Quick Take
The Lookout Editorial Board endorses Measure V, which would expand eligibility to serve on commissions and boards to all Watsonville residents, regardless of voting status. The board sees this as a vote for diversity, inclusion and part of the wave of the future for California cities and counties.
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.
Watsonville is a hard-working, tightly-knit community with a history that tells the story of California. Its agricultural bounty, diverse population, natural beauty and thriving arts scene make it a destination to watch, a place that for too long has lived in the shadow of its trendy neighbor, the city of Santa Cruz.
People in Watsonville know each other. They know who to call in an emergency and how to band together to help – as residents and community leaders did during COVID-19, when the city didn’t receive enough needed supplies of protective gear or vaccines and a makeshift group banded together to “figure it out.”
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We heard this story during a recent Lookout Listens session with Watsonville community leaders, where Lookout introduced its new South County reporter, Tania Ortiz. The meeting reinforced for us the connectivity, closeness and sense of underdog pride that defines this city of 50,000, which is 82.6% Latino or Hispanic.
That’s why Measure V makes sense. Currently, only registered voters can serve on city commissions and boards. This excludes about 22% of the population, including hard-working, smart-thinking folks, many of them business owners, parents of school-aged kids and taxpayers with the lived experience and community connections city leaders need to understand and govern well.
We agree this should change and that is what Measure V does. It expands eligibility to serve on commissions and boards to all Watsonville residents, regardless of voting status. We support a yes vote.
We think voting yes will increase diversity on board positions, something we should all want. Reports commissioned by the city and county of Santa Cruz in 2021 found that Latinos, renters, those under 25 and those without a college degree were underrepresented on the county’s 43 advisory bodies and commissions. It’s time to work to change that and this is an excellent step.
Those against V – including city councilmembers Ari Parker and Casey Clark – say expanding the pool of possible board and commission members would dilute voter control and voices. They say boards and commissions make monetary choices and positions should be held only by those with electoral interest and power, people who have a proven interest in civic engagement. We hear them, but we also disagree.
The city council, comprised of seven elected representatives, including Parker and Clark, will appoint all board and commission members – and will retain removal power – so an inherent selection and vetting process exists. People know each other in Watsonville. They know who to trust to add to Watsonville’s four boards and commissions (planning, personnel, parks and recreation and the board of library trustees).
Yes, these folks could attend meetings as members of the public, but their voices gain authority and power when they are appointed board or commission members. We think the shift could inspire more civic engagement in communities that have always felt voiceless.
Watsonville would not be the first to expand eligibility on boards and commissions. The state and Santa Cruz County and most charter cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland, already have a proven track record of doing this.
Opponents argue that it will be too hard to figure out who is actually a Watsonville resident and that nonresident outsiders could sneak into a position of power. Again, we trust in three processes – the integrity of city councilmembers, the power of the press (our reporters will be covering this) and the knowledge of involved citizens in such a tightly knit community to serve as a watchdog.
We think V is inclusive and much-needed and will help Watsonville benefit from an additional 22% of the community’s untapped richness. We support a yes vote.