Hollister
– San Benito County officials sent surveys to county property
owners recently to assess demand to secure funding for a county
mosquito abatement program.
Hollister – San Benito County officials sent surveys to county property owners recently to assess demand to secure funding for a county mosquito abatement program.
A mosquito abatement program would attempt to help prevent diseases, such as West Nile Virus, that are carried by mosquitoes. Although no human cases of West Nile have been reported in San Benito County, county officials are concerned they may have difficulties in the future preventing infections, said Kathy Flores, director of SBC Health and Human Services Department. A slight property tax increase would help sustain funding for a county mosquito abatement program.
“We found it on the birds so we know it’s here,” Agriculture Commissioner Paul Matulich said.
The SBC Agriculture Commission and Health Department have used grant money from the California State emergency funds for its abatement program in 2005 and 2006. However, that was a one-time grant, said County Supervisor Anthony Botelho, and county officials are worried it may not have the funds to sustain abatement services.
“There has to be some level of services to our community for mosquito containment and abatement,” Botelho said. “The county has always been concerned about its revenue to provide the services it’s supposed to.”
Before going through the expensive process of putting a ballot measure up for vote, officials would like to assess the public’s willingness to fork over additional property taxes.
The tax would be based on individual parcel assessments and would most likely be no more than $8 per parcel, Botelho said. But that would provide the county with enough funds to maintain the program.
West Nile Virus has been found in one bird in 2006, Flores said. An abatement program would keep the risk of infection down, she said, but there are additional steps residents can take for prevention.
“With any sort of disease that could be caused by mosquitoes we are urging the public to be vigilant,” Flores said.
Precautions include covering exposed skin after dusk, using insect repellent with DEET to keep mosquitoes away and clearing property of standing water – a breeding ground for mosquitoes, Flores said. It only takes seven days for an egg to become an adult mosquito, according to a California Department of Health Services brochure.
An abatement program would include clearing of standing water in public places and treatment of potential breeding grounds. Even the flower holders in the graves of cemeteries could pose a risk, Matulich said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at (831)637-5566 ext. 335
