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Following a heated discussion at the April 8 San Benito County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisors Mindy Sotelo and Angela Curro stepped down from the Public Defender Oversight Committee, which is responsible for making sure individuals navigating the justice system have legal representation. They quit immediately after the board majority rejected their chosen nominees for that committee.
Sotelo said the refusal to accept their nominees was “disrespectful,” and pointed out that the move by Supervisors Dom Zanger, Ignacio Velasquez and Kollin Kosmicki was unusual, as supervisors typically respect each other’s selections for the committees they represent.
Earlier in the meeting, the board unanimously approved the nominees for the former Economic Advisory Committee—which was renamed Tourism Advisory Committee in January by the three supervisors despite opposition from Sotelo and Curro.
“I did not question who you have chosen to put on your Tourism Advisory Committee,” Sotelo told Zanger and Kosmicki, “because I trust that you are the committee members that are sitting on there. Even if I disagree with all the things that have happened with that committee, I respect you two are the representatives on that committee now, and I will not get in the way.”
The dispute arose when Zanger opposed three of the nominations to the Public Defender Oversight Committee. The committee consists of 13 members, including county and city officials, as well as members of the community. As the two supervisors assigned to the committee, Sotelo and Curro were responsible for appointing six of its members through an open selection process. The remaining seats are filled automatically by county officials from law enforcement agencies including the Probation Administration, the Sheriff’s Office, and the San Benito County Superior Court.
After an application process that drew 14 candidates, Sotelo and Curro selected Jeanette Garcia Neal of Youth Alliance and Irma Gonzalez of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) as representatives of community-based organizations; Michael Salinas of Youth Recovery, and former supervisor Bea Gonzalez as the community-at-large members; Hollister Police Chief Carlos Reynoso to represent the City of Hollister; and director of Health and Human Services Tracey Belton as the Social Services representative.
Sotelo and Curro said their selections were informed by input from community members who attended the committee’s public meetings. Sotelo noted that the decision to appoint Salinas—who was formerly incarcerated—reflected the will of the public. “There was this real desire to have someone on the committee who had lived experience, had been part of the system and had been represented by a public defender,” she said.
Zanger said he had a “different opinion than the recommendation.” He proposed replacing three of Sotelo and Curro’s nominees with his own: former Hollister School District employee Bianca Esparza instead of Salinas; Executive Director of Transcend Educational Services Chris Henriques instead of Irma Gonzalez; and Daniel Boyle, CFO Stevens Creek Quarry construction supply company instead of Bea Gonzalez.
Velazquez and Kosmicki backed Zanger’s nominations. Velazquez said he had “an issue” and could not support Salinas, Bea Gonzalez and Irma Gonzalez. Kosmicki said he wanted to “see some new voices on this matter.”
None of the three supervisors explained why they rejected those specific nominees. BenitoLink reached out to Zanger for clarification, and he declined to comment.
Sotelo said she was “troubled” by the message the board majority was sending to the community. “If you’re not going to respect and trust us, and you’re not going to consider what we are doing, you are wasting our time,” she said. “Maybe there are two others from this board that want to sit and represent that committee, because it is evident you have no desire to listen or respect what I have to say.”
She then urged the board majority to reconsider who should be part of the Public Defender Oversight Committee. Curro echoed her statement, calling the majority’s actions a “disrespect.”
The Board of Supervisors will choose the new members of the Public Defender Oversight Committee at a future meeting.
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