Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Benito County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
35 issues with high priority
Homelessness down 57% in county count
The January 2026 count found 267 people experiencing homelessness versus 621 in 2024, but officials cautioned the riverbed cleanup scattered encampments and made counting harder, and all remaining chronically homeless individuals were unsheltered.
Emergency services leadership and disaster council
An outside review found 17 gaps in the county's emergency readiness — thin OES staffing, missing or outdated plans, and weak documentation of training — just as an El Niño winter approaches. The Board wants a director-level position consolidating OES, EMS, fire and 911 oversight, and asked for salary and funding options.
DA and Probation building roof repair
The roof over the District Attorney and Probation offices is deteriorated enough that officials fear a collapse in heavy winter storms. The Board approved a ~$120,000 repair project (with contingency allowances) and agreed to pay for it out of the $500,000 emergency-preparedness fund.
Election integrity and election-night results
Days before Election Day, the board retroactively cleaned up two years of voting-system contract paperwork and approved the vendor's name change to Liberty Vote USA. The CEO publicly criticized the Clerk-Recorder for going around her office.
Highway 25 Widening and AB 2059 VMT Exemption
Speed feedback signs went up in 2024 but Caltrans won't add more traffic calming. Residents worry about pedestrians, parking, and growing mining truck traffic through the small town.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) ordinance
The county is writing new zoning rules for large-scale battery storage facilities — the kind involved in the January 2025 Moss Landing fire. The draft sets standards on water supply for firefighting, setbacks, fencing, battery chemistry, and permits, but the Commission wants it toughened before recommending it to the Supervisors.
Hippo Harvest facility landscaping
A major new leafy greens facility brings jobs and road improvements to a busy commuter corridor, but commissioners faulted a $50,000 road fee as far too low and rewrote conditions to require $180,000 for turn lanes plus right-of-way dedications.
Environmental health fee increases sent back for more input
Fees for restaurant inspections, septic, wells, and food permits haven't gone up since 2014, leaving the program about 37.7% short on costs. Staff proposed phased increases over 3, 5, or 7 years, but with only a 6% survey response from businesses, supervisors want more outreach before voting — delays cost the county realignment dollars in the meantime.
Recall petition against Supervisor Kosmicki underway
The June 2 recall of Supervisor Ignacio Velazquez passed by 33 votes and is now officially certified. Voters in District 5 will pick a replacement on November 3, 2026.
Agricultural pest emergency extended for pepper and tomato crops
The Board ratified a local emergency over beet leafhoppers, thrips and pepper weevils threatening the county's $15M tomato and $16.5M pepper crops, unlocking emergency pesticide use and possible state disaster aid.
Road projects prioritized for safety; rural roads concern remains
Staff raised a real decision point: redirect about $1.9 million from previously approved road projects to match a Safe Streets for All grant that could unlock roughly $9.5 million in road and safety improvements. The Board was also to pick which FY 2026-27 road projects get funded from about $3.15 million in SB 1 money.
Overhaul of county public defender system with $1.7M state grant
A resident cited the county's own evaluation showing the defense system handled 1,100+ cases a year with as few as one or two attorneys. The state has set aside $1.7 million for an institutional public defender's office, and the speaker asked that funds stay dedicated to defense.
Public Works Road Project Engineering Contracts
Staff raised a real decision point: redirect about $1.9 million from previously approved road projects to match a Safe Streets for All grant that could unlock roughly $9.5 million in road and safety improvements. The Board was also to pick which FY 2026-27 road projects get funded from about $3.15 million in SB 1 money.
Annexation tax-sharing agreement with Hollister under scrutiny
An attorney asked the Board to agendize the long-delayed city-county tax-sharing agreement for the Rigetti Chapel Road annexation, which the city approved months ago.
Parks Funding Gap
The county has about $6.3 million in park impact fees, but its parks project list — led by Riverview Regional Park — faces a funding gap of over $25 million. The Board was to hear how the county plans to maintain and develop its parks.
Creek and drainage clearing for flood prevention
Public Works is clearing culverts and culvert-prone roads countywide, and with the emergency declaration property owners can now clear creek debris without a permit — just report the work to Fish and Wildlife within 14 days. Supervisors flagged Coalinga Road, Panoche, New Idria, San Juan Canyon and Cienega Road as priority risk areas.
Evacuation planning and emergency communications
The Sheriff said the county will be 'on its own' during a statewide storm and warned residents who ignore evacuation orders may not be rescued. All emergency messaging will come through the Sheriff's office, and the county is pushing residents to sign up for SBCAlert, Nixle and know their evacuation zone.
