Serving as Chair of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors over the past year has been a profound honor. It’s a responsibility rooted in trust – to help lead decisions that improve people’s lives, strengthen our community, and build a better future for our kids.
This past year has been marked by sweeping national change and, at times, unsettling chaos. Across the country, many people are feeling anxious, uncertain, and disconnected from institutions that are meant to serve and protect them. In moments like these, local government matters more than ever.
I am proud that Santa Barbara County has been a steady presence amid that turbulence.
The five members of the Board of Supervisors serve one boss: the people of this county. We report to you – and we can never forget that. While I take pride in what we have accomplished, our responsibility is to not rest on progress, but keep pushing to do better.
While national headlines have been loud and unpredictable, this County has continued to deliver the essential services people depend on for their safety, dignity, and quality of life. And while there is always more work to do, we have shown that government grounded in shared values and public trust can still work.
No matter your background, your politics, how you identify, or the work you do, this Board strives to lead based on values we share: inclusion, compassion, and opportunity for all.
That commitment feels especially critical right now. Recent events around the country and here in our backyard – including immigration enforcement actions that have sown fear and instability – are a reminder that national decisions can have very real consequences for families and communities.
In moments like this, local leadership matters.
Over the past year, when ICE has made our community less safe this Board has stood up for immigrant communities, affirming that Santa Barbara County is a place where families should feel valued and supported. We expanded mental health services for those impacted by family separation. We strengthened our legislative platform. And we formally requested greater transparency from federal agencies and from our own institution and leaders, especially from Sheriff Brown and his department.
That transparency matters. We must insist on transparency, accountability, and clarity when it comes to any coordination with federal immigration authorities. Silence and ambiguity erode trust. In times of fear, the public deserves reassurance that local law enforcement is focused on keeping our communities safe, not tearing them apart.
At the same time, we continued to strengthen public safety in meaningful ways, including launching an innovative, streamlined emergency 9-1-1 system, connecting the fire departments from all the cities in the county.
We unlocked county-owned land for affordable housing – my number one policy goal as Chair – because for far too long, the government has literally been sitting on its assets rather than leading by example. The simple reality that people cannot afford to live where they work sits at the center of nearly every challenge we face.
And we took major steps toward a more resilient future: doubling solar capacity on county facilities, saving taxpayers $60 million, and making the historic decision to ban new onshore oil and gas development while phasing out existing operations – at the same time scaling up clean-energy jobs and expanding our reliance on renewables.
Even on the toughest and most contentious issues, with marathon meetings and record-breaking public comment, the Board of Supervisors and our community have shown that respectful civic engagement is not only still possible, it can be productive and powerful. That is something we should all be proud of.
Through it all, Santa Barbara County has offered consistency amid the chaos – a steady hand focused on practical solutions that make people’s everyday lives better. And that’s how we will charge ahead in 2026.
