This was written by staff at the nonprofit newsroom CalMatters. It was republished by The Mendocino Voice in partnership with CalMatters to bring relevant nonpartisan news to Mendocino County readers. Learn more about CalMatters here.
BERKELEY, CA., 9/5/2026 — California lawmakers will spend up to $125 million in state funds to help buy and turn Golden Gate Fields, the 161-acre former horse racing track along the East Bay shoreline, into a public park — a priority of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s.
The funding will come from Proposition 4, the voter-approved $10 billion bond for climate projects such as drinking water, wildfire prevention and land conservation, despite concerns from environmental advocates and lawmakers that diverting the money would drain limited resources from those other priorities…