Press Releases

Today, Congressman Salud Carbajal announced that nearly $9,000,000 in direct federal funding for community projects that benefit residents of Ventura County is set to become law after passing both chamber of Congress this week.

Rep. Carbajal has been advocating for these federal funds since April 2022, and helped ensure they were included in the omnibus spending package crafted over the past six months and sent to President Biden’s desk by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier today.

The funds secured by Carbajal will help expand U.S. Highway 101 between Ventura and Santa Barbara, add air conditioning to E.P. Foster Library, and construct a safe beach access for Mondo’s Cove.

“As the Central Coast’s Representative, my first and foremost responsibility is to deliver real results for our communities and its residents – and today I’m proud to do that again by delivering nearly $9 million to support projects that will improve our quality of life in Ventura County,” said Rep. Carbajal. “With these funds, we will be able to make critical upgrades that will reduce traffic, upgrade our public spaces, and make Ventura County an even better place to call home.”

Rep. Salud Carbajal specifically requested and pushed for funding for these and other Central Coast projects through the House Appropriations Committee.

In total, Rep. Carbajal secured $22,466,540 for 14 projects across all three counties that he represents in Congress.

The full list of projects secured for Ventura County can be found below:

$1,000,000 to cover the costs of designing and installing concrete and metal access stairwells to create a safe beach access at Mondo’s Cove, a popular beach for families and residents of all ages from across Ventura County.

Once permitted, the construction of this beach access is estimated by the County of Ventura to take between five to seven months.

“I am grateful for Representative Carbajal’s continued support of the Mondo’s Beach Project,” said Matt LaVere, Ventura County Supervisor for District 1. “This project will address a long-standing need for a stairway that will allow community members and visitors to safely access this popular beach. This destination has been a favorite for families and children across the County.” 

$750,000 to help fund installation of air conditioning at E.P. Foster Library in downtown Ventura. Funds will help cover the costs of design, permitting, equipment and labor for the much-needed addition to the 60 year-old library that only has heat and ventilation systems.

Once completed, the City of Ventura plans to utilize E.P. Foster as a cooling center for older Ventura residents during heat events.

“The City of Ventura is thankful for Congressman Salud Carbajal’s leadership in securing federal funding for a much-needed air conditioning system at the E.P. Foster Library. This library opened in 1921 at its present location and is in the heart of our historic downtown region,” said Ventura Mayor Joe Schroeder. “The library provides vital educational resources and programming to our children, seniors, veterans, students, and families. This funding will allow us to make upgrades to the facility so that it can also be used as a cooling center during high-temperature events.”

$7,000,000 to support construction of one of the two remaining sections of carpool lane expansion on U.S. Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and Ventura. Once completed, these carpool sections will complete 30 continuous miles of three-lane traffic between Ventura and Goleta.

“We are incredibly grateful to Congressman Carbajal for including $7 million of federal funds for the Highway 101: Montecito project in the congressional budget process," said Marjie Kirn, executive director of Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG). "This much-needed funding is essential for the high-priority regional project. With these funds, we can look forward to seeing the reinvestment of tax-payer dollars go to safety and congestion relief that will have a significant positive impact on the economy, interregional bus service efficiencies and quality of life for countless residents and visitors alike across our community."

 Additional Background

The full list of projects secured by Carbajal for Fiscal Year 2023, as well as more information on the rules governing what projects could be requested, can be found here.

This is the second year that Rep. Carbajal and his colleagues have been permitted to request specific Community Project Funding (CPF). In Fiscal Year 2022, Rep. Carbajal delivered nearly $18 million for nine community projects on the Central Coast.

More information on those CPFs can be found here.