A Lookout View: Manu Koenig for District 1 county supervisor

Editor’s note: A Lookout View is the opinion of our Community Voices opinion section, written by our editorial board, which consists of Community Voices Editor Jody K. Biehl and Lookout Founder Ken Doctor. Our goal is to connect the dots we see in the news and offer a bigger-picture view — all intended to see Santa Cruz County meet the challenges of the day and to shine a light on issues we believe must be on the public agenda. These views are distinct and independent from the work of our newsroom and its reporting.

Here’s the good news about the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors races: We have a slew of excellent, energetic candidates eager to enact change.

The bad news is our state is facing a budget deficit projected at more than $70 billion, which means less money for counties, so whoever wins will have to do more with less. We’ve also seen much of the board’s veteran leadership exit in recent years, leaving questions about who will emerge as our strongest voices and what direction they will take our community. 

The county budget hovers around $1.1 billion, which sounds like a lot until you realize all the services and funding needed to run our community. Think roads and parks, child care and mental health services, 911 operations, the public defender, libraries and more. Throw in the uncertainty of climate change and the unexpected recent costs of wildfires, storms and flooding, and it becomes hard to imagine how we totter along.

Our county executive, Carlos Palacios, calls our community “systemically underfunded,” which points to a need for leaders with creative ideas on how to get us the services we want and need. We also need supervisors who show leadership, who are unafraid to fight for what they believe and who have a history that shows they may respond smartly to the unexpected challenges of the next four years. 

In this primary election, if no candidate receives 50% +1 of the votes, the top two challengers go onto the Nov. 5 general election. That’s why, in Districts 5 and 2, which have four and five candidates running, respectively, we are endorsing two candidates. 

At Lookout, we regularly hear community complaints that the board is not innovative or active enough. That there are not enough voices in the room pushing for change, asking hard questions.

We agree. 

District 1

The District 1 supervisor race is a prime example of why we set up our criteria for recommending candidates. We look at record, experience, judgment and if the candidate is the right person for the moment. 

In this race, our choice is Manu Koenig, the incumbent. 

Let us explain. If reelected, Koenig will be the most senior member of the board, with four years of experience. The departures of District 5 Supervisor Bruce McPherson and District 2 Supervisor Zach Friend leave a void in political know-how, state and national connections and historical knowledge. Koenig, who shows a desire to lead and who might have broader political aspirations, could emerge as a board anchor. He’s shown an independent streak we admire. 

Koenig came into office three years ago with swagger and big promises. He unseated the favored incumbent John Leopold, who had held office for 12 years by running on a bold platform of housing and transportation reform (particularly the rail trail/Measure D issue) and the need for generational change. The campaign was personal and bruising. But making promises as a challenger and enacting them as an elected leader are different. 

We think Koenig’s time on the board has matured him politically and taught him to negotiate, compromise and work the system. In our endorsement meetings, he told us he learned that you can implement as many new programs as you want, but if you can’t get the county staff to implement them, they are worthless. 

Koenig’s record is solid. He has pushed hard for innovative housing solutions, including streamlining permitting processes and building both accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and tiny homes. District 1 is almost entirely in the county’s unincorporated area and a likely site for some of the planned 4,364 units of state-ordered affordable housing. Koenig has shown a willingness to embrace such building in his district. He’s also worked hard on transportation, particularly in implementing free ridership on Santa Cruz Metro for youth (Youth Cruz Free program).  

We are routinely impressed with Koenig’s factual knowledge, understanding of issues and quick wit. He is a hard worker who has put in time getting to know his district, studying the issues and reaching out to his constituents. He holds regular town halls throughout the district and he sends out a newsletter before each meeting highlighting upcoming votes. His challenger, Lani Faulkner, a transportation advocate who looks to be an emerging community leader, insists he is disconnected and aloof. She says she got into the race because community members want someone who listens more. 

We hear her, and we hope Koenig does, too. He should be mindful of this critique – and of the slew of endorsements Faulkner has received. 

Judgment is a key trait we look for in a leader. Koenig came out on the “wrong” side of the Measure D vote, which damaged him politically. That misreading of public sentiment – as 73% of the public voted down the initiative – continues to reverberate today. Yet, Koenig has shown grace and flexibility in accepting the vote and admitting he misread the moment. We like that sort of learning curve in a leader and Koenig should show that side of himself more often. He still expresses doubt about the feasibility of rail, but he has worked admirably to get state funding to support it. 

We also think he showed leadership and humility when dealing with tough situations, including Soquel constituents’ frustration about the Project Homekey development on Park Avenue in March 2022 and residents’ opposition to the Portola Drive pop-up bike lane in June 2021, just a few months into his first term. He readily admits residents needed more time and meetings to understand both programs. 

Faulkner has run a campaign of attack, a classic move against an incumbent and a strategy Koenig employed successfully against Leopold. In our forum, she came out swinging against him, even in her 60-second introduction. 

Faulkner made her name in her opposition to Measure D and has a warm, approachable manner and talks more about inclusivity and community than Koenig. She told us her current critiques – aside from Measure D –  are less about policy than personality. Not what Koenig does, but how he does it. She believes he puts energy only into projects he thinks are important. 

Again, we think she raises valid points, but not enough to disqualify an incumbent who has proved himself effective and innovative, especially given her policy proposals are less thought-out than Koenig’s.

Faulkner bills herself as a bridge-builder, but in our forum, she could not name a time when she brought people of differing opinions together to create consensus. We know public forums are often intimidating and some candidates don’t perform well under pressure. It’s possible she froze in the moment. Still, we found her inability to cite a single instance disappointing. 

We think Faulkner is a politician to watch, but we also found her answers at both our forum and our in-person meeting about policy and the budget vague. This is understandable (and arguably a good political tactic) for a newcomer. But it worries us, given the loss of institutional leadership our community faces. 

She would need time to learn, whereas Koenig is a veteran. 

Koenig, we feel, is the right candidate for the moment. He has the experience, record mastery of facts and ability to learn from mistakes we look to in a leader. 

More on the District 1 race

Watch video from Lookout’s Feb. 5 candidate forum featuring Manu Koenig and Lani Faulkner: