Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 2
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds, not to exceed $46,866, to Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County to train pro bono attorneys to provide legal services for survivors of domestic violence, and authorizing the County Executive, or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and approved funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for one-time district-discretionary needs and projects. District 2 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 2 (Supervisor Noelia Corzo) - Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County: training pro bono attorneys to provide legal services for survivors of domestic violence |
$46,866 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018. District 2 indicates that this organization is either a public agency operating within the County or a nonprofit organization registered and in good standing with the California Attorney General. District 2 indicates that the sponsoring Board member, member’s family, and member’s supervisorial staff do not serve as an officer, director, or play a policy role for the grantee organization.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a grant to Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, and resulting grant agreement, in an amount not to exceed $46,866, to train pro bono attorneys to provide legal services for survivors of domestic violence (DV). The County Executive's Office will administer and manage the proposed agreement.
District-discretionary Measure K funding for this organization has previously been provided as listed below:
• On May 23, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved $35,000 in district-discretionary Measure K funds to Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County to support additional staffing for Peninsula Family Advocacy Program.
• On December 10, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved $50,000 in district-discretionary Measure K funds to Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County for Eviction Defense and Tenant Education.
The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (Legal Aid SMC)’s mission is to use the law to make the social safety net work for everyone in San Mateo County. Legal Aid SMC provides strong legal representation that helps people obtain stable housing, health care, education, economic security, immigration status, protection from abuse, and family stability.
This district discretionary grant will be used to fund the following project or services:
Legal Aid SMC will train and mentor pro bono attorneys to take DV cases and provide free legal services to low-income survivors of domestic violence.
Legal Aid SMC is a member of the Domestic Violence Collaborative, a partnership between Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal), Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA), and Legal Aid SMC. The DV Collaborative provides holistic legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence who cannot afford to hire a private attorney.
With this grant, Legal Aid SMC will recruit, train, and mentor private attorneys to represent clients for free at Domestic Violence Protection Act (DVPA) restraining order hearings to help clients obtain restraining orders, as well as child custody, visitation, support and other orders available under the DVPA. Legal Aid SMC will also assist pro bono attorneys in identifying and assisting or referring clients with related legal issues including accessing economically stabilizing safety net benefits and securing immigration status.
The Pro Bono Director will recruit, train and mentor pro bono attorneys to take domestic violence cases and provide free legal services to survivors of domestic violence. The Senior Project Coordinator will coordinate client meetings with pro bono attorneys, provide Spanish translations and interpretations, support clients in court, and track and manage client and case data.
This district-discretionary grant will enable the organization to meet the following need or service gap within the County: free legal services for survivors of domestic violence.
District 2 has informed the grantee organization that this grant is one-time only, and the grantee organization will need to find other sources of funding going forward. The grantee organization will use the Measure K grant as follows:
|
Item |
Amount |
|
Personnel |
|
Pro Bono Director @ 0.15 FTE |
$24,315 |
|
Senior Project Coordinator @ 0.14 FTE |
$16,438 |
|
Indirect Costs @ 15% |
$6,113 |
|
TOTAL |
$46,866 |
The project or services funded by this district-discretionary grant will be implemented and provided between November 2025 and November 2026. The project is estimated to be completed by November 4, 2026.
The following other community organizations are involved in or contributing funds to this project/these services, as follows: Legal Aid SMC is receiving $21,033 from CalOES in the 2025 calendar year. This funding does not pay for all of Legal Aid SMC’s costs related to the DV Collaborative. Funding from CalOES will no longer be available to support Legal Aid SMC’s work in the DV Collaborative after December 2025.
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $46,866
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
Legal Aid San Mateo County
M. Stacey Hawver
Executive Director
mshawver@legalaidsmc.org
650-517-8916
330 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 123
Redwood City, CA 94065
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Train and mentor 10 pro bono attorneys to take DV cases |
100% Complete |
|
Invest over 300 hours of free legal services from private attorneys (worth over $200,000) into the community to secure protective orders as well as custody and support orders for low-income survivors of domestic violence |
100% Complete |
|
Place at least 35 DV cases with pro bono attorneys |
100% Complete |
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
This project targets traditionally underserved populations including those with limited English proficiency, low-to-no income, and immigrants. Legal Aid SMC also works with survivors with complex legal cases including survivors at high risk of lethality and survivors with a history of denied restraining orders. Often abusers use the legal system as a means of intimidation. This project ensures that clients have an attorney to represent them in court, which can empower survivors of intimate partner violence and level the playing field.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2025-26 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget.