FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bakersfield, Calif – SEIU 521 is releasing a revised white paper exposing Kern County’s failure to use hundreds of millions of state-allocated funds dedicated to critical public safety and health services.
After SEIU 521 shared a previous white paper analyzing Kern County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) and the delivery of public services, Assistant County Administrative Officer Elsa Martinez made comments critical of the white paper because the numbers (the most current and available records at the time) were out of date. She said, “The document that [SEIU] used, the financial reports that they used are for Fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023. We’re talking over a year and a half old information.”
The updated white paper —based on the latest figures released as of March 6, 2025—confirms a painful truth: Kern County continues to withhold millions meant for urgent community needs.
- $187.9 million in unspent Behavioral Health & Recovery Services funds—up $62 million since 2021
- $193.1 million in unused 2011 Realignment funds—up $98 million in three years
- $73.9 million in unspent Human Services funds—up $53 million since 2020
“Kern County is broken because the County Board of Supervisors refuses to deploy — or declines to apply for — state funding allocated to treat mental health, addiction, housing the homeless population and protecting children in the foster care system,” said Alicia Aleman, Kern County Social Worker and SEIU Local 521 Chapter President.
“Last year, homelessness in Kern County increased nearly 12 times more than the state average. Meanwhile, Kern County leaders left money on the table that could have helped address this.
It doesn’t matter what fiscal year you look at — the result is the same. Kern County regularly refuses to spend the funding it receives. As a result, the County can’t attract and retain the skilled workers needed to tackle our biggest issues.
The County Board of Supervisors will mislead taxpayers by implying that because these funds are ‘restricted,’ that they are not available to meet urgent needs. Nothing could be further from the truth. ‘Restricted’ defines that the funds are earmarked by state or federal agencies for a specific purpose, like public health and safety, mental health, employment, training, etc. Each fund cannot be used for any purpose other than what is permitted for that particular fund.
Instead of prioritizing public safety, child protection, and emergency services, Kern County stockpiles taxpayer money while residents suffer. It’s time for real accountability. Our union SEIU 521 will continue to use every possible tool at our disposal to raise awareness of the lack of services; the County knows too many are suffering without it.”
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Service Employees International Union, Local 521 represents 53,000 public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in California’s Bay Area, the Central Coast, and in the Central Valley. Under a Community First vision, we are committed to making sure the needs of our community, and the vital services we provide our community, come first. We believe our communities thrive when residents, leaders, and workers recognize that we are all in this together when it comes to our safety, health, and well-being.
