At the recent Budget Workshops, County Health presented their 2025-2026 budget that included $119M in spending and 539 full-time employees. Given the scale, I thought I would sit with Director, Dr. Mouhanad Hammami to learn a bit more about what they do. Dr. Hammami’s urbane charm and dapper style – he really is the best […]
Over the course of the past couple of months, I have written a few articles that teased at certain county mysteries and expenses. I thought it would be fun to revisit some of these pieces after receiving the information that I had requested through various Public Record Requests (PRR). I hope you find the updates […]
At the April 1 Supervisor meeting a variety of monumental decisions were made – not the least of which was a 3-2 vote approving a $179M expansion of our North County Jail Mahal. A more hopeful sidenote, however, had to do with decisions that the Board made regarding our majestic open spaces. Allow me to […]
On April 1st, our Supervisors made decisions relating to new jail construction (384 beds) and in-custody care that will cost us $200M. These decisions – ones that will affect our County for decades – were squeezed into a 45-item agenda that included such things as proclaiming the week of April 21 “International Dark Sky Week.” […]
Much local ink was spilled after Santa Barbara Unified’s marathon School Board meeting, on March 11, where 85 teachers were tentatively axed. Much of the reporting touted Celeste Kafri, the Board’s newest Board Member whose focus on financial data was categorized as “a new way of thinking.” My interest was piqued, so I did a […]
On January 3, and for 46 days thereafter, growing cannabis was illegal in the 25 California counties that had allowed it. But then, thanks to the efforts of Santa Barbara, the cannabis cultivation industry was rescued, permitting its powerful lobbyists, investors and growers to breathe a collective, and perhaps smoke filled, sigh of relief. Allow […]
The recently litigated AMR lawsuit – where the County lost the (generally speaking) impossible-to-lose Preliminary Injunction – spent $900K in legal fees and then settled, such that we now have the privilege of paying 35% more for ambulance service. This got me to wondering: Who manages our litigation, and what cost-benefit calculus, if any, do […]
The Cannabis Ordinance is legally complex and so, as a long recovering attorney, I felt the need to clarify the overly rosy “things are about to change” reporting that I have read. Second District Supervisor Laura Capps and Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson are thoughtfully leading the way on Cannabis reform with a proposal that […]
It’s been just two years since we opened our $120M, 376-bed North Branch Jail – and in March the Board will be asked to spend another $160M to add two new jail “pods” to the mix. Frankly, the complexity of the issue far exceeds my 300-word limit but given the cost, we need to “slow […]
At last week’s Board meeting, there was an Honor Guard, the La Colina HS Jazz Band, and even a bit of soaring keynote rhetoric from Montecito’s own Gwyn Lurie. It was as Supervisor Steve Lavagnino described — a “celebration of democracy” — where Roy Lee took his place on the dais and Supervisor Laura Capps […]
At noon on January 6, Roy Lee begins his term as Supervisor and while a variety of controversial District 1 issues were recently decided, we still face many challenges. Hoping for something fresh – a real change – is exciting. I, for one, am eager to see how Roy attacks his new role because, as […]
As we await our new D1 Supervisor Roy Lee, the County Planning Commission (CPC) has taken what some might argue is an activist approach to certain significant issues facing our County, including the Miramar Project and our Cannabis Ordinance. Allow me to explain: The Montecito Planning Commission lost their oversight of the Miramar based on […]
On the eve of Supervisor Elect Roy Lee’s term, it’s positively mind-blowing to see how fast our County apparatus and its various apparatchiks can push various and controversial First District projects forward. Allow me to explain: Rules and process matter because without them Special Interests can – with the help of favoring Supes and the […]
Very recently, we learned that at a Regular Planning Commission meeting set for September 25, the Commission will review suggested changes to our community-disastrous Cannabis Ordinance. This got me to wondering: Who controls the agenda and timing related to important County issues, i.e., who controls the “conversation”? The Planning Commission is an advice-driven part of […]
I often rage about the fact that our County spending continues to increase (this year by 7.3%), while our population slowly decreases. So, yes, it’s difficult for a devout fiscal hawk to write about salaries that might be depressed, yet in a county that employs 4,763 people there may actually be five individuals – just […]
