Memorandum
Date: August 18, 2026
To: The Honorable Brad Rasmussen, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Susan Parker, County Administrative Officer
Benjamin Rickelman, Deputy County Administrative Officer
Subject: Consideration of Resolution Supporting the Opportunity Zones 2.0 Local Authority Recommendation Forms Submitted to GO-Biz
Executive Summary:
This item asks your Board to adopt a resolution supporting the nine Opportunity Zones 2.0 Local Authority Recommendation Forms submitted on July 20, 2026, by the County of Lake, the City of Lakeport, and the City of Clearlake to the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the federal Opportunity Zones program permanent and authorized a new round of census tract designations taking effect January 1, 2027, with governors able to nominate up to twenty-five percent of their state's eligible tracts. GO-Biz required a separate form for each tract, and the three jurisdictions submitted one for each of the nine Lake County tracts on the U.S. Department of the Treasury's eligible list.
These are the same nine tracts identified in the April 2026 joint letter to the Governor from the Chair of the Board and the Mayors of Lakeport and Clearlake. The difference is only in how preference is expressed: the letter grouped the tracts into two tiers, while the GO-Biz form required an individual ranking. That ranking (000801, 000402, 000703, 000501, 000802, 000702, 001000, 000704, and 000601) was developed in consultation with the City Managers of Clearlake and Lakeport, based on where development activity appears most likely in the short to medium term. On August 3, 2026, the State published its draft list of census tract recommendations for nomination. Two census tracts were selected for Lake County: 000402 and 000703. All three jurisdictions continue to prefer designation of all nine tracts; the ranking is guidance should the State designate fewer.
GO...
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