December is Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness Month | | |
Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS) recognizes: Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness Month: All of December
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a condition in which some people experience a significant mood change when the seasons change. SAD is not considered a separate disorder but is a type of depression.
BHRS encourages everyone to check in with themselves and with others especially as the days grow shorter and the holidays approach. Small steps like getting sunlight, staying physically active, and connecting with loved ones can make a big difference.
You are not alone - support is available.
24/7 Crisis Line: 855-838-0404
Warm Line for Non-Crisis Emotional Support: 707-472-2311 or Toll-Free: 833-955-2510
| | Mendocino County Strategic Plan | | |
In May 2022, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors approved the first five-year strategic plan that will help guide the critical decisions the Board of Supervisors will face over the next five years with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life for County residents. Departmental reporting will align with the strategic plan.
Click HERE to download the Strategic Plan.
| | Departments and Divisions | |
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As the holiday season approaches, the Department reminds ranchers, farmers, and growers to submit their crop statistics for Mendocino County’s annual Crop Report. The 2022 and 2023 reports are available online, and we are now collecting data for 2024 and 2025.
Weights & Measures customers are encouraged to review their commercial device registration accounts ahead of the 2026 billing cycle, ensure all information is up to date, and schedule annual device certifications. Appointments are preferred for inspections, which are available on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Click HERE to read more...
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The Animal Care Services program areas include Shelter, Clinic and Animal Protection Services. These programs provide animal education outreach, adoptions, volunteer opportunities, fostering, lost and found services, feral cat trap-neuter-release programs, dog licensing, low cost spay and neuter, animal health education, rabies vaccinations, micro-chipping, impounding of lost and stray animals, responding to injured, ill and suspected cruelty complaints, and promoting responsible pet ownership.
November was a month filled with generosity, community spirit, and joyful moments at the shelter. Our volunteers gave their time and energy in countless ways - walking dogs, socializing with cats, and supporting adoption events. On Saturday, November 22, our canine friends enjoyed a special outing to Mendocino Barkery, where two dogs found their forever homes. In addition, volunteers came together for the third year in a row to prepare and serve Thanksgiving dinner for the shelter animals.
We are deeply grateful for the dedication of our volunteers. Their compassion and commitment make all the difference, and the shelter simply would not be the same without them. From adoption events to holiday meals, November showed how deeply our community cares for animals in need.
Click HERE to read more...
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Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS) is highlighting several important initiatives throughout December 2025, including Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness Month and National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention efforts. The division is focused on promoting mental wellness, encouraging safe holiday practices, and preparing for the upcoming transition from the Mental Health Services Act to the Behavioral Health Services Act. BHRS also continues its work in Substance Use Disorder Treatment, community outreach, stakeholder engagement, and supporting conserved clients during the holiday season.
Click HERE to read more...
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The Mendocino County Department of Child Support Services strives to “Help Parents Invest in their Children”. Our mission is to serve children and their families by establishing parentage and enforcing support orders in a fair and equitable manner.
Effective County Government Organization
Child Support Services works to improve the well-being of children by securing consistent and reliable financial support from both parents. We establish and enforce support orders, provide parentage services, manage payments with fairness and accuracy, and assist families through compassionate and equitable case management.
A Thriving Economy
As of November 30, 2025, our caseload totaled 2,654 active cases. Over this period, the Department of Child Support collected $406,326.32, successfully delivering $361,655.15 in support directly to families throughout Mendocino County. These figures highlight our ongoing commitment to strengthening family stability and ensuring essential financial support reaches the children who need it.
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The Environmental Health Division of Public Health continues to progress toward the strategic initiative to digitize Land Use, Solid Waste, and Consumer Protection files. Once completed, the public and regulated facilities will benefit from faster access to records, enhanced transparency and service delivery, even while the department operates with reduced staffing.
