The Air Quality Management District (District) has received Rural Subvention Funds since 1986. This year, the District qualifies for $40,988 in basic Subvention funding, based on the per-capita rate and population of Shasta County. In addition, the District has chosen to apply for Supplemental Subvention funding in the amount of $20,000 to fund special projects. The District is required to apply for both subvention and supplemental funds on an annual basis. Both the Basic and supplemental funds would contribute toward continued local air pollution control services.
Rural Subvention and Supplemental Rural Subvention funding are subject to the availability of State funds. The appropriation for the Subvention Program is continued in the State Budget Act of 2017, at last year’s amount of $10,111,000. This year’s per-capita rate of $0.23 is the same as last year’s rate. Future year funding levels are undetermined and dependent upon the State budget process each year.
California Health and Safety Code Section 39806, requires that districts be engaged in effective programs to reduce air contaminants in order to receive Subvention funding. The Compliance Division of the Air Resources Board periodically audits the District’s enforcement program to verify eligibility for continued Subvention funding and has determined that the District qualifies for this State funding.
The $20,000 request for supplemental funding will most likely be partially allocated, since this type of funding is dependent upon a distribution of excess funds on a per-capita basis. In Fiscal Year 2016-2017, $10,069 of Subvention Supplemental funding was awarded to the District and utilized with the District’s Stationary Source Program.