Hollister
– Property owners north of Paicines will soon receive a ballot
to vote on a tax for a mosquito abatement program to help combat
diseases such as West Nile Virus.
Hollister – Property owners north of Paicines will soon receive a ballot to vote on a tax for a mosquito abatement program to help combat diseases such as West Nile Virus.
Establishing a full mosquito control program would require an annual budget of about $120,000, Agricultural Commissioner Paul Matulich said. The program would cover the more populated areas of the county, including Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Aromas, Paicines and Tres Pinos.
The funding would be acquired in the form of a property tax.
Mosquitoes pose many health risks, said Kathy Flores, director of the San Benito County Health and Human Services Department. Flores said the insect can carry diseases other than West Nile Virus, such as different types of encephalitis, and malaria.
Besides health concerns, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger mandated that all counties have a mosquito abatement program, Matulich said.
“San Benito is one of three or four counties in the state that doesn’t have a full program,” he said.
Votes will be weighted according to how much a property owner will pay for the program, said Maria Garcia-Adarve, a consultant who helped the county develop the ballot. Single-family homeowners would pay $9.80 per year, while apartment owners could pay up to $6.37 per unit.
Agricultural property owners would pay up to eight cents per acre.
Property owners will have until June 22 to return ballots, which are being mailed today.
With an unusually warm spring, county officials expect to find evidence of the West Nile Virus here for the third straight season. There have been no human cases of West Nile Virus, which can be deadly in some cases.
Birds in Santa Clara County have already been found with the disease, Matulich said.
Two years ago, the county secured a state grant worth $185,000 for mosquito control. The county bought equipment, but gave $53,000 that it didn’t use back to the state, Matulich said.
If passed, the fee would bring the county $171,000 to upgrade equipment and repay the county’s general fund for its ballot campaign, Supervisor Anthony Botelho said.
“We hope to have a sustainable, effective program – proactive based on prevention and education,” Botelho said.
If the program is established, the Board of Supervisors could then adjust the fee to reflect costs, County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson said. Thompson added that officials will not be able to use the money for other programs.
“In this case you have a local community making a decision themselves,” Thompson said.
The program would be run year-round, using mosquito traps and testing for evidence of diseases in birds.
County officials are avoiding spraying by destroying the larvae of the mosquitoes, Matulich said.
Officials would also develop a response plan if an outbreak were to occur and provide education services to help prevent the spread of diseases.
Matulich said the county receives calls to clear abandoned pools or fish ponds, but the most problematic areas are the little flower holders in cemeteries, Matulich said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or
mv*********@fr***********.com
.
