Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Santa Cruz County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
Homelessness services face funding cliff
With Housing Matters closing mail and day services April 1, the county is covering benefits mail, the City of Santa Cruz is adding restrooms, and community members are working to relaunch MHCAN as a 'clubhouse model' peer support center with Front Street's help.
County use of artificial intelligence
The county is moving from scattered employee AI use to a governed enterprise program: one platform (Claude or ChatGPT), training for 85% of knowledge workers by year-end, a public-facing chatbot, and an internal AI advisory subcommittee. Supervisors pressed staff to form that subcommittee sooner and to guarantee AI won't replace workers.
Pre-winter flood risk reduction executive order request
A potentially record-strong El Niño is forecast; the county detailed road, levee, alert-system, and resiliency-center preparations, and will bring back a resiliency center activation policy before year's end.
Road pavement funding gap
A dozen-plus residents described washed-out, single-lane roads, a failed culvert, stranded driveways and fire-evacuation dangers, asking the county to fund road repair before winter storms. The Board could not respond because no road item was on the agenda, but speakers promised to keep pressing.
Empire Grade and countywide road safety improvements
Residents near the harbor pushed for safety improvements on 6th Avenue, funding the stop signs and speed bumps themselves with a $30,000 donation. The Board approved the ordinance in concept with signs going up 31 days after final adoption.
Human Services staffing cuts and federal H.R. 1 impacts
The county's costs are growing 6.1% a year against 5% revenue growth, creating a gap projected to hit $70 million by 2031-32. The current budget drew $30.5 million from reserves, and federal HR 1 changes could strip Medi-Cal/CalFresh from tens of thousands of residents.
Microenterprise home kitchen operations made permanent
The home-based food business pilot looks set to become permanent; speakers in Spanish and English described how the program helps families earn income, and a second reading is set for November 10.
North County Government Center security enhancements
The Board accepted $88,475 in unanticipated revenue for security upgrades after Supervisor Cummings questioned whether the spending was county-wide in approach.
2027 Population Growth Goal
The Board set the 2027 growth rate at 0.6 percent under the voter-approved Measure J growth management system, keeping affordable housing exempt from permit limits.
Severe weather shelter activation criteria
Supervisors De Serpa and Cummings will lead an ad hoc subcommittee reviewing the county's severe weather shelter activation policies after numerous resident complaints.
Sexually violent predator placement opposition
The Board is formally opposing the state's proposed placement of convicted sexually violent predator Michael Cheek near Soquel-San Jose Road — the fifth such placement attempt in the county. Koenig urged legislators to change state law on placements.
Pending flood-related litigation against Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, and the State
The Zone 7 board privately discussed ten active lawsuits spanning Monterey and Santa Cruz County courts, several naming the counties and the State of California. The topics likely relate to flood events and damages, but details remain confidential.
Streamline Santa Cruz County permitting
Permit review times are improving — median review down from 80 to 66 days — but only 80% of reviews land on time and customer dissatisfaction centers on regulatory complexity. Reporting now shifts to twice a year, with new data breakdowns demanded by Supervisor Koenig.
General Assistance program overhaul
The county's $809 monthly cash grant — the highest in California — costs have tripled in seven years. The Board approved a three-month limit for non-disabled adults, a $50 benefit cut, and a bigger push to move people onto federal SSI, starting July 2027.
Small Business Development Center support for local entrepreneurs
The SBDC helped 32 businesses start in the county in 2025 and provides free advising and training; regional consolidation talks appear likely to preserve the local center.
CORE Investments community funding
The Board set priorities for future CORE safety net grants and told staff to consult the subcommittee if CORE cuts are needed to close next year's projected budget deficit.
CEDAW gender equity ordinance
The Board approved in concept an ordinance making gender equity an ongoing county policy framework, with reporting every three years and no new programs or spending required. Final adoption is set for October 20.
Parks Budget Cuts and Pay-to-Park Pilot
The parks department patched a $590,000 hole by killing the pay-to-park pilot and scraping together one-time money from supervisors' Measure K funds and other departments — but that means the same fight likely returns next budget year, with the Arts Council and MAH taking 15% cuts.
