Town of Yountville • 6550 Yount Street • Yountville • California • 94599 Telephone (707) 944-8851 • FAX (707) 944-9619
April 7, 2026
The Honorable Bob Archuleta
Chair
Senate Military & Veterans Affairs Committee
1021 O Street, Suite 6620
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Support for SB 1040 – Veterans
Cemetery Maintenance Endowment Act
Dear Senator Archuleta and Senator Grove,
The Town of Yountville is writing to express our strong support for SB 1040 (Choi), which would authorize CalVet to administer a State-Local Matching Program that would ensure that every for $1 contributed by individuals, local governments, veterans’ service organizations, or private donors and deposited into an official cemetery maintenance endowment fund, the state will contribute $1 in matching funds, but only up to $250,000 per cemetery per fiscal year.
Each cemetery’s maintenance capacity varies widely based on the size and wealth of its surrounding community. Larger cemeteries may receive donations through established foundations, while new or rural sites rely almost entirely on limited state maintenance appropriations. Several sites have reported backlogs in landscaping, irrigation, and structural maintenance, leading to periodic complaints and public scrutiny. No existing California law incentivizes local philanthropy or donations from private organizations to help grow these maintenance endowments. As a result, perpetual-care funding remains uneven and unsustainable, particularly for smaller, rural, or newly established cemeteries.
Other communities have veteran cemeteries that deserve respect, and each one holds meaning for the families and histories connected to it. What makes Yountville unique, however, is that our town itself was built around service to veterans. The Veterans Home of California at Yountville was founded in 1884, predates our town, and helped shape our identity. Yountville is more than a place that has a veterans’ cemetery, it is a community created to care for veterans.
The Yountville Veterans Home Cemetery is a continuation of that mission. It is the final resting place for generations of veterans who lived their last years here, becoming part of our daily community life. These are not distant names from elsewhere; they are residents who walked our grounds, shared meals, and called Yountville home.
The Honorable Shannon Grove
Vice Chair
Senate Military & Veterans Affairs Committee
1021 O Street, Suite 7150
Sacramento, CA 95814
Maintaining this cemetery is especially important for a small Town like ours because it reflects who we are and why we exist. Caring for this sacred space is one of the most tangible ways Yountville honors its founding purpose: dignity, gratitude, and respect for those who served. In preserving the cemetery, we preserve the heart of Yountville itself.
For these reasons, the Town of Yountville offers strong support for SB 1040.
Sincerely,
Margie Mohler, Town of Yountville Mayor
Cc: [email protected]