Representatives from local seniors organizations are rallying Thursday afternoon in Live Oak against a school district bond measure that would fund the development of workforce housing. They fear it will displace senior services. Live Oak School District is asking voters to approve the $45 million bond measure – Measure N – so it can develop 14 to 25 units of housing for district staff.
Election 2024
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Under the specter of housing growth and coastal resilience, four candidates face off for Capitola City Council
Two seats are open on the Capitola City Council this fall. Incumbent Margaux Morgan is seeking reelection, Gerry Jensen and Enrique Dolmo Jr. return to the ballot after narrow losses in 2022 and Melinda Orbach, the lone political newcomer, enters the race with a vision for the city’s west side and 41st Avenue corridor.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
As longtime leaders retire, crowded Scotts Valley City Council race focuses on housing, Town Center project
Seven people, including one incumbent, are running for three seats on the Scotts Valley City Council this fall. They’ll take over for two longtime leaders who chose not to run again, and be charged with managing state mandates for a dramatic increase in affordable housing, along with kickstarting the city’s long-discussed Town Center project, which calls for the construction of a new downtown with housing and commercial uses.
Posted inEducation
For Pajaro Valley district’s Area 2 seat, incumbent faces challenger who led recall bid against her
Incumbent Georgia Acosta will face the woman who led an unsuccessful recall campaign against her, homeowners association general manager Carol Turley, in November’s race for the Area 2 trustee seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board. In interviews with Lookout, they discussed what their goals are and why they feel they’re the right candidate.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville asks voters to allow service on city boards regardless of immigration status
If Measures V and W are passed in November, Watsonville’s city charter will be updated to eliminate gendered references and other outdated language, and residents who aren’t U.S. citizens will be able to serve on city boards and commissions.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Hey, Kamala and Tim – there is more to being presidential than begging for money
Robert M. Kaplan is a Kamala Harris supporter, but he is getting tired of the endless solicitations. He begs the candidates to stop and to focus their energy on sending voters more useful information about their plans for the country if they win on Nov. 5.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In the Public Interest: How are Santa Cruz County supervisor candidates spending their money?
Inside Santa Cruz County politics & policy with Lookout’s Christopher Neely.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta endorses ‘yes’ on Measure Q climate impact tax
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta has become the latest elected official to throw his weight behind Santa Cruz County’s Measure Q. The ballot measure would introduce a parcel tax of $87 to be collected annually and distributed across the county for a wide range of projects, from managing public lands and reducing wildfire risks to protecting drinking water sources.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California voters consider tough love for repeat drug offenders with Prop 36
Proposition 36, on the November ballot, would unwind portions of a 2014 initiative that reduced most shoplifting and drug possession offenses to misdemeanors that rarely carried jail time. The ballot measure comes as concerns about mass incarceration give way to public anger over property crime and a fentanyl crisis that has plagued the state since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Christopher Bradford is a person of integrity
In a letter to the editor, Ben Lomond resident and former county supervisor candidate Tom Decker outlines his support for District 5 hopeful Christopher Bradford.