Friday, May 1, 2026

Contact: Yajaira Ortega, Policy and Equity, Senior Manager, Thrive Alliance

Email: yajaira@thrivealliance.org

You Showed Up. Sacramento Noticed.

On Tuesday, nearly 60 people from across San Mateo County traveled to Sacramento to testify before the Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on VLF funding. The chair's closing words made clear: community testimony made a real difference. Thrive Alliance was proud to support outreach and logistics alongside our partners at Samaritan House. This was a true county-wide effort.

We're hopeful. The subcommittee signaled openness to addressing the funding shortfall and exploring a permanent fix to the formula. There is still work ahead, but Tuesday was a meaningful step forward.

Watch Tuesday's hearing recording here. Learn more at smcfairfunding.org

Save the Date: On Thursday, May 7th, 2026, Thrive Alliance and friends invite you to join a coalition of San Mateo County stakeholders in Sacramento to again advocate for the restoration of Vehicle License Fee (VLF) funding.

Senator Becker will be presenting a request to the Senate Budget Subcommittee #4 and needs supportive public comment from San Mateo County stakeholders. Thrive Alliance is coordinating a charter bus to Sacramento, funded through a generous contribution by Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF). This is an opportunity to show your support for our community and make your voice heard. To reserve your spot on the bus, please register here.

The bus will depart from the San Mateo County Event Center at 7:00 am sharp, with a light breakfast provided. We’ll arrive in Sacramento with enough time to gather before the hearing, allowing us to stand together as advocates for our County. Let’s make our presence count on this critical day!

Advocacy Bus to Sacramento

More Opportunities To Engage

Lines That Divide or Unite

Who draws the lines matters. District boundaries determine which communities have a seat at the table in county government, and right now, San Mateo County has an opportunity to make that process more equitable and accountable.

A Charter amendment currently under consideration would establish an Independent Redistricting Commission to determine Board of Supervisors district boundaries. If the Board moves it forward, voters will weigh in this November.

Why Thrive is watching this closely

Redistricting happens every decade, but the process itself is just as important as the outcome. When the people being elected also draw the boundaries, community voices can get lost in the process. San Mateo County saw this play out in 2021, when Thrive Alliance coordinated a community-led mapping process with over 60 organizations across the county, producing a Unity Map that reflected the voices and priorities of their communities. That map was ultimately set aside in favor of boundaries that looked much like those before.

An independent commission puts that process where it belongs: in the hands of the public. It builds in transparency, invites broader community participation, and produces maps that are harder to challenge and easier to trust.

Take action before and on May 5

The Board of Supervisors will take this up soon. Reach out to your Supervisor now and show up if you can.

Find your district and contact your Supervisor → here
Send a message using this email template → here
Use ACLU Northern California San Mateo County Chapter's toolkit → here

📅 Tuesday, May 5 | 9:00 AM 📍 Board of Supervisors Chambers, 500 County Center, Redwood City Zoom attendance available, link in the meeting agenda (here)

With thanks to the League of Women Voters North & Central San Mateo County for their research and advocacy on this issue.

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Thrive is committed to highlighting the incredible organizing power of our local nonprofit and partner communities always and especially during this time. We have created this Community Safety Resources section for Thrive Weekly to do just that. By working collectively and shining a light on our sector's collaborative, caring power, we will lighten each other's loads as we renew ways to safeguard our diverse communities.

Please visit our Community Safety Resource Webpage for more information and helpful resources.

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