I ran to represent the Fifth District, and that means making sure our mountain communities are heard and that county decisions reflect the realities people are living every day.
As I enter my second year, we are facing serious challenges—harmful federal policy changes, climate-driven disasters and real budget constraints. But I am focused and energized by the work we are doing locally to protect our community, invest wisely for the long term and make sure residents are part of the decisions that shape our future.
We are taking action to protect immigrant families amid escalating enforcement activity, while also strengthening our overall resilience—improving infrastructure, safeguarding access to health and essential services and preparing for the next wildfire or storm. These priorities come directly from the residents I hear from every day.
In my new role as Chair of the Board, I am working closely with our new Chief Executive Officer, Nicole Coburn, to ensure the County stays focused on accountability and results. That partnership was on full display at our District 5 Strategic Planning Town Hall on Feb. 3 in Felton, where we had a standing-room-only crowd.
We captured hundreds of comments and questions from San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley residents on a range of topics that will inform the next Strategic Plan, including wildfire prevention and resiliency, storm response, evacuation route planning, broadband access and road repairs.
At the same time, we are addressing urgent issues in real time.
On Jan. 27, the Board approved my request to form a subcommittee called SHIELD (Safeguarding Health, Inclusion, Essential Services and Local Defense) to prepare for any local immigration enforcement activity. District 4 Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and I will report back to the Board on March 10 on our subcommittee’s initial work with County staff and regional partners to strengthen collaboration to protect access to essential services.
Another save-the-date opportunity for community input is March 2, when PG&E will host a town hall for District 5 residents at my request following the extended holiday power outages and storm response. The event will be 6-7:30pm at Boulder Creek Recreation and Park District Hall, 13333 Middleton Ave., and more details will be released soon.
This spring, I will once again launch a Free Yard Waste Disposal Program to help reduce wildfire risk and support home-hardening efforts. Last year, the program served over 400 households and resulted in a 140% increase in yard waste removal compared to the prior year.
Other exciting developments to keep an eye out for include infrastructure and accessibility improvements at Ben Lomond County Park and repairs to the Community Deck in downtown Felton, both of which will move forward because we prioritized funding for them. I also secured support for construction of a pump track at Felton Covered Bridge Park and continued progress toward rebuilding the historic Alba Schoolhouse, which was lost in the CZU Fire.
I was proud to host CEO Coburn, who lives with her family in District 5, on a recent tour of the Alba Schoolhouse site, as well as Boulder Creek Rec and Park’s facilities in downtown Boulder Creek and at the Bear Creek Community Center. It was important for her to see firsthand the grassroots leadership and volunteer energy that sustain these gathering spaces for mountain residents, and to explore how the County can be a stronger partner moving forward.
The investments mentioned above—from free yard waste days to parks improvements—are made possible through discretionary General Fund allocations that Supervisors can direct toward urgent district needs that might otherwise go unfunded.
The coming budget cycle will also offer strategic opportunities for investing funds from the first full year of Measure Q, the 2024 ballot measure aimed at wildfire, water and wildlife resilience.
At the same time, HR 1 will significantly reduce federal support for health and human services, placing additional pressure on state and local governments to fill those gaps. That reality will require difficult decisions. The Board will receive a mid-year budget update later this month, and in June begin weighing options for reducing deficits outlined in the draft county budget to be released soon.
As we face these choices, what matters most to me is hearing directly from residents.
As Board Chair, ensuring our meetings promote robust public input is important to me but so are the one-on-one interactions with constituents. That’s why I offer regular in-district office hours, which rotate between Felton, Boulder Creek and Scotts Valley. Dates and times are listed on my Board of Supervisors webpage on the County’s website santacruzcountyca.gov.
I hope to see you soon, and you can always contact my office at Fi************@***************ca.gov or 831-454-2200.
Monica Martinez is the Fifth District Supervisor for Santa Cruz County, including the San Lorenzo Valley and parts of the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley.
