Editor’s note: BenitoLink’s 2024 Primary Election coverage can be found below. Assembly District 29 candidates did not respond to BenitoLink’s questions. Lea este articulo en español aquí.
As the 2024 election cycle begins in San Benito County, three candidates are running for the Board of Supervisors District 1 seat: incumbent Dom Zanger and challengers Dustin Weber and Stacie A. McGrady.
District 1 is the northeast part of the county that includes most of the Fairview Road area and John Smith Road Landfill area to the north county line.
Stacie A. McGrady, 58, has been living in San Benito County for the last 24 years. She is a retired detective sergeant with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department and now works as a police academy instructor.
BenitoLink: Why are you running for office?
McGrady: Since entering early adulthood, I have been a highly motivated and involved community member. This continued after my family moved to San Benito County in 2000. Volunteerism and community engagement are core values, inspired by my 30 years in law enforcement service.
I have enjoyed the privilege of volunteering with San Benito County 4-H, as part of the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, on the Opioid Task Force, and the Community Food Bank. In July I completed my second term with the Civil Grand Jury, serving as the 2022-23 foreperson.
Through these wide-ranging and diverse opportunities, I have experienced firsthand the needs, the frustrations, and the roadblocks to success in our county. I am ready to continue my proven leadership skills as a member of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors.
At the time of Proposition 13 passing, San Benito County was self-sustaining and could have remained so if not for the uncontrolled growth and fiscal policies of the county’s leadership.
Today San Benito County has become a “bedroom community” without the needed sales and property tax base that come from balanced growth by including the commercial and industrial income sources that should have accompanied the residential expansion. The county lost its ability to fund the infrastructure needed to support residential growth, school recreation, public safety, and traffic mitigation. Failing to preserve what drew us here in the first place.
We are at a pivotal point where aggressive and innovative leadership can turn the tide of our deteriorating communities. We can do this together while preserving and growing the quality of life that only San Benito County can provide.
My career as a detective sergeant has given me the skills and experience to seek facts and evaluate evidence. I have the skillset to work with all segments of the community to transparently set a new path with just and equitable opportunities for all. My family settled in the Santa Clara County valley, working in the orchards, fields, and canneries. California is my home, and I am determined to stay here. With my vision, leadership, and the courage to tackle any issue, regardless of the challenges, I am the best person to bring positive changes to make San Benito County the very best place to live and thrive. I am respectfully requesting your support.
Which issues are most important to your district and, if elected, how do you intend to handle them?
Unfortunately, there are no issues that are unique to District 1 that do not affect everyone in the county. Increasing traffic, continuing deterioration of our roads, quality of our schools and parks and rising crime all contribute to the overall quality of life issues we encounter and are paramount to my role as District 1 Supervisor.
Well-intended tax measures to solve some of our most critical issues were ill advised and administered. A lack of leadership and foresight have seen these efforts fall well short of their goals.
This is where my leadership, along with the collaboration of my fellow board members and the entire community, will see to the creation of new and expanded economic development to fund these shortfalls. The continued pattern of going back to the well for more taxes, bonds and levies has got to end.
A critical issue facing our community members every day includes traffic and road conditions.
This is not only an infrastructure issue. It is about making future growth pay its share. Any future plans must include contributing to what we already have, as well as the demands generated by development. We need to rethink how we do business.
It is imperative that we address the lack of economic development. Opportunities for our young people to remain in the community, pursuing a career of their choice, are almost nonexistent.
This not only affects the families’ future, but the community as a whole in its ability to support itself, expanding quality jobs, shopping, dining, recreation, and quality of life for all of us.
Hazel Hawkins Hospital is one of six California hospitals on the verge of collapse. Nationally there are another 600 hospitals that are in similar fiscal distress. My personal evaluation has revealed that Hazel Hawkins has been mismanaged for years.
In 1990 a new CEO was brought in with the intention of closing the hospital. Once here, however, he was able to chart a new plan and turn the hospital around. Prior to leaving the hospital in 2000, he had created a $30 million nest egg. Within five years, the new CEO, CFO and management team had exhausted the hospital’s resources to only operating marginally. Recent labor and benefit programs, the pandemic and the recession, have further diminished any ability for the hospital to continue.
