Local News

Every year, nonprofits set up firework stands throughout the city of Watsonville, with the proceeds going to fund their activities. Sales rubn July 1-4. Their use is only permitted within the cities of Watsonville and Capitola. People using them outside of those places face steep fines.

Sales locations 

Fairytale Farms 

1051 South Green Valley Road 

Pajaro Valley Girls Softball

444 Airport Boulevard 

Pajaro Valley Youth Soccer

1125 South Green Valley Road

Victory Outreach of Watsonville 

1702 Freedom Boulevard

Watsonville Buddhist Temple 

423 Bridge Street

Watsonville Charter School 

2010 Freedom Boulevard

Watsonville Victory Outreach #1 

1000 Main Street

Watsonville Youth Training Center 

1424 Freedom Boulevard

Freedom Rotary Club 

1966 Main Street

Moreland Notre Dame 

634 Main Street

Pajaro Lodge 

1465 Main Street

Watsonville HS Football & Cheer 

1116 Main Street

Watsonville HS Soccer 

600 Main Street

Watsonville HS Track & Field

20 Ohlone Parkway

Watsonville HS Wrestling 

377 Hushbeck Way

Watsonville JR Wildcatz 

375 Hushbeck Avenue

Watsonville PAL 

355 Green Valley Road

These folks practice carrying clouds in preparation for an upcoming Mardi Gras event in Watsonville on Feb. 1, 1961

Less than one year after the Pajaro Valley Unified School District approved his $229,000 contract, Chief Business Officer Gerardo Castillo is leaving the district.

In an email to teachers and staff Friday morning, PVUSD spokesman Alejandro Chavez said Castillo had resigned and accepted a “new leadership opportunity with Sacramento City Unified School District.”

Castillo

“While we are saddened to see Gerardo leave PVUSD, we are deeply grateful for his service, leadership and dedication to our district,” the email states. “During his time with PVUSD, Gerardo helped guide important financial and operational work in support of our schools, students and staff. His expertise, professionalism and commitment to public education have been greatly valued.”

In a prepared statement, Castillo said his decision was driven by a change in a family member’s health that requires him to take a position closer to home.

He said his departure “is not a reflection of my colleagues, and especially not of Dr. Contreras,” but rather a decision to prioritize his family.

Castillo said district staff spent the past several months confronting declining enrollment, multimillion-dollar budget deficits and rising health care costs. He added that difficult decisions—including potential school consolidations and closures—must continue if the district is to achieve long-term fiscal stability.

“Addressing these issues requires difficult but necessary actions,” he said.

Castillo also praised Superintendent Heather Contreras, calling her leadership “invaluable,” and saying she “leads with conviction, clarity, and an unwavering focus on doing what is right for students, even when faced with difficult decisions.”

He said he will remain with the district for the next month to help ensure a smooth transition.

PVUSD will now begin the search for Castillo’s replacement.

Castillo is the latest in a string of chief business officers to leave the district since 2017, following Jenny Im, Clint Rucker, Joe Dominguez, Melody Canady and Brett McFadden.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is considering a run for president as he approaches the end of his term, called for a national “billionaires’ tax” on Friday even as he fights another proposal targeting the wealthy in his home state.

There’s a lot of work that goes into being a student-athlete nowadays.

Most have to juggle between practice, workouts (sometimes twice a day), school work and perhaps other responsibilities on a daily basis.

Pajaro Valley High graduate Olivia Contreras knows this all too well seeing that she had first-hand experience in not just one, but three different sports for the past four years. 

“It is a lot to balance,” she said. “You really do just have to put in a lot of work and make sure that you can have boundaries for sports and for school because it does get a lot sometimes.”

In those four years, Contreras believes she’s grown a lot in both academics and athletics.

However, it wasn’t until her junior year when the Grizzly star athlete truly began to sparkle for the girls volleyball, basketball and softball teams.

“I was still learning, and I continue to learn, but I think junior year is really where I started to feel more comfortable,” Contreras said. “Then senior year was probably one of my best years.”

No doubt about it.

Contreras found success across multiple sports, earning all-league first team honors in all three that she competed in while also being recognized as the top player in one.

It was a testament not only to her natural talent, but to her relentless work ethic, dedication to her teams and unwavering commitment to excellence. 

Contreras was an inspiration while setting an example for younger athletes. She represents the very best of what it means to be a student-athlete, which is why Contreras was named The Pajaronian’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2025-26 school year.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting it,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of other super talented people in the area, and for me to be able to accept this award, and to be given this award, is such an honor.”

PV athletic director Joe Manfre had a front row seat throughout most of Contreras’ career.