OpenGov vs. ERP budget data reliability
A consultant laid out about 20 fixes for county finances, including a general reserve, quarterly department budget updates, updated fees, and an audit of the RMA — the agency behind big projects. Supervisors voiced support but haven't adopted anything yet.
SEIU 521 contract negotiations
The county's largest worker union says its contract expires in 15 days and the county hasn't scheduled bargaining despite a June demand — the one planned meeting was canceled before Labor Day.
Lands of Lee affordable housing
The plan for 30 deed-restricted junior ADUs in a 141-lot subdivision stalled over whether owners actually must rent them to low-income households. Supervisors tabled it to check the litigation settlement before deciding.
Inactive CSAs and stranded funds
Nine CSAs collect no money and provide no services after a failed 2010 fee vote, yet about $96,000 in taxpayer funds sits in their accounts. The board wants a legal path to dissolve them or return/repurpose the funds.
Dunville Estates gate and CSA 50 finances
The county finished a gate for a gated community after its contract lapsed, and now must decide who pays for ongoing gate upkeep — the board wants residents to cover it via a Prop 218 vote and is exploring pushing the community toward an HOA.
Cannabis cultivation tax rate
The voter-approved cannabis tax could bring in $778,000 to $6 million a year depending on the rate and acreage cultivated. Supervisors pressed staff on use-it-or-lose-it protections and will set the rate in August.
Sheriff's radio communications upgrade
After years of delays, the ~$2.5 million radio project has four radios in testing and a new repeater on Fremont Peak, with cellular and Starlink backups planned. Neighboring agencies, including San Jose PD, will get interoperability access.
Transfer station and landfill future
Landfill rates rise 2.83% under the operating agreement's formula, and the Board formed an ad hoc committee to untangle the region's confusing waste-management joint powers agreement, with ten years of landfill capacity left.
Opioid Settlement Fund Treatment Expansion
The county rejected Bright Future Recovery's late bid and awarded residential treatment to Sun Street Centers, meaning men needing detox will likely be sent out of county. Supervisors directed staff to find a way to contract with the local provider for extra beds.
Wireless telecommunications code standards
The commission's January denial of a 100-foot cell tower near downtown Hollister is being reexamined because the new county counsel doubts the legal findings will survive an appeal — and the applicant has already appealed. A fresh vote is set for March 18.
New high school site on agricultural land
The high school district wants to buy 33.58 acres of farmland near West Side Road for a second high school, swapping away its Wright Road parcel. The county's planning commission says it conflicts with farmland protections, but the district can override county zoning if it follows state procedures.
Roads Funding Under Measure G and SB 1
Staff raised a real decision point: redirect about $1.9 million from previously approved road projects to match a Safe Streets for All grant that could unlock roughly $9.5 million in road and safety improvements. The Board was also to pick which FY 2026-27 road projects get funded from about $3.15 million in SB 1 money.
AMR ambulance contract extension and rural response times
The AMR contract extension to 2029 was tabled after supervisors questioned whether rural response times of 30 minutes are realistic for South County and whether the county has an exit clause before a potential fire/EMS special district forms.
Title 25 zoning code overhaul
The county's big Title 25 rewrite moves forward to the Board, but the kennel rules were pulled after local kennel operators said they were far too strict. Off-site wine tasting rooms got easier, and the two-year reapply-after-denial rule was narrowed to housing.
County workforce vacancies (AB 2561 hearing)
The county's largest union is running at a 14.8% vacancy rate, with 51 of 345 general-funded positions unfilled after 55 were cut last year. Union leaders say understaffing is burning out workers and limiting public services, and urged competitive pay and new revenue like Measure G.
Veterans services contract with Monterey County
A three-year, $480,000 contract keeps the local veterans services office running — and it pays for itself many times over, returning roughly $2.7 million in benefits to San Benito veterans and families this year.
Tres Pinos garage appeal and fire sprinkler standoff
A 2,400-square-foot metal building went up in Tres Pinos' residential zone before anyone realized it needed a use permit. The bigger fight: its sprinklers can't connect because the Tres Pinos Water District won't allow a new connection under its moratorium. The county says the Water District owns the liability; the appellant says the whole thing is a safety hazard being papered over.
Housing element certification and high school district Builder's Remedy application
The state certified the county's housing element on February 3, unlocking grant money — but the high school district filed a Builder's Remedy proposal days earlier for 1,000 homes plus 100,000 square feet of commercial space on its Best Road site, which the county must process.