Issues

Access to healthcare should never depend on your ZIP code. That’s why, in Cloverdale, I championed and approved the Alexander Valley Medical Center— a once-in-a-generation investment that ensures residents in northern Sonoma County have access to essential medical services close to home. This project is a model for how local government can step up to meet the healthcare needs of rural communities.

Rural access to healthcare remains a critical issue across much of Sonoma County. For too many families, a routine doctor’s visit or urgent care need requires traveling long distances, navigating provider shortages, or facing long wait times. As Supervisor, I will prioritize expanding primary care, urgent care, and mental health infrastructure throughout underserved areas—especially in District 4, where the gaps are greatest.

The Board of Supervisors plays an important role in healthcare access by partnering with health centers, allocating state and federal funding, and streamlining land use and permitting for community clinics. I will be a strong advocate for leveraging these tools to attract more providers, support mobile health outreach, and ensure our county health network meets the real needs of our residents.

Investing in healthcare is not just about reacting to emergencies—it’s about building resilient communities where everyone, regardless of income or location, has the opportunity to live a healthier life.

Homelessness is a crisis that continues to affect every corner of Sonoma County. We’ve made real progress through the Housing First model—prioritizing transitional housing so families in need have a place to live before anything else. This model has helped many vulnerable families get off the streets and onto the path toward stability. But it hasn’t reached everyone.

A significant number of people experiencing homelessness in our community are dealing with severe mental health challenges and substance addiction. These individuals often cannot access Housing First resources because their needs are more complex. For this population, we must focus on stabilization—which means expanding treatment facilities and implementing court-ordered mental health and addiction treatment options when necessary. We can’t allow any more of our neighbors to suffer and die on our streets without intervention.

Well-trained, well-equipped law enforcement officers are the key to ensuring public safety. Having spent a decade of my career working as a Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff, I have seen firsthand how important it is to support our first responders in the difficult tasks they have. Getting law enforcement the tools they need to keep our community safe will be my top priority as a Supervisor.

When I was starting as a Deputy Sheriff, Sonoma County has a 13% murder rate, largely driven by gang problems. We engaged a specialized gang unit with the task of intervening and getting these numbers down— with great success. Unfortunately, we have since moved away from specialized units that can be highly effective tools in taking an intentional approach to certain crime issues we are facing, and I strongly support once again funding this type of approach.

Additionally, School Resource Officers (SROs) play an important role in keeping our school campuses safe and building trust with younger generations of Sonoma County residents. As Supervisor, I will work with our school districts to ensure we are investing in campus safety.

Fire prevention continues to be another top public safety priority. In Cloverdale, I have pushed for more in-stream maintenance, better vegetation management in our river beds and open space, and investments in fire resilience, particularly for new development. We must continue this work across the county to ensure we never see a repeat of the disastrous wildfires that destroyed so much in Sonoma County.

Water is not just a basic necessity—it’s the backbone of our communities, economy, and environment. But right now, water security across Sonoma County is in serious jeopardy. At the core of this crisis is the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Potter Valley Project and the potential removal of the Scott Dam. As the northernmost city in Sonoma County, Cloverdale sits on the front line of this watershed. If we don’t act decisively, the challenges we face here will ripple across the county—impacting residents, farmers, and small businesses alike.

My top priority on this issue will be keeping the Potter Valley Project operational as a dependable water source. Its closure would severely limit our supply and force immediate restrictions that could cost the region tens of millions of dollars annually in lost productivity and economic output. We must do everything in our power to preserve and extend its utility.

In the meantime, I’ve supported local strategies to secure our immediate water needs. We are working to approve new wells that tap into deeper aquifers, enabling us to recharge and stabilize supply. I also support raising the Lake Mendocino Dam and implementing a Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) system. With FIRO, we could potentially bank an entire year’s worth of extra water in our reservoirs, helping us weather dry seasons and emergencies.

Failing to act means countywide rationing, curtailed agricultural operations, and lasting damage to our economic resilience. As Supervisor, I will bring the same urgency and commitment to water security that I’ve brought to public safety and fire prevention—because without water, none of our other priorities can move forward.