Hazel Hawkins Hospital has many assets including its facilities. Unfortunately, the newest sections of the hospital were built surrounding the original buildings of 1963. Those original portions of the hospital are no longer seismically compliant, making the construction of a new replacement facility, projected at $250 million to $300 million, as the only feasible option.
The commitment of our local doctors, nurses and support staff has shown the potential, with proper leadership, to restructure the hospital to become a destination medical facility to retain, claw back and draw in new business. A similar hospital in Grass Valley with a smaller and more remote community than Hollister, currently does over twice as much business as Hazel Hawkins Hospital. Between the county Joint Powers Authority, with the leadership of Hazel Hawkins and the efforts of a local doctor’s group to bring in a nationally recognized management group, our hospital has the clear potential of remaining locally owned and operated instead of being undersold to questionable out-of-town operators. I believe that with innovative and professional leadership, Hazel Hawkins has an amazing future.
What about your background makes you qualified to handle the issues facing District 1?
Through my education, training, and experience, I have developed over 30 years of problem-solving skills, using fundamentals based on empathy, inclusion, and social justice. Complex investigations require the ability to sift through mountains of conflicting information to determine conclusions, opportunities, and solutions. Involvement in local issues, including my two terms on the Civil Grand Jury, has afforded me in-depth analysis of the many issues we face today. With the information gained and understanding the process of just how government works, my experience is well beyond what the average community member has been exposed to. This provides a more wholistic understanding and the best preparation for me to fill the seat of District 1 supervisor.
I am not a career politician. Rather, I am a woman who has risen through the ranks of achievement with the necessary tools to be an effective and empathic leader.
The county is currently proposing a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) plan to save Hazel Hawkins. Do you think it is a viable long-term solution for providing health care in the county?
Over the course of the past year, I have taken the opportunity to attend many “grass-roots” meetings related to Hazel Hawkins Hospital. Through these events, I have had the opportunity to discuss many aspects of the hospital with current nurses, doctors, other staff members and the hospital board. These community meetings have been in addition to attending both Hollister City Council and San Benito County Board of Supervisor meetings on a regular basis.
In December I attended a presentation hosted by Ovation Healthcare, a hospital management group. Ovation expressed a clear interest in working with our hospital. Their expertise and resources would do much more than just salvage the hospital, instead bringing forward the vision to grow and thrive.
It appears to me that the JPA plan initiated by the county is a back-up in case other options are not viable. Having the county take over the hospital is not the best option, but it is important to plan for all possibilities.
The proposed landfill expansion is a highly contested issue in the county. What do you believe is causing it to be controversial? What are the best options for the county moving forward?
The John Smith Landfill expansion issue is highly controversial, and for good reason. People are afraid. Residents in the area, including Santana Ranch, have legitimate questions. Will the expansion project affect their home values? How will it affect their quality of life? Noise pollution, traffic, air and water quality, are all genuine concerns.
Having spent time at Santana Ranch and the surrounding neighborhoods, I have experienced the loud vehicles on the heavily traveled Fairview Road. Suggestions have been made to put the issue to a vote, and I believe that may be the best option.
Long commutes have been a growing issue. What are your plans to bring jobs into the county, and in what industries? How would you attract these industries?
Our county has a long history of being business unfriendly. In local government, there are many tools available to attract or recruit commercial and light industrial businesses to the area. China has long been known as the manufacturer of the world. COVID and supply chain issues have changed all of that. Our proximity to Silicon Valley allows us to be well positioned to support and develop commercial businesses coordinated with the needs of the high-tech industry. Agriculture is already a mainstay of our county. Local farmers and ranchers annually generate $400 million in agricultural goods that help support the economy. Investing in the agriculture industry, including teaching, training, and food safety, are critical growth areas. The future of agriculture technology is also a rapidly changing industry that will require innovation and development.
Finally, I find there are two types of people in the world. Those who say “no”, and those who say “yes”. I say “Yes, Let’s Try!”
