County has wish list for Sacramento, Washington

Napa County wants Washington and Sacramento to hear its voice on such issues as health care changes, soaring fire insurance rates and possible Pacific Gas & Electric Co. rate hikes.

The county Board of Supervisors on Jan. 27 is scheduled to give the county's lobbyists their marching orders. It could pass its 2026 legislative platform — in essence, a wish list for state and federal issues.

But board chair Amber Manfree sees more than a wish list.

"Overall, this is a wonderful reflection of the values of the board and the values of the community," Manfree said.

On Jan. 13, the board discussed the evolving platform. What President Trump calls the "One Big Beautiful Bill" and state maneuvers loom large on several fronts.

The federal spending bill passed in 2025 affects Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, with the White House's stated goal being the reduction of waste, fraud and abuse. It affects the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called CalFresh in California.

Napa County wants to "mitigate the harm" to families who receive Medi-Cal health care benefits and CalFresh food aid — and, the draft platform says, to county government as well.

One in four Napa County residents, or about 34,000 people, are enrolled in Medi-Cal. They face new eligibility and administrative requirements because of the federal changes. Plus, California made cuts to the program, the draft platform says.

Napa County's network of health care providers, despite a principal focus on primary care, is insufficient to meet the needs of the Medi-Cal population, the draft platform says.

"Providers' capacities will be further hobbled by reduced Medi-Cal reimbursements and increased churn as patients are administratively disenrolled," it says.

One predicted outcome is more patients going to the emergency rooms at Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center and St. Helena Hospital. That could mean longer wait times and more severe cases, as well as increased staff burnout and turnover, it says.

There's another concern. County workers, not federal or state workers, will be responsible for helping local Medi-Cal residents navigate the eligibility changes so recipients don't fall through the cracks, the draft platform says.

"Local governments will shoulder new administrative requirements and a greater share of the costs of running these key programs," it says.

Napa County will lobby for changes to ease those perceived problems.

Supervisor Joelle Gallagher asked her colleagues to add a new section to the draft platform — one involving utility rate hikes that PG&E is seeking from the California Public Utilities Commission.

Higher rates would hurt residents, seniors, farmworkers, lowand fixed-income households, small businesses, and farmers. They would also increase county costs for such essential services as public safety, she said.

Many rural Napa County residents have complained about the cost and difficulties of securing fire insurance in the wake of the 2017 and 2020 wildfires. The county wants California to require insurers to recognize defensible space steps taken by homeowners and the community.

For example, Napa County and the Napa Communities Firewise Foundation have spent millions of dollars on fuel breaks in such rural areas as Angwin and Mount Veeder.

"Napa is far safer from wildfire now than in 2017 and 2020 and residents and businesses are fully invested in this approach," the draft platform says.

The county continues to sound the alarm over the vehicle license fee swap. This is money counties receive because of a 2004 state budget compromise that shuffled revenue streams.

Because of convoluted state funding mechanisms, Napa County's vehicle license fee swap money comes from a property tax pool linked with school district funding. Falling enrollment for the Napa Valley Unified School District is expected at some point to change the way the pool money is distributed and put the reimbursements at risk.

"The resulting $50 million annual loss in local revenue would trigger a fiscal crisis for the county and its cities and town," the draft platform says.

It's unclear when that day might come. But Napa County has tried for several years to get the state to fix the situation before it occurs and will try again in 2026.

The county will seek Federal Aviation Administration publication of alternative flight paths for the Napa County Airport. Some residents in the city of Napa area say noise from overhead flights is too loud.

Other key issues include addressing farmworker housing and state housing laws that the county sees as diminishing local land use control.

"Napa's overarching land use priority is and will remain defending agricultural use of historically agricultural land," the draft platform says.

Making the county's case are two lobbying teams. The county pays state lobbyists Shaw, Yoder, Antwih, Schmelzer & Lange $64,000 annually. It pays federal lobbyists Paragon Government Relations $120,000 a year. •

You can reach Barry Eberling at 707256-2253 or barry.eberling@napanews.com.