On June 18, the Supervisors will decide whether our revenue-starved County will approve a ballot referendum that would increase our cannabis tax rates. Frankly, I’m not nearly as concerned about the tax itself, as I am about the fact that Supervisors Steve Lavagnino and Das Willams continue to dominate the cannabis conversation. Allow me to […]
As the City of SB laments its not insignificant deficit and the County faces its own budget shortfall, our new Community Services Department Director Jesús Armas seems to be bringing a bit of light to the problem of our time – homelessness. Allow me to explain: For the third straight year, permanent housing placement increased […]
After nearly a year of working on cannabis tax alternatives, our Deputy CEO finally presented her findings to the Board of Supervisors who are considering a November election Cannabis tax ballot Referendum. More disappointing than the presentation’s lack of depth, analysis or erudition was its shockingly obvious cannabis-bias. Allow me to explain: There are only […]
This has been an illuminating few months as it relates to the dark underbelly of County politics and disaster-related funding. Allow me to explain: In November, our six ring nets were ripped from the canyons by the Project for Resilient Communities who privately funded their $6M installation. Now, I don’t pretend to know what behind-the-scenes […]
Pat McElroy is the executive director of The Project for Resilient Communities(TPRC), and his recent MJ article was both moving and telling. It spoke to what intellectual curiosity, determination, and private citizens can do when they engage. Now, I don’t know Pat, but I do know co-founder Brett Matthews from another, more eastern-centric life, which […]
This is a story about the death of a troubled 34-year-old woman, “KC.” A death that led to a Grand Jury investigation and a scathing Grand Jury report. A difficult story that you will not read nearly enough about. Allow me to explain: Last week’s Montecito Journal did a great job digging into the recent […]
As most know, our County’s complete lack of ethical standards is something I have raged against. While other counties have a Code of Ethics (something that our Grand Jury recommended in 2020), our County blissfully dances in the darkness without pesky little rules relating to the timing of campaign contributions, acceptance of gifts, hiring of […]
At a time when, nationally, we’re discussing (i.e. screaming at one another) democracy, I thought it appropriate to bring the issue a bit closer to home. You see, part of any great democracy is the idea of Checks and Balances – it’s what separates us from authoritarianism. Unfortunately, in Santa Barbara we tend toward tyranny […]
Most insiders know that our $1.4B County is relatively inept when it comes to financial forecasting. One need only look at our $118M North Branch Jail-Mahal with an estimated cost of $67M (what’s $51M between friends) to know our ability to budget is broken. Well, it’s happening yet again with our newest revenue savior — […]
Public trust in government is at a 50-year low. According to an ambitious Harvard Business School study, the problem in our contentious duopoly is the lack of competition and resulting lack of accountability. Santa Barbara is the poster child for what this study raged against — a system that no longer focuses on the public […]
Recently, I had some L.A. friends move to town (don’t be alarmed, they really are “nice”). Mistakenly, they thought that I knew a bit about our County and asked: “So where does ‘our’ money go?” Mind you, these are philanthropic folks who care about culture so I had to be honest: “I can tell you […]
March is swiftly approaching and for most California counties that means a bit of spring cleaning. As Santa Barbara County insiders know, however, we are not “most” counties – especially as it relates to transparency and possible corruption. Allow me to explain: Once upon a time, our nation had a rich fourth estate and deep […]
So, the numbers are in for the most recent Quarterly Cannabis Tax Revenue and — like before — they are completely underwhelming and leave us with more questions than answers. Allow me to explain. First a bit of history: Santa Barbara County is the only county that relies solely on self-reported grower revenue to calculate […]
Bravery takes on many forms, some literal and some a bit more theoretical. But nuance aside, there is bravery in challenging the status quo, the “machine.” And believe you me, our local Democratic Central Committee (DCC) is a machine. Allow me to explain: Local party endorsements spring from the DCC, yet, because Santa Barbara is […]
I’m loving what I’m seeing on Coast Village Road as most of us pull ourselves from our cocoons — an inside table at Lucky’s, things really are getting “normal.” It’s a spring like no other and I can’t wait to become fully engaged in our community because, frankly, it needs as much help as we […]