Quick Take
Monica Martinez sees herself as a change agent. She believes Santa Cruz County needs leaders who show courage to shake up the system. She wants to lessen the red tape in our county’s bureaucracy to better attack climate-related disasters, income inequality, aging infrastructure and the rising cost of living.
Editor’s note: Lookout editors wanted to give you a chance to hear from candidates directly. But we also did not want them to simply repeat their campaign slogans. So we asked them a single question: “How will you provide the sort of leadership our community needs and how are you prepared to meet the moment as it arises?”
We gave them 500 words to answer. We hope their answers will provide one more outlet of information as you decide who to vote for on March 5.
In 2010, I moved to Santa Cruz County to become the new executive director at the Homeless Services Center, now Housing Matters. My background was in developing housing for homeless women in downtown Los Angeles, and I arrived with a vision to shift our local homeless services system away from temporarily sheltering people and toward permanently housing them. However, I quickly encountered resistance, often hearing the refrain: “But that’s not the way it’s always been done.”
I discovered that Santa Cruz County has a strong attachment to “the way things have always been done,” and this dated culture still permeates our county bureaucracy. Since then, I’ve been unwavering in my mission to challenge the status quo and bring positive change to our community. Over the years, I’ve played a pivotal role in achieving transformative outcomes in areas such as affordable housing, mental health, substance use treatment, early childhood education and criminal justice. Through this work, I’ve come to the firm belief that Santa Cruz County can achieve much more with leaders who possess courage, a hunger for change and a willingness to disrupt the established norms.
This conviction is the driving force behind my decision to run for Santa Cruz County supervisor.
The old ways of doing things are no longer effective for the residents of District 5 – and our whole county. The red tape in our county’s bureaucracy has left us unable to meet the challenges we face, such as climate-related disasters, income inequality, aging infrastructure and the rising cost of living. I am prepared to bring my experience as a change leader to tackle these issues and improve the lives of my neighbors.
Merely by becoming a candidate, I pose a challenge to the status quo.
If elected, I would make history as the first woman and person of color elected in District 5. I would also be the first openly LGBTQ+ supervisor in the county’s history.
However, my identity is not the primary differentiator; it is my track record as a transformational leader challenging some of our county’s most broken and unjust systems.
Yet, despite my reputation for disrupting the status quo, I have proudly garnered broad support from our county’s most longstanding and respected leaders. This support stems from my reputation as a trusted leader with integrity, professionalism and a collaborative spirit. While I might not come from the established power structure in Santa Cruz County, I know how to work with everyone to achieve our shared goals.
Let’s face it – our county’s failure to adapt to changing times has contributed to our lack of preparedness for natural disasters, housing shortages and unfulfilled infrastructure needs. Santa Cruz County needs a leader experienced in getting results, someone who believes that more is possible, and possesses the courage to lead change despite potential resistance. I am ready to be that leader and usher in a new era for our community.
Monica Martinez’s campaign site is here.