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.
Nov. 5 general election 2024
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.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: I’m an educator voting for Kim De Serpa
In a letter to the editor, former Pajaro Valley Unified School District interim superintendent Murry Schekman outlines his support for District 2 Santa Cruz County supervisor candidate Kim De Serpa.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure Q: Water and wildfire protection tax has one surprising opponent — county fire chiefs
The Water and Wildfire Protection Initiative, on the ballot in Santa Cruz County this November as Measure Q, 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. The only group to register official opposition to the tax is the Santa Cruz County Fire Chiefs Association. It believes that the measure does not offer enough specifics on how it will reduce wildfire risk and does not adequately fund fire districts.
Posted inEducation
Las Lomas filmmaker faces incumbent for Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee Area 3 seat
Filmmaker Gabriel Medina and incumbent Oscar Soto are competing for the Area 3 trustee seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board. In interviews with Lookout, they discussed what their goals are and why each feels they’re the right candidate.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Capitola’s Measure Y would up sales tax, raising $2.2 million a year
The City of Capitola is seeking to hike its sales tax from 9% to 9.25%, raising an additional estimated $2.2 million a year for the city’s general fund, with the city council ultimately deciding how the money is spent. Officials emphasized that the sales tax rate hasn’t increased since 2016 and that Capitola’s rate would still be the lowest in Santa Cruz County.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure X: Scotts Valley business license tax measure explained
The City of Scotts Valley seeks to update and modify its business license tax for the first time in over 30 years via Measure X, which would introduce a new base rate and a sliding scale based on gross receipts that will determine the amount each business will pay annually. There is no formal opposition to the measure. Taxes on the city’s smallest businesses would jump from $90 to at least $150, while larger businesses could pay upward of $6,000 depending on their annual revenue. The changes would bring in an estimated additional $750,000 in local tax revenue.
Posted inEducation
Incumbent and former teacher compete for Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee Area 6 seat
Former teacher Jessica Carrasco and incumbent Adam Bolaños Scow are competing for the trustee Area 6 seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board. In interviews with Lookout, they discussed what their goals are and why they’re the right candidate.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Roads, rail trail, managed retreat emerge as flashpoints as District 2 hopefuls Brown, De Serpa spar at forum
District 2 Santa Cruz County supervisor candidates Kristen Brown and Kim De Serpa have spent years in elected office and public service, and seek to bring that experience to the board of supervisors come 2025. The two discussed everything from roads and managed retreat to the tight county budget and the divisive Coastal Rail Trail project Monday evening at a Lookout candidate forum.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
For Kim De Serpa, District 2 supervisor run is next step in life’s work as a ‘community caretaker’
From growing up surrounded by politically active women to a career in social work to a 14-year stint as a Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee, Kim De Serpa has seen all manner of crises; now she wants to bring that experience to bear at the county level as she vies to succeed District 2 Supervisor Zach Friend.