OPINION: It’s time for our community to become one

During the past several months, San Benito County has been inundated with controversy. The community has discussed, debated, and disputed local issues such as the 400 Block, growth, roads, schools, cannabis cultivation, infrastructure, and new businesses and amenities. As an elected official of this community, I have been tasked to help find solutions to these issues, and it is not an easy endeavor.

As residents of San Benito County, we all have common goals for our community. However, as individuals we often have different ideas on how we can best reach these goals. It is important to remember that bickering and ridicule are not conducive to achievement. Active listening, thoughtful input, and compromise are a more reasonable and effective course.

Whether you were born and raised in Hollister or you moved here from the Bay Area yesterday, we all reside in this community and have an equal voice on our future. The city, county, water districts, and school districts need to align together as one rather than see themselves as independent from each other. It’s imperative we start planning for the future, and we need to realize time and money aren’t on our side. How do we add schools to take care of the growing population? How do we fix our eroding roads? How do we widen highways 25, 156, and 152? How do we attract businesses to relocate to our community? How do we lobby our state and federal representatives to help?

I realize that I can’t possibly resolve these issues by myself. I need help from all of our elected officials, residents, and local business owners. During the next several months, I will be asking different people from the water districts, school districts, city, county, federal, state and local residents to participate in study sessions to help solve these issues. By focusing our time and energy and coming together as a community, we can work as one and succeed!

Thank you for your support,