Sheriff Matt Kendall Announces His Opposition to Ukiah’s Annexation Proposal

Over the past couple weeks I have received a lot of calls from residents regarding the annexation the City of Ukiah is proposing. When these discussions began my understanding was the initial move on this seemed to be driven by a need for the consolidation of water agencies within the Ukiah Valley.

Recently the proposed map of the annexation was made public, along with it were many questions which have yet to be answered. It became clear that this annexation will likely have serious implications for the county. Based on this map I also have concerns the city may be picking locations of revenue and cutting out locations which could be an expense.

One thing is certain, there will be lost revenues to the county, and we will likely see reduced services within the proposed annexation areas.

Business leaders in farming, construction, and manufacturing are seriously concerned regarding the proposal and there are a lot of questions which will need to be answered.

I am concerned this annexation could be a lose-lose for everyone and may have a negative effect on all of Mendocino County due to the reduction in revenues from businesses as well as a reduction in services for those annexed into the city.

These impacts will be felt from Gualala to Round Valley. This isn’t simply an issue for the residents of the Ukiah Valley; it will likely affect every resident of the county in one form or another.

This process has been moving at a very rapid pace. Clearly, we are on the edge of a very large decision which could have implications we are not yet aware of.

Therefore, I am hopeful we take an eyes-wide-open approach while looking at these proposals. I am also hopeful we can take a step back and deeply study what the impacts will be for the residents in the unincorporated areas as well as those within the proposed annexation. I am certain there will be a balancing point we can find, I’m also certain it will take some work to find it.

Thank you,

Sheriff Matt Kendall

Ukiah