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The importance and vitality of road improvements was made evident during a Sept. 28 special meeting of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors. During discussions about the 2026-27 budget, a supervisor took notice of roads in her district that she said have not been prioritized despite being on prior project lists.
For this year’s budget, the total spending on roads and bridges will be $25.79 million. It will bring repairs and upgrades to numerous areas in the county.
But Supervisor Angela Curro noted some roads projects proposed by prior administrative staff that are no longer on the list were not completed.
Curro said the overlooked projects include New Idria Road, Wright Road and Buena Vista to San Felipe Road.
She asked about how to explain to the community why those road projects did not occur.
County Executive Officer Esperanza Colio Warren said that all staff members present their budgets, and projects in the budget are sometimes approved even when there is a deficit of funds.
“Something we don’t have is a false promise” about what projects can be done, she said, not wanting to make promises that are not going to be fulfilled.
Curro asked to create a board statement addressing why the county “overpromised and underperformed.” While she acknowledged the county is going to be giving some of its residents bad news as a result, she said there will be honesty involved.
Residents of South County, Curro said, “feel there will be severe washouts” as a result of the projected El Niño winter storms, which could lead to people being stranded. That, she added, will lead to a bigger impact than overpromising and underperforming.
“I’m getting calls” when constituents see their roads being left off budget/project lists, she said. While she said she understands the financial aspect of the issue, Curro said there should be a plan.
Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki took a different approach, not wanting there to be a “negative vibe” when discussing roads. He said the board was led down the wrong path about roads in the past and the frustration is understandable, but he said he did not want the issue to overshadow the plethora of road work projects that have been completed.
The county has done more road projects in a short period of time than “any other board that I know of in modern history,” he said.
Curro acknowledged Kosmicki’s comments, but reemphasized the need for a unified board statement, arguing it was not fair to promise certain projects and timelines only to not deliver upon them.
County Public Works Administrator Adolfo Gonzalez addressed the board’s comments and said he will return with budget adjustments, noting that some projects were erroneously omitted from the budget. Certain projects have been budgeted but were not listed and he said those will be reflected when he presents his adjustments.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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