Half-cent sales tax measure for November 2026 ballot
The METRO Initiative — a half-cent sales tax starting April 1, 2027 to maintain and expand bus and paratransit service — gathered 11,377 valid signatures and will go before voters.
Economic development and enhanced infrastructure financing districts
The county will explore joining Scotts Valley's EIFD, which uses future property tax growth — not new taxes — to fund roads, fire facilities, affordable housing and the long-planned Scotts Valley town center. County analysts project an $18.4 million net general fund benefit over 30 years.
Federal immigration enforcement preparedness (S.H.I.E.L.D.)
The board approved in concept a new county code chapter prohibiting county parking lots, buildings, and open spaces from being used as staging areas or operation bases for federal civil immigration enforcement. Final adoption is set for March 24, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. subcommittee will also explore requiring DHS agents to identify themselves.
Measure Q environmental and parks funding
Voter-approved Measure Q dollars — about $8.9 million next year — fund water protection, wildfire risk reduction, parks, and habitat preservation, split between county grants, cities, unincorporated areas, and land partners.
Adoption of the 2026-27 county budget
The county's proposed $1.29 billion budget closes a $23 million gap using $43 million in one-time reserves, trims about 70 vacant positions without layoffs, and warns of a $67 million deficit by 2028-29 if nothing changes. Supervisors sparred over dipping reserves for public safety, cutting road funding to $2 million, parks parking fees, and bringing the alternate public defender contract in-house. Hearings run June 10-11 with adoption June 24.
Rural road maintenance crisis on Mountain Charlie Road and North Rodeo Gulch
Supervisors discussed creating a shared minimum standard of living for rural residents — reliable roads, broadband, water, and emergency access — after hearing that mountain residents feel the county is neglecting them.
Behavioral health — Hope Forward and the strategic plan
Advocates asked the Board to pull item 33 so three parenting programs — not just one — are included in the county's behavioral health plan. Supervisors asked the health director to look at adding culturally responsive programs in Spanish and Mixteco.
AI data centers in unincorporated county
Supervisor Cummings wanted a March 2028 ballot measure requiring voter approval before AI data centers could be built here, citing water, power, and noise impacts elsewhere. A majority said there's no known proposal, the technology is changing fast, and they want to study it first.
Public Defender funding and the Page & Dudley alternate defense contract
The county must replace its conflict defense contract by July 2027. The Page/Dudley firm argued the new RFP is rigged toward a public defender model; the board told staff to retool the RFP with more weight on effective representation and price and return by December 15.
Fairgrounds Community Resilience Center grant
The county is applying for up to $10 million from the state to upgrade the fairgrounds as a resilience center ahead of an El Niño year — fixing water, Wi-Fi, and other gaps seen during 2023 floods.
Small water system oversight returning to the state
The county is ending its Local Primacy Agency, which has regulated about 68 small water systems since 1994. Operators and customers pleaded to keep local regulators, citing the Big Basin emergency and state bureaucracy; staff said doubling fees still wouldn't cover costs and the state's Monterey office is well-staffed and responsive.
Homeless shelter expansion (consent)
The board approved $1.7M for Bridge House and $907K for Live Oak Landing shelter services through Housing Matters, plus $270K for two lived-expertise action boards — adding 52 beds countywide.
Assessment Appeals Board Rules of Procedure
The board weighs changes to the rules governing how property tax appeal hearings run in Santa Cruz County, including how three-member panels handle recusals.
Property Tax Assessment Appeals (21 applications)
Twenty-one appeals covering homes and commercial properties across the county were scheduled for hearing or consent action — these decide whether assessed values, and tax bills, get adjusted.
Tax-exempt bonds for Santa Cruz Montessori School
The Board approved the tax structure needed for Santa Cruz Montessori School to issue up to $6 million in tax-exempt bonds to refinance 2013 debt and renovate its Aptos campus — at zero cost or risk to the County.
Business Registration Program for unincorporated area
The County may soon require businesses in unincorporated areas to register, giving the County a better picture of the business landscape and a potential new fee. The Board told staff to design it with business input before bringing back an ordinance and cost analysis.
