Marin County residents have until 5 p.m. Oct. 23 to apply for seats on three advisory committees that shape how millions in housing and community funds are spent.

The county's Community Development Agency (CDA), based in San Rafael, opened applications Sept. 21 for the Countywide Priority Setting Committee (PSC), the Measure W Oversight Committee and the Measure W Working Group, according to a county news release.

The PSC is an 18-member body that recommends how federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships funds, along with state Permanent Local Housing Allocation dollars, should be distributed. Those grants support affordable housing, community infrastructure and services for low- and moderate-income households. The committee meets four evenings a year for about two hours each session.

Two PSC seats are open. One represents the Upper Ross Valley, covering Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo and neighboring unincorporated areas. The other represents Southern Marin, including Belvedere, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon and unincorporated communities such as Marin City, Strawberry and Tam Valley. Applicants may live or work within the area they would represent. The county news release encourages residents who represent the interests of racial and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities to apply.

The two Measure W committees focus on a different funding stream. West Marin voters approved Measure W in November 2018, raising the transient occupancy tax on hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts and short-term rentals from 10% to 14%. The tax area stretches from Muir Beach to Dillon Beach and inland to Nicasio and the San Geronimo Valley.

The tax generates roughly $1.2 million a year, Patch reported. About half goes to housing projects addressing West Marin's shortage of affordable housing for its workforce. The other half funds fire and emergency services.

The Measure W Working Group sets funding priorities for the housing portion and sends recommendations to the Marin County Board of Supervisors for final approval. It has five to nine members who live or work in the tax area and serve two-year terms. The group meets two to four times a year, typically January through May.

The Measure W Oversight Committee reviews the annual audit of tax revenue to confirm the money stays within the West Marin tax area and goes to voter-approved purposes. The county said it especially needs members with accounting, auditing or finance backgrounds. The committee meets once a year, in winter, after the fiscal year closes.

Applications for the PSC are available on the CDA's housing and grants website. Applications for the two Measure W committees are on the CDA's Measure W page. Residents can also call (415) 473-7309.