Quick Take
Susie O'Hara argues that her experience and ability to bring people together make her the best choice for a council seat.
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 a recent interview with journalist Ira Glass, former President Barack Obama reflected on the relationship between work and leadership. He suggested we can all be leaders, no matter our job, by having pride in our work, forging connections to those around us and building relationships with those we serve.
To me, being a leader for the city of Santa Cruz has always been wrapped up in those possibilities.
It was with a deep sense of purpose that, as a Santa Cruz city employee in 2013, I transitioned from a career in water engineering to work on our community’s public safety challenges. Our sense of safety is impacted by many different factors, from the prevalence of homelessness, crime, traffic congestion and jail overcrowding, to the economic and social disparities that have fractured our tight-knit community. While working on public safety, I learned that none of these issues can be solved without forging connections and building relationships.
In 2014, I was asked by the late district attorney, Bob Lee, to build and manage a new program intended to reduce the impacts of downtown nuisance crime. He assigned his chief deputy, Jeff Rosell, to be my partner and wanted us to start immediately. I was daunted and out of my area of expertise, but knew I had to start by building trust and working to understand the many complex layers of our local criminal justice system.
I pushed back and said we’d kick off the program in six weeks, when we were ready. To their credit, Bob and Jeff allowed me to take the time to build a team and plan. Together, our team of outreach workers, city attorneys, police officers, public defenders, prosecutors, probation officers, housing case managers and a Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge set out to connect with no fewer than 100 downtown repeat offenders, offer them an alternative to jail time through substance use disorder treatment and keep a close eye on their progress.
What was supposed to be an eight-month pilot turned into an award-winning program that received national recognition, reduced recidivism by 80% and transformed the lives of many of our clients. Connections, relationships and pride of work were the foundation of our success.
I’m running for Santa Cruz City Council to solve our ongoing challenges by deepening connections, building relationships and working hard together. We have tough challenges to tackle – from strengthening our homelessness response, to building housing to meet our diverse needs, to bolstering our natural resources and infrastructure against climate change.
To do this work well, our city council leadership must take the time to learn and plan, assemble teams that don’t usually work together, and keep a close eye on progress. I’m committed to leading with these values as my compass and, although still a bit daunted, will bring a joy and purpose to my work on the council that will make us all proud to be Santa Cruz community members.
Susie O’Hara’s campaign site is here.