To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: Termination of Local Emergency
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
TERMINATE the local emergency proclaimed by the Board of Supervisors on November 4, 2025, regarding the issue of disruption of funding for the CalFresh program, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program (SNAP), and release funds held in reserve as recommended by the Employment and Human Services Director.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
On November 4, 2025, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 2025-386 proclaiming a local emergency caused by the disruption of funding for CalFresh food assistance benefits, including the activation of County disaster service workers; and allocating up to $21,000,000 from the General Fund and in the following order to purchase debit cards for distribution to CalFresh eligible households for the month of November 2025; directing the County Administrator, or designee to prepare a Budget Amendment to effectuate the final allocation decision of the Board of Supervisors; authorizing the distribution of debit cards to November CalFresh Eligible Households and authorize the Employment and Human Services (EHSD) Director to execute a related contract amendment; directing the EHSD Director to report to the Board of Supervisors, within 60 days, on the need for continuing the local emergency; and providing additional direction to staff on steps to mitigate the disruption of funding for CalFresh food assistance benefits.
On December 16, 2025, the Board of Supervisors continued the local emergency. Due to the ongoing uncertainty at the federal level about funding for SNAP administration, it was appropriate for the Board to continue local emergency and hold the $21,000,000 in reserve for expeditious action if necessary.
While federal funding for SNAP benefits was extended through September 30, 2026, by the U.S. Congress, the situation remained unstable. Since the continuation, CalFresh recipients have received scheduled benefits disbursements in both December 2025 and January 2026. Conditions now warrant the termination of the local emergency. The EHSD Director recommends terminating the local emergency as the immediate need for retention of funds has passed.
To manage this declared emergency, the Employment & Human Services Department Operation Center (DOC) opened on October 28, 2025, and will close with the Board termination of the local emergency. The following County departments supported EHSD in the DOC: County Public Information Officer and Public Information Officers from all Departments, Sheriff’s Office, Department of Information Technology (DoIT), Risk Management, Public Works, and the Health Department. The Food Bank of Contra Costa (Food Bank) also participated in the DOC. Additional support was provided by the County Administrator’s Office.
Total costs for this emergency include $109,262 for Sheriff’s Office for security services for the four EHSD debit card distribution sites; $480,000 for 10,000 food boxes purchased from the Food Bank, $32,527 for DoIT to stand up extra workstations and create an Application Programming Interface (API) between the debit card vendor and California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS); and $1,640 for Public Works which conducted worker safety assessments. Total costs were $623,429. $1,000,000 was transferred to Usio Inc., the debit card vendor in preparation for loading cards, and was unused. This $1,000,000 will be retained with Usio Inc. for the Measure X-funded Guaranteed Income payments.
Of the allocated $21,000,000, the EHSD Director recommends unallocating the remaining balance of $20,376,571. The County Administrator and departments will execute budget amendments and accounting entries as needed to reconcile expenditure accounts for the associated actual expenditures.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Should the local emergency action not be terminated, the local emergency will continue, and the remaining funds retained in reserve will not be released.
CHILDREN’S IMPACT STATEMENT:
This contract extension supports all of Contra Costa County’s community outcomes of the Children’s Report Card: (1) "Children Ready for and Succeeding in School"; (2) "Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood"; (3) "Families that are Economically Self-Sufficient"; (4) "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing"; and (5) "Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families.”