The division is split between two offices, one coastal and the other inland. Full staffing for the division historically included 12 inspectors, 5 administrative staff, and 4 management staff. Over the past two fiscal years Environmental Health has received support to fill vacant fee supported positions, but very few qualified candidates applied to fill the various vacancies. Current staffing includes 6 inspectors, 3 administrative staff, and 3 management staff. As a result, staff resources are being shifted internally to assist with program mandates prioritized by public health risk factors. Field inspectors are conducting multiple program inspections when on-site, to utilize time more efficiently. Management staff are assisting with field work assignments as well as project plan reviews. All staff are supporting the public administrative needs whether that is via email, at front counters, or on the phone.
Click HERE to read more...
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To address the budget deficit as part of the FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget, County General Fund departments were required to take a cut to their Salary and Benefits (1000 Series) based on a 6% attrition factor, which totaled $5,246,657 across departments. This factor was calculated based on a historical average County-wide attrition rate. The 6% rate was conservatively adjusted to account for a degree of staffing variability throughout the fiscal year.
Based on year-to-date payroll actuals through December 12, 2025, plus utilizing the most recent payroll to annualize the remaining fiscal year payroll expenses, the County is anticipating realizing $4,440,000 or a little under 85% of the total $5,246,657. This has slightly decreased (.47%) from the last report.
The County must remain diligent and continue to follow the Strategic Hiring processes to realize the full attrition savings for FY25/26.
Additionally, the County must ensure one-time funds are utilized for one-time expenses.
Click HERE to view the Year-To-Date Budget Report.
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The Contract Unit works directly with departments Countywide to execute contracts and amendments to ensure alignment with County Policy. Since April of 2024, the Contract Unit has administered review processes for over 2,400 contract items, including over 525 items with effective dates on or after July 1, 2025. Additionally, as a result of the Board’s first review of revisions to the County’s Leasing and Contracting Policy (Policy No. 1) on October 7, 2025, the Contract Unit has been working to update Cobblestone approval workflows and Competitive Bidding tracking systems to align with new requirements.
Public Resources
Mendocino County maintains a publicly accessible portal where fully executed contracts can be viewed. The initial search screen of the portal allows users to search all County contracts by Department, Contract Number, Approving Authority, Contractor, and/or Keyword. The list generated by the initial search request can be further refined if needed.
https://contracts.mendocinocounty.org
Click HERE to read more…
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In November 2025, the Economic Development Division provided Technical Assistance to microenterprises and entrepreneurs, attended regional economic development conferences hosted by Redwood Region RISE and North Edge in Lake County, and worked to close out the 2021 CDBG Microenterprise Technical Assistance Grant administered by WEST Business Development Center.
Click HERE to read more...
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Big changes are on the horizon for your health and wellness benefits. Starting January 1, 2026, Digbi Health will offer personalized support for eligible members managing weight, diabetes, and more. Also beginning in January, Navitus will become the County’s new Pharmacy Benefits Manager. Click HERE to learn what to expect, how to prepare, and where to find key resources to ensure a smooth transition.
Click HERE to read more...
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The Grants Unit advanced multiple priority initiatives in November, including conducting a Public Hearing to secure Board authorization to allocate the remaining 2024–25 CDBG Program Income, and working to finalize two PI applications, the County Business Loan Program and the Centro Negocio West Microenterprise Technical Assistance Project, to support entrepreneurs and job creation. Additionally, staff continues work on a major amendment to the CDBG MIT-RIP grant to align with new State Round 2 funding, to extend the grant through 2031, and reinstate key project enhancements to strengthen long-term infrastructure resilience.
During fiscal year 2025-26, the Grants Unit partnered with County departments to submit 3 grant applications totaling $11.3 million. Additionally, the unit supports management of 15 grants exceeding $16.2 million for the Executive Office.
Click HERE to read more...
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Executive Office - Information Technology
County Website Upgrade
The Information Technology Division has partnered with Granicus to upgrade the County’s website using their OpenCities platform. This upgrade will improve the public’s online experience by making it easier to find County information, access services, and ensure the site meets modern accessibility standards. We will continue sharing updates as this work moves forward.
New County GIS Hub
Mendocino County's Information Technology Department has launched a new public-facing Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping application, available at https://gis.mendocinocounty.gov.