Manfre said he was always impressed by her tenacity and willingness to do anything to help make the team better, and win.

“She wasn’t one of those people that was gonna throw the bat down when she struck out,” Manfre said. “It was her calm demeanor that helped lead the other kids in all those sports that she played. She never really got too high, and she never really got too low. Just her consistency and her temperament helped out in all three sports.”

Contreras said it also helped to have her father, Adrian, watching from the grandstands in just about every game, even the ones that added mileage to the car.

“He’s always there to motivate me and to talk about games after if I have a bad game or anything,” Contreras said. “And he’s super supportive, so he’s somebody I really look up to.”

Contreras quickly made a name for herself in her favorite sport after becoming a member of the girls volleyball team her freshman year. 

“Just the love for it really pushed me to be better, and I loved the feeling of when I was succeeding in it,” she said. “That feeling also really kept me going, and just putting in hard work.”

The hard work paid off as she earned All-Pacific Coast Athletic League First Team honors in the Cypress Division to cap off her senior year in dominant fashion.

Unlike a real grizzly bear, Contreras did not hibernate during the winter. She continued to grind on the hardwood court as one of the team captains for the girls basketball squad.

Former PV head coach Darren Jackson praised Contreras for being a well-rounded student-athlete that was passionate about anything she set her mind to.

“It speaks to her character and how hard she works,” Jackson said. “I’m glad that she was noticed and being recognized for that [athlete of the year] award. I think she deserves it.”

Contreras went from earning All-PCAL Cypress Division Second Team honors her junior season to earning first team honors, and receiving the co-Most Valuable Player award this past winter campaign.

“[Jackson], with his different strategies, he’s helped me a lot,” she said. “He pushed all of us to be a lot better, and we pushed ourselves.”

The Grizzly standout finished with an average of 12 points and 10 rebounds per game while playing lockdown defense on the opposite side of the court.

What’s even more jaw dropping is she was still successful despite playing out of position, going from down in the paint to up top as a guard.

“She’s that kind of athlete that gives me that full court drive, that pressure that I needed,” Jackson said. “She accepted her new role and she became very good at it.”

Contreras demonstrated a high level of skill, strong leadership and relentless heart in every game.

On top of an MVP season, she helped lead the Grizzlies to a share of the PCAL Cypress Division crown with Pacific Collegiate as both teams went 12-2 in league play this season.

“This year was definitely a shock, but I’m really happy about the outcome,” Contreras said. “[MVP] wasn’t really something I was aiming for, but it’s something I’m super excited that I was able to get.” 

The athleticism continued in the spring on the softball field.

Contreras earned All-PCAL First Team honors in the Santa Lucia Division, proving once again her competitive spirit knows no boundaries.

“I love sports, but [softball] just wasn’t really my sport,” she said. “I wanted to do the best that I could in that sport, and I think it showed.” 

In 19 games played, she finished batting a .327 average (17-for-52), including three home runs, a pair of triples, 25 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 10 walks and 16 stolen bases.

PV second-year head coach Daisy Ortiz mentioned that Contreras gained confidence at the plate by putting in extra work at the batting cages.

“She wouldn’t stop taking reps until she felt they were good or started getting good swings on the ball,” Ortiz said. “She’s a really hard worker, a leader since she stepped on our field, as well.” 

On defense, Contreras stepped into a new role behind the plate as PV’s newest catcher. She finished with 103 put outs on 111 total chances while tallying just seven errors.

A true example of what sportsmanship ought to be. 

“She’s a really good athlete, but I think the most important thing is that she’s a really good teammate,” Manfre said. “I think she lifts up all the girls around her. Whatever sport she’s playing, whether it’s volleyball, basketball, or softball, she brings a lot of energy, hard work and dedication.”

In fact, Contreras earned a spot on the PCAL’s Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team, while the Grizzlies were named the Elgi Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team. 

“I would have to move a lot of girls around, and whatever position I had to put [Contreras] at that day, she would just own it and do whatever was best for the team,” Ortiz said. “We pride ourselves on good sportsmanship.”

When it comes down to it, Contreras simply loves the competitiveness and seeing everybody get along to be able to play together. 

Contreras is also hopeful the athlete of year award will bring more attention to PV’s athletic department, and encourage others to give sports at least a try.

“It’s really a great community,” she said. “I think sports helps people open up, and it’s really important. Sports are a big part of my life.”

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Adelaide Friedley (Sr.), Aptos

Cloe Morrow (Jr.), Monte Vista Christian

Olivia Contreras (Sr.), Pajaro Valley

Peyton Orradre (Sr.), St. Francis

Esperanza Sigala (Jr.), Watsonville

This post is updated throughout the day to reflect the latest incidents. It was last updated at 7:02 a.m..

