Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Solano County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
22 issues in taxes budget
First 5 Solano audit
The Board was scheduled to receive the annual audit of the First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, which funds early childhood health and education programs.
User fee increases under AB 2380 and AB 2224
Recording a real estate document or registering agricultural pest control just got pricier — fees rise January 4, 2027, because state law changed. The recorder change alone brings in about $335,000.
SEIU Unit 7 dispatcher pay increase
911 dispatchers got an 11.6% market equity raise, pushing entry-level monthly salary to about $6,400-$7,800. This helps the county compete for the people who answer emergency calls.
CIF FY2026/27 annual grants and NAMI Solano funding gap
NAMI Solano, which serves over 1,000 people a year with free mental illness support, lost all its county funding — about $325,000 — after Proposition 1 changes, and a nonprofit grant application was denied. They asked the board to help find a path forward.
ARPA fund closeout
The board wrapped up pandemic relief spending, handing the County Administrator authority to close out ARPA and shift any leftover eligible money to the Radio Interoperability Project — better radios for first responders.
OpenGov contract management software
The county plans to spend $2.3 million over nearly five years on software to manage its contracts countywide. Better tracking could mean more transparency in how county money is spent.
2027 Legislative Platforms
The county's advocacy playbook for next year targets HR 1's cost shifts to counties for Medi-Cal and CalFresh, a proposed census rule that could cut California's federal funding, and potential PG&E wildfire-liability legislation — all with real dollar consequences for county services.
FY2026/27 County Budget
The Board quietly set next year's property tax rates for the county, cities, schools and special districts — the routine annual action that determines what appears on property tax bills.
Nut Tree Airport property litigation
The Board voted unanimously to sue to recover possession of county property at the Nut Tree Airport through an unlawful detainer action.
Registrar of Voters governance change
A small but real change: the Chief Information Officer no longer has to double as Registrar of Voters, letting elections and IT leadership be handled separately.
State of the County event
A proposed ticketed Chamber-hosted State of the County breakfast drew concerns about staff time, Brown Act rules and equitable access; the board agreed any future event would not involve the full board.
IHSS caregiver contract
SEIU Local 2015 in-home care providers got a new contract approved unanimously, aimed at recruiting and retaining the caregivers who keep seniors and people with disabilities living at home.
Business license tax on energy producers and data centers
Voters will decide in November whether to modernize and raise business license taxes on data centers, commercial energy production, and resource extraction facilities. Supervisors pitched it as a backstop against state-forced data center projects; critics wanted a full moratorium instead.
Delinquent solid waste charges and property liens
Unpaid garbage bills in unincorporated Solano County are being converted to special assessments placed on the property tax roll, with a $62 lien fee per parcel. Haulers cleared many accounts before the hearing, but remaining delinquents now face liens.
Green Valley Open Space Maintenance District Assessments
A public hearing on the district's FY2026/27 assessments is set for July 28, 2026. Property owners in the district will have a chance to comment before the levy is finalized.
Transient Occupancy Tax increase on November ballot
A proposed November 2026 ballot measure would raise the hotel tax in unincorporated Solano County from 5% to 12%, more in line with neighboring cities. It would mostly hit visitors, generating about $58,000 a year.
FY2026/27 Appropriations Limits (GANN)
The state requires counties to set annual spending ceilings. The countywide limit for next fiscal year is just under $975 million. It's a legal formality, not a budget adoption, but it frames what the county can appropriate.
County Attorney Union Contract (Unit 1)
The county finalized a two-plus-year deal with its attorney union through September 2028, including pay parity fixes and a possible wage re-opener in 2028. It affects county legal staffing costs and labor relations going into negotiations with other unions.
Probation Department Cloud Migration
The county is spending $210,000 to move its probation case management system to a secure government cloud, plus $126,250 a year in hosting after the migration and $62,500 for consulting help.
Federal and State Legislative Update
The county's lobbyists briefed supervisors on the Governor's May Revise budget, Ukraine funding's political sensitivity in Congress, and how federal bridge funding could help replace the Highway 12 bridge near Rio Vista.
SB 707 remote meeting disruption policy
New state law makes counties plan for what happens when Zoom-style meeting access fails mid-meeting — the Board adopted a policy requiring a one-hour recess to restore remote access before continuing.
$5 million grant application for Vallejo community center
The county is backing a $5 million Bay Area air quality grant application to fund energy efficiency upgrades at the Rise Vallejo Early Education and Community Resource Center.