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Less than two years after winning the Hollister mayoral race, Roxanne Stephens is seeking a seat on the San Benito County Board of Supervisors, challenging Supervisor Angela Curro for the District 4 seat. Curro was first elected in 2022.
The district covers the area south of Sunnyslope Road including Ridgemark, Tres Pinos and Paicines all the way to the southern county line.
To qualify, candidates must be U.S. citizens and registered voters in the district they seek to represent.
Angela Curro
Born and raised in Clackamas County, Oregon, Curro has more than three decades of experience in the public sector. She started her career in the Santa Clara County jail system before moving into elections, where she worked for nearly a decade in Santa Clara County, as well as San Francisco’s departments of elections. For nine years, she served as San Benito County’s assistant county clerk-recorder-registrar of voters until her retirement in 2020.
Why are you running for this seat, and what experiences have prepared you to represent District 4 on the Board of Supervisors?
I’m running because this job is about making sure county government works the way it’s supposed to for the people who live here. That means maintaining roads, keeping communities safe, managing taxpayer dollars responsibly, and making decisions that hold up over time.
I’ve spent my career in county government, including serving as an Election Official and now as your District 4 County Supervisor. That experience matters because this role requires understanding how the county actually operates, not just what people hope it can do.
Since taking office, I’ve worked to stabilize the County during a very difficult period. We faced a roughly $25 million budget deficit, and we addressed it by bringing on experienced executive management, improving financial oversight, increasing internal controls, reducing waste, and preserving core services while minimizing impacts to our workforce.
At the same time, we’ve delivered real progress, including infrastructure improvements like the completion of the Union Road Bridge, Union Road replacement funding, expanded public safety resources such as a full-time Sheriff’s Deputy for the San Benito River to address homeless encampments/illegal dumping, including funding to replace much needed Sheriff’s communications equipment, continued funding for senior services, and launching a 24/7 Mobile Crisis Unit to respond to mental health emergencies.
I’m running to continue that work and make sure the County is managed responsibly, transparently, and in a way that delivers real results for the people of District 4.
The current board majority has made tourism its primary economic development strategy. Do you support that focus, and what is your broader vision for bringing revenue to the county?
Tourism can help, but it’s not enough on its own.
Tourism can play a role in our local economy, but it cannot be our only strategy. It’s not stable enough on its own, and it doesn’t fully reflect the economic base of San Benito County. We must support our current businesses and future small businesses.
We need a more balanced approach that builds on what already exists here. That includes supporting agriculture, small businesses, and responsible commercial and light industrial development that creates steady, year-round jobs. It also means making sure we are using our land use policies and infrastructure investments in a way that supports long-term economic growth.
At the County level, our role is to create the conditions for that growth by maintaining infrastructure, ensuring predictable and efficient processes, and making responsible financial decisions. Economic development is not just about attracting visitors; it’s about building a stable revenue base that supports services over time, without increasing taxes on our residents.
My focus is on a practical, balanced strategy that strengthens the local economy without over-relying on any one sector, while preserving our rural history and community.
Roads are consistently a top concern for San Benito County residents. The county recently received nearly $20 million for roads. How would you prioritize that money, and what is your longer-term strategy for fixing county infrastructure?
People are right to be frustrated about the condition of our roads. This has been a long-standing issue, and funding alone has not always been translated into results.
The recent funding is important, but how we prioritize and deliver those projects matters just as much. My focus is on making sure the most unsafe roads are addressed first, addressing the high-traffic roads, projects are completed efficiently, and we improve oversight, so funds are actually turned into completed work.
Longer term, we need a more consistent and sustainable approach. That includes better planning, transparent procurement/bidding, clearer prioritization, and making sure we are leveraging state and federal funding whenever possible. It also means being honest with the public about what can be delivered and when.
Fixing our roads is not just about securing funding, it’s about execution and accountability. That’s where I’ve been focused and where I will continue to focus.
Now that, after months of negotiations, a fire contract is in place, what do you think comes next for long-term fire protection in unincorporated San Benito County?
The contract ensures coverage today, but we still need to plan for the future.
The current contract provides stability in the short term, but it’s not the end of the conversation.