Developed with ESRI technologies including ArcGIS Experience Builder and ArcGIS Hub, the Hub site modernizes public access to geographic information by consolidating datasets, basemaps, and interactive mapping tools into a single resource. Visitors can utilize features such as printing, measurement, drawing, selections, and download publicly available GIS data in multiple formats. Future enhancements will include the addition of more datasets, a data library, and exploring possibilities of incorporating resources from other County departments to further improve public access to information.
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Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services (OES) is the primary local coordination agency for emergencies and disasters affecting residents, public infrastructure, and government operations in the Mendocino County Operational Area (OA). The Mendocino County OA includes the county and its cities, towns, and special districts, in coordination with tribes.
OES attended the bimonthly Fire Chiefs meeting, the statewide Tsunami Steering Committee meeting, and hosted a Pre-Season Winter Weather Coordination meeting. The county experienced a couple of atmospheric rivers in early and mid-November. OES worked closely with the National Weather Service, monitored the hazardous weather, and shared messages to the public and operational area partners.
Click HERE to read more...
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During the month of November 2025, the Prevention, Recovery, Resiliency, and Mitigation (PRRM) team made significant progress across a range of projects designed to enhance Mendocino County’s disaster preparedness and resilience. These projects are funded through various grants aimed at enhancing community resilience and disaster preparedness. Specific funding sources include FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), CAL FIRE grants, the Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, and Community Development Block Grant Planning and Public Service (CDBG-PPS) funds. Staff also finalized proposals, issued and reviewed RFPs, and prepared contracts for submission to the Board of Supervisors for approval. Despite ongoing challenges such as federal funding uncertainties and project delays, the team remains on track to meet critical upcoming milestones through late 2025 and into 2026.
Click HERE to read more...
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Facilities and Fleet Mission: To provide an accessible, efficient, safe, clean and comfortable working environment for all employees and the general public who use our buildings and properties.
Facilities and Fleet maintain vital infrastructure and related services that enable County employees to serve the citizens of Mendocino County.
Facilities projects continue to advance, from dog park improvements and winter closures to major progress on the SB844 Jail and Psychiatric Health Facility. Updates also include ongoing Bower Park upgrades and new EV charging stations scheduled for activation in early 2026.
Click HERE to read more...
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The Human Resources Department continues to support the County’s commitment to employee recognition, retention, and performance excellence. This report highlights key workforce data and activities for the reporting period, with a focus on extraordinary merit increases. These recognitions reflect the dedication and contributions of County employees and underscore our ongoing efforts to promote a culture of appreciation and high achievement.
Reminder:
As we close out the year, all employees are reminded to review and update their mailing address through the Employee Self-Service module. If you need to update other important personal information, please complete the appropriate form available on the County website found here. Keeping your information current ensures timely and accurate communication.
Effective County Government
Extraordinary Merits
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This month, MCWOW is pleased to share several updates that highlight our ongoing commitment to employee wellbeing. The fall Good Nurtured challenge recently concluded with strong participation and positive feedback. MCWOW is also partnering with Blue Zones Mendocino County to offer healthy cooking demonstrations across multiple locations, giving staff a chance to come together across departments and learn practical holiday cooking tips. In addition, the County’s Employee Assistance Program continues to provide timely counseling, financial, and legal resources to support employees during this busy holiday season. To learn more about these initiatives, please take a moment to read the attached report.
Click HERE to read more...
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Library
Library programming slows down toward the end of the year, but there are some major events that the branches participate in that have a big community impact including cold weather clothing drives in Ukiah and Point Arena, Art Walk in Ukiah, Hometown Holidays in Point Arena, and Tech Help at the Redwood Coast Senior Center in Fort Bragg.
Click HERE to read more...
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The Department of Planning and Building Services (“PBS”) continues to advance its mission of delivering effective, transparent, and responsive service to the Mendocino County community. This quarter, key accomplishments include the Board of Supervisors’ approval of a new permit management system, Accela, which is expected to streamline the permitting process and enhance the user experience. The Department also prioritized staff development and training, implemented strategic staffing adjustments to support fiscal responsibility, and maintained accurate metric reporting to promote transparency and operational efficiency.