Here’s what’s happening on the roads this morning…

▼︎ new incidents

Road incidents as of 7 a.m. on June 26

• Highway 9 at Cascade Avenue in San Lorenzo Valley has one-way traffic because of ongoing work. This closure will last until August 31.
   
• There will be alternating lane closures on both northbound and southbound Highway 9 at Pool Drive in San Lorenzo Valley because of bridge work. This will continue until April 30 at 6:59 a.m.
   
• A lane on westbound SR-152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville/Pajaro is closed for paving work. The closure will last until 5:59 a.m. on July 3.
   
• A traffic collision happened on northbound Highway 1 near 41st Ave. in Capitola/Soquel. No one was hurt. Debris like a trash can, metal bar, and toolbox was scattered on the road, making cars swerve to avoid it. A large truck dropped a metal object, and another vehicle ran over debris and got a flat tire. The debris was later moved to the right-hand shoulder for removal. The incident was reported today.
   
• A traffic collision happened at the intersection of San Juan Rd and Murphy Rd in Watsonville / Pajaro at 5:36 a.m. today. A white Toyota pickup and a dark blue or black Yukon were involved. Tow services and the fire department responded to remove the vehicles and clean up fluids. No injuries were reported.
   

Disclosure: Traffic incidents are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

The post Friday morning traffic: Highway 9 one-way traffic, debris on Hwy 1 after crash appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

The Guerilla Drive-In, a pop-up movie theater screening films of all kinds throughout Santa Cruz, is ramping up once again, and will host its first public screening in more than a decade on Friday. The collective seeks to reclaim public spaces, transform the urban landscape and bring back a low-cost community-based activity following social isolation during the pandemic and amid the rising cost of living.

The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury issued five reports on Thursday, covering a wide range of topics. Most notably, it focused on challenges contributing to the housing crisis and flaws in the county’s approach to behavioral health, along with pedestrian safety, election integrity, and concerns with the free parking at the county office buildings.

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for its newsletters.

California Forever, the tech billionaire-backed group that hopes to build a city from scratch on farmland in the outer San Francisco Bay Area, is lobbying state leaders to fast-track a massive shipbuilding deal that would kick-start its development after years of local opposition. 

The billionaires behind the project are seeking a deal to expedite environmental reviews of the development and, if necessary, bypass county restrictions on building by being absorbed into Suisun City boundaries. They’ve hired former Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and former Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg — Democratic architects of landmark environmental laws — to make their case, and are using the prospect of luring a major shipbuilder to California to accelerate the dealmaking.

California Forever has pursued its project for nearly a decade, though the vision has shifted: At first pitched as a walkable city with cottages, bike lanes and even a water park, the plan then added a major shipbuilding operation and, last summer, a manufacturing hub. 

California Forever’s proponents, led by the state’s powerful building trades union along with realtors, peace officers and pro-housing groups, argue the latest proposal would boost the state’s economy and bring an estimated half a million jobs to California. And now, a prospective tenant has emerged: Defense company Saronic Technologies, Inc., which builds autonomous vessels for use in national security, is deciding between California and Texas for its next factory. The state must fast-track the development or lose the deal, supporters argue.

The developers are seeking the state’s permission to use an 18-year-old environmental impact report for the shipyard development, limit any legal challenges to the project to 270 days, and allow Suisun City to annex their land if needed, according to Steinberg and Hertzberg. 

“In short, if legislation is not approved, California will lose billions of dollars in investments and tens of thousands of jobs this summer to Texas and other states,” proponents wrote in a joint letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders this week.

But some locals and lawmakers are skeptical, arguing that details about the project remain scarce. The proposed development would convert vast farmlands into factories and risk harming the surrounding ecosystem, they said, which deserves rigorous environmental review under the landmark California Environmental Quality Act that proponents are seeking to expedite. 

“For a project this scale in this location, it is what the [law] was designed for,” said Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a Napa Democrat who represents the area. “A central question for the people of Solano County is: Is this going to be for the community or is this a conversion project that leaves them behind?”

State Sen. Christopher Cabaldon during a Senate floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento in February 2025. Credit: Fred Greaves for CalMatters

Opponents also slammed California Forever for pursuing relief behind closed doors with state leaders and circumventing local opposition. Since 2018, the group has secretly bought up agricultural land, shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars to court local residents and spent at least $330,000 lobbying the governor and legislative leaders for favorable legislation.

