Two months after I took office in January 2023, the community of Pajaro flooded. Three thousand people were evacuated and millions of dollars in damages occurred. While I participated in distributing state and federal aid, it was the long-term commitment that rebuilt the community. 

• California provided $20 million in aid overseen by the Department of Emergency Management. Instead of the Board of Supervisors approving the disbursement of those funds after a couple of public hearings, approximately a dozen townhall-style meetings were held to gather public input. During the last meeting, the community voted on its preferences. This was an unprecedented involvement at the local level on community involvement and direction. It was one of the most robust community-engagement processes our County has ever undertaken. 

• In total, nearly $50 million in local, state and federal support has flowed into the recovery efforts.

The catastrophic fire on January 16, 2025, shocked everyone. It was the largest battery energy storage system (BESS) fire in the world. No one anywhere has experienced an industrial accident of this type and magnitude. This happened in an environmentally sensitive area with a large population. 

• Without anything to use as a comparison for this fire, all have been forced to endure unknowns and questions without answers. We are setting the precedent for other communities that will face events like this in the future, but that is little comfort for what our communities have encountered. 

• In the aftermath of the fire, I focused on transparency, environmental safety and health concerns. 

• While the full impact of this fire remains unknown, I will continue to fight for our right to know the full facts, including the cause of this fire which remains unknown and by calling out the failures of industry and government. 

• The cleanup continues and should be completed later this year.

• A local ordinance regulating BESS facilities is planned to be finalized by the end of this year even though BESS facilities are under the authority of the State and future operations anywhere in the county can bypass any local laws by seeking approval from the State.​

For the first time in decades, the County has a plan to address our degraded roads with tens of millions of additional dollars allocated. In my first year, I led the effort to redirect millions toward repairing our neglected County roads. 

• Today, we are seeing tangible results with paving at Paradise Road, Elkhorn Road, and streets in Castroville, Aromas and Pajaro, with more on the way. 

• In this year alone, my efforts have led to an additional $20 million in work for the county’s 1,263 miles of county-maintained roads. 

• It will take years to fix the lack of repairs that have impacted our roads, but we are moving forward with substantial improvements annually.​

As the State mandates a sustainable water future, no issue will be more important in the next few years than water. I have supported fairness for all water users, particularly those on small water systems. 

• When the state required that all wells be registered and a proposal to require an annual fee of $300 for all well owners be implemented, I pushed back. The fee has been suspended, and I will continue to work that it is not applied to the smallest water users. 

• Demand management, another name for water rationing, will soon be a topic. If it is applied, it must be applied fairly and equally. 

• Also looming is a $1 billion brackish water project to halt seawater intrusion, and I have grave concerns about how we will pay for that. 

• I am committed to safe but affordable water.​

I have supported affordable housing whenever possible, focusing on the unforeseen costs that government imposes and the need to build smaller, more affordable homes. 

• I was very supportive of the newly approved ADU construction for the Coastal Zone. 

• One of the challenges to affordable housing is that Monterey County currently requires that a centralized water treatment facility be added to water systems that have contaminated water before additional housing can be built. This effectively stops the building of a home unless a centralized water plant also occurs with the house construction. I introduced an alternative to centralized treatment that is more affordable by allowing much cheaper, but just as effective treatment systems for each home called point-of-entry or point-of-use (POE/POU) treatment systems. I am expecting action on this proposal this year. 

• My goal in a second term is to modernize outdated County building ordinances so smaller homes can become more affordable.​

The number of Sheriff deputies on patrol are inadequate. Every budget year, I have sought to add more. 

• I sought to add five patrol deputies to last year’s budget but could only gather enough Board support for three. I will continue to push for more every budget cycle. 

• More resources are also needed for services like vehicle abatement, illegal parking and support for other county agencies.

