically in recent decades. Congress increasingly engages in what’s called “omnibus legislating,” which combines multiple, sometimes unrelated, pieces of legislation into one megasized bill that receives one vote.
This process has led to fewer, and larger, substantive bills rather than a higher number of smaller pieces of legislation.
For example, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act – price tag, US$800 billion – or the 2021 American Rescue Plan – price tag $1.9 trillion – only count as two bills. In prior decades, their substance would have been divided into dozens of bills.
There are other ways legislators can be productive. When today’s members introduce bills, hold committee hearings and advocate for their legislation, these actions can matter even if the bills don’t pass in the current Congress. Legislative effort undertaken today can lay the groundwork for legislative progress achieved in the future.
2023 was still a low point
All of this context is crucial for understanding whether Congress is doing an effective lawmaking job. Even so, it looks like the Congress of 2023 — particularly the House — was historically unproductive, no matter how you slice it.
Lawmakers introduced about as much legislation as usual, but due to 2023’s leadership chaos, along with the seemingly never-ending battles over the federal budget, very little of this legislation is getting any attention, much less votes on its final passage.
The 118th Congress lasts from January 2023 through the first few days of January 2025, so it still has time to make up this historic deficit. But at this point, it seems unlikely that Congress will be much more productive in the upcoming nine months than it has been for the last 15.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The East Region Town Hall, or ERTH, will meet on Wednesday, April 3.
The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, located at 15900 Moose Lodge Lane in Clearlake Oaks.
The meeting will be available via Zoom. The meeting ID is 830 2978 1573, pass code is 503006.
On Wednesday ERTH will discuss the general plan and Shoreline Area Plan update.
Other agenda items include an update on the Clearlake Oaks Consolidated Lighting District update, crosswalk safety at East Lake School and Highway 20, Spring Valley, commercial cannabis and the Cannabis Ordinance Task Force, and reports from Northshore Fire Protection District Chief Mike Ciancio and Supervisor EJ Crandell.
ERTH’s next meeting will take place on May 1.
ERTH’s members are Denise Loustalot, Jim Burton, Tony Morris and Pamela Kicenski.
For more information visit the group’s Facebook page.