Tag archives: Joan Hartmann

Why Transparency and Ethics Matter in SB Politics!
By Jeff Giordano   |   June 11, 2024

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 […]

SB County: Attacking Homelessness with Data & Innovation
By Jeff Giordano   |   May 14, 2024

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 […]

Standing with Our Jewish Community
By Laura Capps   |   February 7, 2023

Last week, the County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to honor International Holocaust Memorial Day. This resolution honors the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.  Jana Zimmer, a second-generation Holocaust survivor, community leader, and author of Chocolates from Tangier, was present to accept the resolution. She […]

Holocaust Memorial Day
By Montecito Journal   |   January 31, 2023

Continued education and understanding of cultural groups are needed across our community. Last month, anti-Semitic flyers were dispersed across the Mesa on the first day of Hanukkah. This was a coordinated effort that occurred in the Second District that Laura Capps represents and is compounded by the horrific displays of anti-Semitism across the country. Like […]

November 8th Election: Our Endorsements
By Gwyn Lurie   |   October 11, 2022

This year the Montecito Journal co-hosted a handful of Zoom candidate forums, all involving local school board races for which Montecito residents will have a vote (the one exception is the SBUSD area #1 seat, for which a smaller portion of our readers will have the chance to weigh in). This is not to say […]

Metamorphosis for the Environment
By Laura Capps   |   May 24, 2022

It would be nearly impossible to list the many unique features of Santa Barbara County that differentiate us from other places across the country. In contrast to all the incredible positive attributes, I recently learned of one startling distinction that may surprise you: our county is one of the fastest-warming places in the nation. According […]

Lessons from Montecito
By Nick Masuda   |   December 21, 2021

Joan Hartmann, the Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor, didn’t even hesitate when asked why a portion of her district was evacuated with the Monday and Tuesday rain along the South Coast. “We learned a lot from Montecito,” Hartmann said. In the wake of October’s Alisal Fire that destroyed thousands of acres of land, the […]

As Supervisors’ Pay Rises, Should Constituents’ Confidence Lower?
By Gwyn Lurie   |   October 21, 2020

On October 7, in a 3-2 vote, our County Board of Supervisors voted to give themselves an optional 3% pay raise. Supervisor Joan Hartmann justified her vote by explaining that “this job is a very demanding one with a lot of responsibilities that are very diverse.” Das Williams and Steve Lavagnino expressed similar justifications for […]