The board of supervisors of any county may appropriate and expend money from the general fund of the county to establish county programs or to fund other programs deemed by the board of supervisors to be necessary to meet the social needs of the population of the county, including but not limited to, the areas of health, law enforcement, public safety, rehabilitation, welfare, education, and legal services, and the needs of physically, mentally and financially handicapped persons and aged persons.

The board of supervisors may contract with other public agencies or private agencies or individuals to operate those programs which the board of supervisors determines will serve public purposes. In the furtherance of those programs, the board of supervisors may make available to a public agency, nonprofit corporation, or nonprofit association any real property of the county which is not and, during the time of possession, will not be needed for county purposes, to be used to carry out the programs, upon terms and conditions determined by the board of supervisors to be in the best interests of the county and the general public, and the board of supervisors may finance or assist in the financing of the acquisition or improvement of real property and furnishings to be owned or operated by any public agency, nonprofit corporation, or nonprofit association to carry out the programs, through a lease, installment sale, or other transaction, in either case without complying with any other provisions of this code relating to acquiring, improving, leasing, or granting the use of or otherwise disposing of county property.

A program may consist of a community support program including a charitable fund drive conducted in cooperation with one or more nonprofit charitable organizations if the board of supervisors deems a program will assist in meeting the social needs of the population of the county. If the board establishes a program, the officers and employees of the county shall have the authority to carry out the program, using county funds and property if authorized by the board. During working hours, a program may include direct solicitation by county officers and employees and the assignment of officers and employees to attend or assist in the administration of program activities if authorized by the board.

(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 452, Sec. 1. Effective September 27, 1991.)