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You may recall my Community Opinion piece of April 20, 2022 that I wrote in Benito Link after the Candidates Forum: “Do county supervisor candidates understand the job description?”
Based on one campaign mailer I’ve seen recently, I’m concerned that those comments may still be relevant.
Each County supervisor is one of the three votes necessary to do something positive or stop something stupid. [The Board has 5 supervisors, so a “majority” equals 3 votes] No one individual can promise “I will do such and such in San Benito County” on their own – they will need two additional supervisors to vote with them.
“Proven Leadership” – Does the County Supervisor candidate demonstrate that they grasp who has the power to make decisions on which policies, and how projects/programs are funded and implemented?
For example, let’s unpack a campaign statement on an election mailer that says the candidate “supports slow growth,” “not involved in approving single-family housing,” or “priority to preserve farmland.”
What is the legal document that describes the County’s approved land use map with housing and agriculture locations and transportation network?
Answer: The General Plan, adopted by the County Board of Supervisors (at least 3 of the 5 votes) after full environmental impact analysis. The General Plan is usually updated every 7 to 10 years, at great expense, with numerous public hearings. It can be amended and sections replaced, after great effort, but no one Supervisor can say that they did or could “slow down growth (homebuilding) and limit bad traffic” in the County if it’s permitted by the General Plan. Much of the homebuilding you see today was approved years and years ago, such as the Santana Ranch Specific Plan in 2010.
When and where do supervisors work? On second and fourth Tuesdays, the Board of Supervisors meet in downtown Hollister from 9 am to 5 pm. Ideally they prepare for meetings by reading the agenda packet provided by the Clerk of the Board (thousands of pages, also posted online for community members to read at Meetings & Agendas | San Benito County, CA (cosb.us). Appointments to Local Boards and Commissions: Each supervisor is empowered to appoint persons living in their district to represent them on County boards, commissions, and committees. Examples include the Planning Commission, Community Action Board, First Five San Benito, and Mental Health Board. The clerk of the Board of Supervisors maintains the full list here. (cosb.us)
Involvement in Committees and Regional Organizations: San Benito County is a member of Countywide governmental organizations such as the San Benito County Council of Governments (COG) which operates the County Express transit service. Typically these also include representatives of the City Councils of Hollister and San Juan Bautista (SJB).
The County Supervisors take turns participating in bi-county or tri-county organizations with Santa Cruz County and/or Monterey County, such as the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, AMBAG. It’s critical to have a hard-working savvy representative involved in these organizations, because they are often where high-impact decisions are made about allocation of resources ($$$) cooperative solutions to problems. Examples include: services for seniors, electric power providers, and air pollution control.
Competent participation in these meetings involves review of the agenda packets, reading inches-thick draft plans and studies, and travel to the other counties for meetings. Cordial working relationships with other elected officials is important for allies to join in voting in San Benito County’s best interests. The 2023 list of Supervisor assignments to committees can be viewed at 638138785519800000 (cosb.us).
John Freeman, City Councilman of SJB, was so well thought of by his peers on the Board of Directors of AMBAG that they voted him to the Executive Committee and President for the year 2023. He could become a County Supervisor next term already knowledgeable about regional issues with a good rapport among the power players.
Willingness to Speak in Sacramento: I heard that Reb Monaco was the first County Supervisor to grasp the importance of leaving the County to travel to Sacramento and tell state government to please fund essential projects that we need. Despite the talents of State Senator Anna Caballero, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, and their staffs, sometimes state officials and/or staff need to hear directly from us in person – not by email or letter. [Let us not forget that former Hollister City Councilman Doug Emerson is why we have a homeless shelter today – Doug made 8 trips back and forth to Sacramento to argue for the grant funding.]
PS My understanding of the Supervisors’ job is from working in county and city government in five states since 1977, resident of Hollister since 2001, and city manager of San Juan Bautista 2006-7.