CZU Rebuild Directive extension and recovery progress
Fire survivors rebuilding since the 2020 CZU fire got relief: the geologic hazard review waiver now runs through August 2030. Staff reported 177 replacement homes completed, 136 more approved or under construction, and outreach to 173 owners who had gone silent. Residents urged more support — including funding for the Long Term Recovery Group — especially given high rebuild costs and septic hurdles.
Board of Supervisors' compensation
The Board voted 3-2 to have HR return August 25 with a recommendation on unlinking supervisor pay from Superior Court judges' salaries. Supervisors Koenig and De Serpa said the conversation shouldn't happen now.
Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance update
The Board debated two housing tools: letting ADUs be sold as condos (AB 1033) and a San Diego-style bonus program rewarding deed-restricted affordable ADUs with extra market-rate units. A divided Board chose to wait — monitoring other communities and pending state legislation — rather than commit staff time now. Critics worried about investor-driven projects and $1.3 million price tags on 'starter' units.
FY 2026-27 budget principles amid state and federal cuts
The county is facing a projected $23.2 million shortfall next fiscal year, growing to a persistent $67 million deficit, plus $25.6 million in HR 1 federal impacts. A hiring and travel freeze took effect this week, and community organizations with Core contracts are being warned renewals aren't guaranteed.
Affordable Housing Predevelopment Funding
Speakers urged the Board to delay $501,846 in added funding to Housing Matters, saying the nonprofit is ending bathroom, shower and mail access for roughly 1,700 unhoused people. The Board approved the funding anyway but asked for a report on whether Housing Matters is meeting its service goals.
Bag reduction ordinance alignment with state law
The county's 2011 bag ordinance is being updated to match SB 1053, which bans single-use film plastic bags at checkout and raises recycled paper content requirements starting in 2028.
Oil and gas / deep-sea mining ballot measure
The Board reaffirmed opposition to a petition that would ban recreational fishing at Pleasure Point and Santa Cruz-area MPAs, aligning with the Department of Fish and Wildlife's recommendation to reject it.
Moran Lake monarch habitat and neighborhood tree safety
The county adopted a plan to manage the Moran Lake eucalyptus grove for monarch butterflies while reducing hazard trees near homes. Neighbors on Placer Street pressed for faster, lower trimming before an El Niño winter; staff said funding discussions come August 25.
Pajaro Valley Fire District reorganization with CSA 48
Fire district officials warned the new emergency-radio advisory committee excludes fire agencies as voting members and that fire districts can't afford the system; the committee was still established 5-0, with promises to review its makeup.
Battery energy storage facility at 90 Minto Road
Several speakers warned about Chinese-made lithium batteries planned for a Minto Road energy storage project, urging the county to stand firm on its battery ordinance and demanding thorough review.
Robertson Street signalization
The county's second most dangerous intersection on Soquel Drive is finally getting a signal, with bids opening July 30 — expected to reduce crashes and help traffic flow through mid-county.
Countywide fee schedule updates for 2026-27
Annual sewer and water charges were confirmed across multiple sanitation districts, including a 4% increase for CSA 12 wastewater customers — these show up on property tax bills.
Parks, arts and culture funding deferred
Funding for parks, the Museum of Art and History, and the Arts Council is up in the air until June 30. Dozens of residents turned out to push the board to protect these cultural institutions.
Health Services Agency budget and clinic sustainability
Supervisors De Serpa, Hernandez, and Cummings urged state help for Watsonville Community Hospital via a support letter for AB 1923's Distressed Hospital Loan Program, noting 650 local jobs and countywide health impacts if it closes.
Probation staffing and service reductions from expiring grants
Probation is losing 3 positions and cutting funding for diversion, reentry and treatment coordination as Prop 47 and Title II grants end — even as Prop 36 increases caseloads. That could mean less support for people coming out of custody.
Sheriff-Coroner operations and DNA lab accreditation
The county's Inspector General audited 30 days of Sheriff's ALPR searches through the regional intelligence center and found all searches were for legitimate law enforcement purposes with no immigration or federal sharing. The Sheriff adopted a written policy and agreed to monthly audits.