What comes next is making sure we have a long-term, sustainable plan for fire protection and emergency response that reflects the realities of our county. That includes looking at how services are funded, how coverage is maintained across rural areas, and how we ensure we can recruit and retain the personnel needed to keep communities safe. All of this requires collaboration between jurisdictions that is productive for our residents’ safety.
Public safety services must be reliable not just today, but years from now. That requires careful planning, fiscal responsibility, and continued coordination with our fire partners.
My focus is on making sure we build a system that is stable, sustainable, and able to serve all parts of the county effectively over the long term.
What is the most overlooked need in District 4—particularly in the rural areas outside Hollister—that the board has not adequately addressed?
One of the most overlooked needs in District 4 is consistent access to basic services and infrastructure in our rural communities.
Many residents outside of Hollister deal with ongoing challenges related to road conditions, emergency response times, and access to services that people in more central areas take for granted. These issues don’t always get the same level of attention, but they have a real impact on daily life.
That includes basic road safety in rural South County, areas where people feel like they’re driving blind. We have to treat visibility and safer road conditions as a public safety priority, not just a maintenance issue.
We need to do a better job making sure rural communities are included in planning and investment decisions. That means prioritizing infrastructure improvements, ensuring public safety coverage is reliable, and maintaining regular communication with residents so their concerns are heard and addressed.
Good county government means serving the entire county, including District 4, not just the areas that are easiest to reach or most visible. That’s something I’ve been focused on, and it continues to remain a priority moving forward.
Roxanne Stephens
Stephens has lived in Hollister for more than 20 years. A social worker and independent consultant, she has served as Hollister mayor for the past two years.
Why are you running for this seat, and what specific experiences have prepared you to represent District 4 on the Board of Supervisors?
I entered the race for San Benito County Supervisor-District 4 because I am extremely concerned about the possibility of another pro-growth majority in the Board of Supervisors that will approve the 2,500 houses developers want to build along Fairview Road, Best Road, and Ridgemark. These proposed projects are a direct result of the previous pro-growth Board’s rush to approve a development along Fairview in November 2024, just before the new slow-growth majority took office in January 2025.
As Hollister Mayor, I experienced first-hand the problems that came from out-of-control growth, supported and approved by the previous council. Fortunately, with the new slow-growth majority, our current council was able to prevent the building of large housing subdivisions over 3000 acres of prime farmland.
The current board majority has made tourism its primary economic development strategy. Do you support that focus, and what is your broader vision for bringing revenue to the county?
Yes, absolutely! We have a national park, amazing wineries, a motorcycle park, and many other attractions. We can all agree that we are so fortunate to live in such a uniquely beautiful area. Our future should be about protecting our beautiful region against overdevelopment and tapping into these assets by encouraging tourists from around the world to experience what we experience every day.
In addition, our airport zone holds endless possibilities. Right now, 1500 acres of land are ready for commercial and industrial development, with vital infrastructure already in place. New businesses can open almost immediately, with minimal traffic impacts to our county.
Roads are consistently a top concern for San Benito County residents. The county recently received nearly $20 million for roads. How would you prioritize that money, and what is your longer-term strategy for fixing county infrastructure?
My slogan, “Our Community First”, is all about taking care of our current residents over developers! And roads are a majority priority for our community and for me!
I’m pleased to see that the county is in the process of fixing many of the major roads. As the next county supervisor, I will remain on that path and use the $20 million in grants wisely. “Our Community First” is about ensuring we avoid out-of-control growth and take care of our infrastructure, especially our roads.
Now that, after months of negotiations, a fire contract is in place, what do you think comes next for long-term fire protection in unincorporated San Benito County?
As a new Mayor, in early 2025, I successfully led a countywide fire contract that was nearing termination and would have ended fire service for county residents. I am proud to have worked with my Council and the current Board of Supervisors to put together a fair 5-year contract that protects all SBC residents.
However, the reality is that we need a countywide Fire Department that is independent of politics, so we never have to go through this again.
What is the most overlooked need in District 4—particularly in the rural areas outside Hollister—that the board has not adequately addressed?
First, District 4 is mainly rural. Therefore, we must hear from and respect the opinions of those residents living in the most remote areas.
Secondly, District 4 has experienced too much housing growth and with that, too much traffic and overburdened roads. Our residents deserve better.
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