Dustin Weber, 41, is an attorney and quality assurance director who has lived in San Benito County with his partner, Kendra Spencer, since July 2022.
BenitoLink: Why are you running for office?
Weber: I am running because I want to ensure folks have affordable and accessible local health care services, a safe community for themselves and their families, and ample opportunities to make a comfortable living and dignified retirement. I know my background and experience, working in blue-collar industries and serving this community for Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren can help folks get the results they deserve from their county government.
Which issues are most important to your district and, if elected, how do you intend to handle them?
The most important issues are: 1) roads and transportation infrastructure; 2) John Smith Road landfill expansion; 3) the future of Hazel Hawkins Hospital; 4) the nature and pace of residential and commercial development; and 5) revenue generation sufficient to meet the growing needs of county departments and community residents.
The roads and congestion in San Benito County are miserable. To improve our roads and transportation infrastructure, we need money, commitment, and collaboration. We must maximize all available state and federal dollars, stay connected at the local level, and actively collaborate with our regional, state, and federal partners to expedite these improvements.
Assuming I earn the privilege of serving District 1 beginning in 2025, and assuming the John Smith Road landfill expansion remains an unresolved issue, I will continue fully considering constituent feedback, the soundness of the deal for the county, the impacts on our environment, transit infrastructure, and quality of life. As supervisor, I would only support expansion if these issues were satisfied. Losing Hazel Hawkins would be painful. It is the county’s only full-service hospital. Every minute counts in a medical emergency. There are numerous possible solutions being evaluated. Any solution for Hazel Hawkins must maintain local access to critical medical care services and preserve quality jobs within the county.
San Benito County has a significant imbalance between housing stock and local job opportunities. We should be purposeful about encouraging job growth that fits our community. Located between Silicon Valley and Salinas Valley, we should pursue industries like agriculture technology to grow the base of good-paying local jobs.
Revenue generation is essential to ensuring a healthy, thriving community and functional county government. Industry and job growth will help bring in more revenue that we can use for improving infrastructure and services, getting help to county departments, enhancing public safety, and bettering quality of life. More local jobs mean fewer cars commuting in and out of the county each day, which will result in less congestion and more time to enjoy life.
What about your background makes you qualified to handle the issues facing District 1?
Like so many others, I was born into a family with modest means. My dad started as a truck driver and my mom was a department store employee. We sometimes struggled to make ends meet.
I was diagnosed as a Type-1 diabetic in elementary school. This diagnosis was a defining moment in my life. Health care issues have always been more than policy issues to me. They are personal.
While my parents worked hard to provide a good life for us, these early experiences made me understand the challenges families face trying to achieve the American dream. I also realized the importance of leaders who understood the personal impacts of public policy.
I earned a political science degree at California State University, East Bay, and a law degree from Santa Clara University Law School. In between, I gained years of experience in the commercial coffee industry and an opportunity to serve as a congressional aide to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, our community’s current member of Congress. I currently work in the coffee industry as a legal advisor and quality assurance director.
Working for Congresswoman Lofgren gave me the opportunity to work on issues impacting folks’ lives in our community, including veterans, seniors, immigration, housing, transportation, social security, taxes, and health care, among others. I also led the office’s Service Academies program. This involved a months-long effort each year to select the most qualified young people to receive congressional nominations to our country’s military academies.
My background and experience taught me that resolving complex issues requires determined effort, focused leadership, consistent communication, and good-faith cooperation. I will leverage my work history, government networks, and leadership experience to be an effective District 1 county supervisor.
The county is currently proposing a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) plan to save Hazel Hawkins. Do you think it is a viable long-term solution for providing health care in the county?
My preference would be a solution for Hazel Hawkins that keeps it in the public’s hands, which a JPA would do, but the details of the JPA will be significant in determining whether it is a viable long-term solution for Hazel Hawkins. Well-functioning JPA boards can bring more efficiency, improve coordination of services, leverage stakeholder expertise, reduce redundancies, and capitalize on pooled resources. Applied to Hazel Hawkins, this could potentially mean reduced administrative overhead, more efficient use of existing resources, a stronger position at the negotiating table with insurance providers, and a broader patient base.
