LIRA Update 6/2/20

The Budget and Finance Committee was tasked at the 5/21/20 Board Meeting with developing a detailed proposal for a Low Income Ratepayer Assistance program to be implemented as soon as feasible. Following a lengthy discussion, the committee voted 3-0 on June 2, 2020 to recommend a one-year $25,000 pilot program to provide a $10 monthly discount to the first 208 PG&E-CARE-eligible ratepayers who apply. (The District estimates that the actual number of qualified ratepayers may be near 1200.) The remaining open questions are: (1) whether this money will be drawn from the reserve fund or whether the recently-approved FY 2020-21 budget can be reworked to incorporate this previously unanticipated expenditure, and (2) whether the Board will approve the committee’s recommendation.