The 415
Marin ag adds $257M to local economy, report says Marin County agriculture brought $257.2 million into the local economy and supported 1,081 jobs in 2023, the county agricultural commission office announced this week. The report, “Economic Contributions of Marin County Agriculture,” is the county’s first full analysis of its local ag industry and was conducted by Agricultural Impact Associates, a consulting firm specializing in agricultural economics. County Agricultural Commissioner Joe Deviney said the results demonstrate Marin’s ag industry is “a vibrant and resilient local economy.” “Instead of stopping at raw farm-gate commodity production values, this study also quantifies local food processing, employment and economic ripple effects,” Deviney said in an announcement. All told, Marin County agriculture added over $700,000 per day into the county economy, or $29,360 per hour, Deviney’s office said.
Additionally, the report showed that of the total economic contribution, $191.3 million came directly from production and processing. An additional $65.9 million came from economic activity generated by purchase of agricultural supplies and spending by employees. Of the 1,081 total jobs agriculture supported, 750 were employees directly involved in production and processing. The remaining 331 jobs were made possible through expenditures by agriculture companies, their suppliers and employees, the report said. The full economic impact report is on the website for the Department of Agriculture / Weights & Measures.— JW
Marin joins suit against Trump Administration Marin County has joined the growing coalition of local governments suing the Trump Administration over efforts to force jurisdictions to cooperate with federal ICE raids. The lawsuit, City and County of San Francisco, et al., v. Donald J. Trump, et al., which was originally filed by San Francisco and Santa Clara counties in February, now includes nearly 50 jurisdictions challenging the administration’s threats to withhold or condition federal funding unless local governments enforce federal civil immigration laws. Marin County joins this case to safeguard its legal autonomy and secure essential funding for local services, the county said in an announcement.
“This is about protecting the values and priorities of Marin County residents,” said County Counsel Brian Washington in the statement. “The federal government cannot coerce local jurisdictions into doing its job through illegal threats to critical funding.” The case challenges a trio of federal actions that attempt to force local agencies to act as immigration enforcers by withholding critical funds to jurisdictions which “abet so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies.” Such attempts, the plaintiffs argue, violate the Constitution’s 10th Amendment, the Spending Clause, the separation of powers, and the 5th Amendment’s due process protections. Marin County says its sanctuary status is a result of adherence to state law, particularly the California Values Act, or SB 54, which limits the use of local resources for federal immigration enforcement.— JW
STOP: Marin eyes scaling back crossing guard program
Look both ways before crossing the road, kids—especially if Marin County defunds your local crossing guard. Due to rising costs, the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) is considering scaling back its crossing guard program. The program currently funds 96 guards at a total cost of $2.4 million. A TAM executive committee this summer urged the agency to approve video monitoring of crossing-guard sites to assess traffic and safety metrics in order to prioritize which intersections to assign a guard. The monitoring will take place this coming fall and winter at about 100 locations, at a price of $98,000. The plan is expected to scale back the program to fund 68 crossing guards.— NBb
August 2025
NorthBaybiz 13
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