JPAs also allow for the ability to sell bonds to raise capital. A JPA for Hazel Hawkins likely would have to emerge from bankruptcy and carefully evaluate existing long-term financial commitments, like pension obligations, before exercising its bond authority. Additionally, a JPA board that is not universally committed to its goals can result in ineffectiveness, increased costs, and greater burdens on the taxpayer. This is an outcome we cannot afford.
A JPA may be a viable, long-term solution for Hazel Hawkins, but knowing and understanding the details are essential.
The proposed landfill expansion is a highly contested issue in the county. What do you believe is causing it to be controversial? What are the best options for the county moving forward?
The proposed landfill expansion is a controversial issue because few, if any, want giant piles of trash in their community’s backyard. My partner and I live near the existing landfill. I understand where folks are coming from who have expressed skepticism and opposition toward the landfill expansion.
The significant drawbacks to expansion must be weighed against the benefits, which we know is revenue for the county. Of course, revenue is essential to maintain and expand county services and operations. It is important to explore ways to generate revenue without raising taxes.
The ideal option would be an alternative that keeps costs under control over the long-term, limits liabilities to the county, protects the environment, and generates revenue. Absent this type of possibility, we will need to explore an option that does the most to minimize environmental, transportation, and quality-of-life issues associated with the expansion, while maximizing benefits to the county.
For elected officials, constituent feedback is paramount. An expansion four to five times the size of the existing footprint is an enormous commitment. It demands we exhaust the feasibility of the alternatives, address all community feedback, and be clear-eyed and transparent about the impacts of the expansion. I am not sure the county has reached this point yet.
Long commutes have been a growing issue. What are your plans to bring jobs into the county, and in what industries? How would you attract these industries?
We should pursue industries that fit the community and bring good-paying jobs to the county. One industry I see as a natural fit for our community is agriculture technology. Others could include industries focused on advancing energy resilience and emerging vehicle technologies.
I will utilize my networks in government and industry to establish the best fits and pursue the best options, including capturing as much available federal and state funding as possible. I will collaborate with local stakeholders and learn from regional success stories.
We have an educated, diverse, and flexible workforce. We are ideally located and I am confident we will find the right partners because we have a ton to offer in San Benito County.
Dom Zanger, 28, is a San Benito County native who has lived in the county for the majority of his life. He was elected District 1 supervisor in 2022.
BenitoLink: Why are you running for office?
Zanger: I ran for office in 2022 and the voters chose me to represent them and to lead our county to a better future. I’m running for re-election because I am eager to continue the work I have started toward that better future. I’m incredibly pleased and motivated with the progress I have been able to make in my short stint thus far in office. I have successfully prevented new subdivisions along the Fairview corridor, allocated more funding towards our roads, dramatically cracked down on illegal dumping, invested in new public safety equipment, started the process to create lasting farmland preservation rules, and more. With just over a year in office, I can proudly say the direction that I am leading our county and the changes I will continue making will revive our community. I have nothing but energy and dedication to persist with this work and get our county on the right track.
Which issues are most important to your district and, if elected, how do you intend to handle them?
The issues most important to the residents of District 1 are the growth and the roads, and in a way these two issues are necessarily linked, since more houses means more cars on the roads which means more road deterioration. The landfill is also very important to District 1 voters but it will be covered in a separate question.
Firstly to address growth, I can proudly say that I have voted against all subdivision proposals that have come before me since becoming a supervisor. This has prevented hundreds of more houses from being built along the Fairview corridor and other areas of the county. Additionally, I have been pushing for a General Plan amendment, which we are currently in the process of initiating. This will bring about major changes towards the preservation of farmland and the prevention of sprawl development.
Our roads are in terrible shape and it’s a shame that they weren’t fixed years ago. However, I am doing everything I can to rectify this and get our roads back to a reasonable condition. The county has allocated $28 million for road reconstruction projects, which include many north county roads. On top of that, I have supported expanding our road crews and designating more funding to address the potholes. I will continue to advocate for more funding for our District 1 roads at every opportunity. Another angle I’m working on as far as ongoing road upkeep is raising our road standard, which triggers higher impact fees for new development. This means developers would be paying more towards our road maintenance.