• A large portion of our public safety dollars are legally required at the Monterey County Jail because of a 2015 court ruling that Monterey County violates the rights of the people it incarcerates. As part of the Hernandez settlement, the County must spend millions on upgrading its facilities and procedures. For years, efforts to resolve Hernandez were minimal. I am supportive and optimistic that in the next few years, the County will be released from its requirements, and those millions of taxpayer dollars will be spent to protect our communities.​

The County and City of Salinas jointly operate Hitchcock Road Animal Services, which has been underfunded for years. 

• As a member of that Board for the last three years, I have been able to add animal control officers, technicians and more resources. For the first time in years, it is actively expanding to meet the needs of the communities it serves. 

• I have also strongly supported programs for spay/neuter services, especially in communities where people may lack access and resources for these services. 

• The county currently allows the keeping of up to 499 roosters, which contributes to the problem of illegal cockfighting. I currently have an ordinance being considered to reduce the number of roosters to a much lower number and require those want to keep a higher number to prove that it is for a legitimate purpose, such as 4-H, bird shows, poultry operations and other legal pursuits.​

Monterey County has faced major fires every few years. These have often occurred in Big Sur, South County and Carmel Valley, but North County, with its dense oak and eucalyptus forests, is also at major risk. 

• I proposed a $1 million state-funded eucalyptus removal pilot program that successfully removed nearly 2,000 hazardous eucalyptuses around North County homes. 

• As our building code is reevaluated in the next few years, it also needs to be updated to be more fire-safety friendly.​

As I promised before I was elected, I have made sure you are kept informed of County government and how it affects you. 

• I’ve held approximately three dozen public meetings, often during contentious moments, because people deserve direct access to their elected officials. 

• I also share regular updates through social media and a monthly email newsletter that now reaches more than 1,200 subscribers, explaining decisions when they happen and before they are made.​

The landfill at Crazy Horse Road is not being reopened, but a transfer station to collect garbage and recyclables will likely open later this year. This will allow Salinas and North County residents access to a nearby and affordable facility to accept their household waste.

While an effective noise ordinance remains a work in progress, I was able to successfully lower the decibel level from the highest in the state at 85 decibels to 70 decibels. I will continue to push for an ordinance that is sensible, enforceable and as strong as the Board of Supervisors will approve.

We live in a beautiful area, but litter and illegal dumping take a toll, especially in some of the more remote and most scenic locations.

• Prior to my taking office, the fine for illegal dumping was $100, roughly the same as landfill fees. I introduced an ordinance to raise that fine up to $2,000 for a first offense and $10,000 for a third offense. 

• I have also advocated for a more widespread camera program to catch those engaged in illegal dumping. 

• Whenever possible, I have urged adding more county resources to clean up the trash on our roadways.​

I remain an ardent supporter of our parks and have backed addressing long neglected maintenance needs from North County parks to the lakes in South County. It is essential that our parks remain free, open and safe. Besides support for County parks, I have supported funding for community parks in Aromas and Pajaro.

As a member of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, I attend meetings at the Board Chambers nearly every Tuesday. Supervisors have more than that one meeting to attend. Each of us are on dozens of committees, boards and commissions. Below is a list of committees, commissions and boards for which I have served as a primary or alternate member over my first term.

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Monterey County Board of Supervisors Committees

• Budget

• Monterey Urban County

• Alternative Energy and Environment

• Equal Opportunity

• Economic Development

• Health, Housing, Human Services and Homelessness

• Legislative Committee

• Economic Development

• Board of Supervisors and Water Resources Agency Joint Board Leadership

• Measure AA

County Committees, Commissions and Boards

• Behavioral Health Commission

• Hitchcock Road Animal Services

• Arts Council for Monterey County

• Monterey County Parks Commission

• Emergency Communications Policy Advisory Committee

• Monterey One Water

• Salinas Valley Recycles

• Workforce Development Board

• Local Agency Formation Commission

• Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency

Regional Agencies

• Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments

• Monterey Bay Air Resources District

• Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency

• Pajaro River Watershed Flood Prevention Authority

State Agencies

• Golden State Connect Authority

• Golden State Financing Authority

• Rural County Representatives of California