In November, PBS welcomed two new team members and recognized the retirement of a dedicated public servant whose contributions are deeply appreciated. The Department also applied for the latest round of the Cannabis Equity Grants Program, with award notifications anticipated in early 2026. Throughout the past month, monthly performance metrics continued to serve as a key tool for public accountability, offering valuable insight into departmental workload, revenue, and service timelines. Additionally, PBS would like to remind the community that the 2025 California Building Code will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Looking ahead, PBS remains committed to strengthening internal operations, enhancing service delivery, and supporting a resilient, well-equipped team. Through the adoption of new technologies, continued investment in staff, and a focus on emergency preparedness, the Department is dedicated to continuous improvement and serving the residents of Mendocino County with integrity and professionalism.
Click HERE to read more...
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Public Health recognizes:
National Influenza Vaccination Week: December 7-13
Public Health reminds everyone that with seasonal changes, it’s a great time to talk to your doctor about getting a Flu Vaccine. Protect yourself and those around you by staying home when you’re sick and covering your coughs.
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Free flu vaccines are available for anyone 18 years or older. Drop in or make an appointment at: 1120 S. Dora Street, Ukiah.
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Free vaccinations are also available through the California Vaccines for Children (VFC) program for eligible families—call (707) 472-2716 to check eligibility and schedule an appointment.
Learn more at www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines
Click HERE to read more...
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The Department of Social Services continues to refine and update internal procedures to increase efficiency and standardize processes across all programs. We are pleased to announce that four additional procedures were released during this reporting period.
On November 20, the Live Oak Apartments celebrated their five-year anniversary and hosted an open house for community partners. Click below to view the full report, which includes the project’s history, funding sources, and an overview of how the program continues to serve our community.
Lastly, our department participated in the Veterans Stand Down event on November 13 in Ukiah. This annual event provides an important opportunity to honor the service of our veterans and connect them with essential resources and supports. Click below to read the full article, and be sure to explore our monthly data dashboard for both monthly and annual data from the Veterans Services Program, among others.
Click HERE to read more...
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Updates from the State
$18 Billion to the Bad: LAO Releases New Fiscal Outlook
The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) is projecting an $18 billion budget deficit in its newly released Fiscal Outlook for the 2026-27 state budget.
The annual report provides the first formal assessment of the state’s fiscal condition heading into the upcoming budget cycle and underscores the likelihood of another challenging year for state and local programs.
According to the LAO, the projected $18 billion shortfall reflects ongoing revenue softening and higher baseline costs, setting the stage for difficult budget deliberations when lawmakers return in January. Counties should expect deficit-driven conversations to shape early negotiations. The full Fiscal Outlook is available here for those interested in a deeper review of the state’s fiscal trends.
The Future of Medi-Cal Commission
As reported by Politico, with California bracing for an $18 billion budget deficit and significant federal Medicaid cuts, major nonprofits and policy groups were prompted to form the Future of Medi-Cal Commission—a new independent body tasked with shaping a 10-year modernization plan for the state’s largest and most expensive program. The Commission will begin meeting in January and focus on long-term financing, state–county administrative coordination, and strategies to improve care for individuals with complex behavioral health needs. With Medi-Cal accounting for 40% of the state budget and federal cuts projected to reach $1 billion next year and up to $5 billion by 2029, the group’s recommendations—expected in early 2027—are likely to shape legislative debates and guide the next governor’s approach to Medi-Cal reform.
County Indigent Care Programs
Recent policy changes enacted under H.R. 1 are expected to significantly reduce Medicaid enrollment in California. As a result, policymakers, advocates, and media outlets have begun inquiring about county medically indigent programs—specifically how counties are preparing for an increase in the uninsured population and what county requirements entail.
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COME & VISIT
Main Ukiah Campus:
501 Low Gap Road
Ukiah, CA 95482
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