ON THE ISSUES

We must develop long term, reliable water sources and clean drinking water. I will be an advocate for sustainable water use practices and take a balanced approach to the use of groundwater resources. As drought continues to become the new normal across California, we need to be investing in climate and drought resiliency efforts to make sure we are capturing as much water as possible and using our water resources efficiently. I specifically would like to see increased water capacity through maintaining the Potter Valley Project, sustained support for Lake Pillsbury, expanding the storage capacity of Lake Mendocino by raising Coyote Valley Dam, and additional water storage projects throughout the county.

Small businesses are the heart of our local economy and the County should be constantly working to create an atmosphere where small businesses are empowered to succeed. That means we should be removing barriers and unnecessary regulation and remaining in constant communication with representatives of our key local industries.

I will support fully funding and staffing our Sheriff’s Office and working towards competitive compensation and benefit packages that attract the best and the brightest in the profession. Too often, Mendocino County is an early stop in the careers of Deputy Sheriffs and Deputy District Attorneys seeking job experience before they move on to a larger county. We need to make public safety the top budget priority and seek ways to attract and retain quality public safety professionals. Across the state, the proliferation of fentanyl is wreaking havoc in our communities and Mendocino is no exception. As Supervisor, I will work with the Sheriff's Office and District Attorney to make sure they have the tools needed to combat this crisis. Drunk driving is too common here in Mendocino County and we need to take a proactive, cross-jurisdictional approach that brings together our Sheriff's Office, Police Departments, and the Highway Patrol to keep drunk drivers off the roads. Lastly, we must get serious about the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. Working with our tribal partners, we need to make sure that search and rescue teams and law enforcement resources are available to help find Native American women in our community who disappear at disproportionately high rates.

One of the core functions of county government is to maintain and expand infrastructure in our unincorporated areas. I will support investments in road maintenance and improvements. We should be aggressive in pursuing state and federal spending to supplement local infrastructure dollars, including taking a regional approach to broadband infrastructure and tapping into the unprecedented amount of federal funding currently available to improve broadband access and connectivity.

Given the increasing severity and frequency of storms, fires, and other natural disasters, we need to take a proactive approach to emergency response and make sure our Office of Emergency Services is well-trained and equipped to handle whatever disaster is facing our community. Rural areas in particular have seen inadequate emergency response in the past and we need to be working to bridge that gap so that all communities are protected when natural disasters strike.

We can balance the new housing production occurring within our cities with the preservation of open space and agricultural land, including through the continued use of the Williamson Act to reduce property tax burdens facing family farms that feed our community. When making land use decisions in the unincorporated areas of our county, I will be sure to protect the County’s agricultural property and rural heritage. When considering a project, I believe the county should always weigh both individual property rights and the rights of surrounding landowners and community members.

At the root of the homelessness crisis are substance abuse and mental health issues. Voters in Mendocino County passed Measure B to try to solve the mental health crisis and we need to provide adequate oversight and accountability to make sure those funds are being spent appropriately and where it will have a maximum impact. As state policy on conservatorships continues to evolve, Mendocino County should be on the frontlines of implementing solutions that allow severely mentally ill individuals to get the help they need. On the Board of Supervisors, I would support the continuation of programs such as Laura’s Law and the adoption of new programs such as CARE Courts, which all can provide avenues to get help for individuals who can’t make decisions for themselves.

Our county government needs to be transparent, accessible, and responsive. I support the continued use of technology to make public participation in Board of Supervisor meetings easy and available to all residents. I will always be a proponent of maximizing opportunities for public comment and for actively meeting residents “where they are” meaning more outreach, town hall meetings, and making myself accessible in the community. During the County budget process, we need to do a better job of engaging with the community and reflecting their priorities in the budget process. One of the key authorities the Board of Supervisors has is to craft the budget and they have a responsibility to provide adequate budget transparency and oversight. Finally, I will be vigilant about filling vacancies on our county boards and commissions with qualified community members who can play a key role in bringing constituent voices into the policy making process.