What about your background makes you qualified to handle the issues facing District 1?
As your current District 1 supervisor I have firsthand perspective on the challenges facing our district. This firsthand experience has granted me a keen understanding of everything from roads to landfills, to housing policy and much more. Good ideas plus the knowledge of the inner workings of these complex issues are two components that are required to be a successful supervisor.
It’s also worth noting that I grew up in District 1. My family has farmed in District 1 for generations. I know the people, the history, the issues, and as such, I’m equipped to find solutions to these issues without wasting taxpayer dollars. I care about District 1 and I care about each of the residents that live here, which is why I try constantly to hear from them about the problems they are facing, as well as reach out to them to keep them informed as to what solutions I’m working on. Doing this job for the last year has made it clear that the mportance of communication to the residents cannot be overstated. And although it’s important it’s also something that has been lacking from our local government officials. I’ve been attempting to change this, and holding a communication degree from UC-Santa Barbara has proved an invaluable asset to being a successful supervisor.
The county is currently proposing a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) plan to save Hazel Hawkins. Do you think it is a viable long-term solution for providing health care in the county?
When the hospital’s financial problems first surfaced, I, like most everyone in this county, wanted to save our hospital. I was focused on keeping the hospital open while balancing the importance of making good decisions with taxpayer dollars. I voted against and prevented the county from giving a $10 million bailout to the hospital. This has since proven to be the correct decision as the $10 million would have only given a short runway to the hospital and failed to provide a lasting solution. After the county hired a specialized consultant with a track record of success in this sphere, it became abundantly clear that the most viable solution for providing health care in the county is to find Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital a mutually benefitting partner. The JPA will drive collaboration, financial support, strategic direction of the hospital, and maintain locally controlled healthcare. This is the right step moving forward towards finding that partner and guaranteeing the hospital’s solvency into the future.
The proposed landfill expansion is a highly contested issue in the county. What do you believe is causing it to be controversial? What are the best options for the county moving forward?
To stay in accordance with the Brown Act, I want to say at the outset that I’m reserving my final judgment and decision on this item until it comes before the Board of Supervisors. That being said, from what I understand, the proposed landfill expansion presents a myriad of different issues and consequences. Beyond all the practical consequences that need to be discussed, like how little income is generated, the damage that will be done to our roads, environmental concerns, etc., there is an argument to be made that the landfill expansion is, in and of itself, an issue. The folks living in San Benito generally do not like the idea of other counties dumping their trash here (especially not for a lower rate than locals, which is what is currently happening). Does San Benito County want to be the trash can of the Bay Area? Do we want to be known for how big our mountain of trash is? These questions need to be considered as we decide what direction we want to take San Benito County. This is why this is proving to be such a controversial issue. Because the residents, when they learn the ins and outs of the proposed expansion, are rightfully concerned about this dramatic and permanent change.
Long commutes have been a growing issue. What are your plans to bring jobs into the county, and in what industries? How would you attract these industries?
The commute times we face are absolutely unacceptable. Unacceptable but not unexpected if you’ve been paying attention for the last several years. The rapid residential growth we have been experiencing is all but to blame for the commute times our residents face. Everytime new houses go up we can expect more cars on Hwy 25. This is just another reason the growth is completely unsustainable and needs to be continually checked.
We have all these houses and not enough businesses. One way to address the lack of jobs is to alter county zoning. I have been advocating for more mixed use zoning, that is commercial/residential, as opposed to purely residential. Additionally we as local leaders can take an active role in bringing larger job creators to our county.
I have personally met with business owners in nearby counties in an attempt to court them to open up shop in San Benito. For instance, there is a bio-agriculture company in Gilroy that is doing cutting-edge stuff and is ready to expand their business. I met with the owner and spoke at length and am continuing to speak with them about the potential of expanding to San Benito County. This is the proactive approach that needs to be taken to bring more jobs to our county.
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