Politics

San Benito County's 2012 Community Development Block Grant application has been deemed eligible for a review a month after the state's Department of Housing and Community Development first deemed it in ineligible.

The citizens' panel charged with setting the salaries of state elected officials voted Thursday to cut the pay for legislators, the governor and other top officials by 5 percent next year. The reduction will come on top of an 18 percent pay cut enacted three years ago that has not been restored.

The California state Assembly approved AB 1676, a bill to correct the apportionment factors used by San Benito County to allocate property tax revenues to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund. The bill passed off the Assembly floor today 78-0 with overwhelming bi-partisan support.

Garbage and recycling pick-up rates will rise 5.58 percent starting July 1 as part of the annual rate adjustment stipulated in Recology San Benito County’s contract with the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista as well as the county.