“I think they know that the only way this actually happens is under cover of darkness, by trying to essentially get the governor to work this plan for them,” said Jordan Grimes, legislative director at Greenbelt Alliance, which has advocated for streamlined environmental reviews for housing projects.

Secretive beginnings foment distrust

For residents of Solano County, an agricultural community on the outskirts of the Bay Area that includes coastal areas next to a deep-water shipping lane, the suspicion around California Forever has been hard to shake. 

The group’s subsidiary, Flannery Associates, started buying up farmland in 2018, eventually acquiring 62,000 acres while routinely refusing to answer questions about its backers. Some farmers later alleged the company used strong-arm tactics to get them to sell. 

In 2023, Flannery’s backers were unmasked as a group of wealthy venture capitalists including the founders of LinkedIn and Netscape, all led by former Goldman Sachs trader and real estate developer Jan Sramek. Marc Andreessen, co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, holds investments in both California Forever and Saronic, the defense company eyeing California. Andreessen’s firm did not immediately return a CalMatters inquiry for comment.

Despite rocky beginnings, California Forever needed the majority of Solano County voters on its side due to a 1984 “orderly growth” law that requires voters to approve development on unincorporated land. 

In 2024, the company debuted the East Solano Plan to rezone 17,500 acres of agricultural land for a dense, 400,000-person city. The proposal was set to go before voters that year, but its backers pulled it following powerful grassroots opposition, poor polling and a county assessment that found holes in the plan. Sramek acknowledged the group likely moved too fast and said the initiative would go back before voters in 2026. 

Instead, the group has pivoted. The East Solano Plan has become the Suisun Expansion Plan and the Solano Shipyard. In January 2025, Suisun City’s city council directed its manager to explore expanding the city’s limits through annexation, which is now underway, although it could take years.

Highway 113 runs through land where California Forever plans to put its new city in Solano County. Credit: Loren Elliott for CalMatters

“The annexation and the ship building have been a clear way to work around the need for voter support in Solano County,” said Nate Huntington, a member of the grassroots group Solano Together, which formed in response to the secretive land purchases. Huntington pointed out that California Forever hasn’t even submitted a proposal for a shipbuilding facility to the county. 

“All of this has been happening in backrooms of Sacramento, and it’s not been publicly available.”

Seeking state environmental relief

California Forever is now selling the development to the state as a major incentive to lure manufacturers and shipbuilders to California — and the subsequent need for housing to accommodate the promised jobs. 

The company wants the governor and state lawmakers to cut red tape for the development and require enough housing for the new jobs. Steinberg and Hertzberg told CalMatters they are contemplating legislation to that end, but only after California Forever signs a lease with a manufacturer or shipbuilder. 

Their plan would allow the governor to designate construction on company land as “environmental leadership development projects,” which would effectively require any litigation to be resolved within 270 days. Steinberg authored the state law streamlining that process in 2013.

State law requires government agencies to prepare a report for any project that might have a significant impact on the environment. Instead of assessing the impact of the proposed shipyard, Steinberg and Hertzberg’s proposal would use a 2008 report, which designated the area where the shipyard would go as “water-dependent industrial usage.” Most of California Forever’s 7,500-acre planned footprint does not have that designation.

Steinberg told CalMatters the report is sufficient since the site has changed little.

“The state and county need the ability to say yes now to these numerous opportunities,” he said in a text. A new report, he said, “would require years of additional delay and lost opportunities.”

But the report is outdated, Cabaldon argues.

“This is completely different,” he said. “Just the notion that you would just say, ‘We are not going to do any assessments at all and we’ll just rely on this old one’ — that is not consistent with what the public interest is.” 

Steinberg and Hertzberg also want the state to require enough housing in the area, but to allow surrounding cities and Solano County to permit local housing developers to build first. 

But if local governments aren’t willing to or cannot build enough housing within the timeline the manufacturer or the shipbuilder wants, Steinberg and Hertzberg’s proposal would allow Suisun City to annex adjacent California Forever-owned county land into its city boundaries — a controversial idea that has drawn fierce local opposition. The move would be a “last resort,” Steinberg and Hertzberg stressed repeatedly.

The annexation would effectively bypass the county’s orderly growth initiative, which requires voters to have a say in development. 

“The shipbuilders and manufacturers need certainty on a much faster timeline,” Steinberg said.

Cabaldon said the pitch to build new housing to accommodate theoretical jobs is “fantastical,” noting that Saronic, the proposed ship-builder, is a leader in automation. 

“There’s no indication that this is going to generate on an ongoing basis that many jobs, and certainly not more jobs than we have housing for even today without building a single additional unit,” he said.

Historic union agreement prompts support

In January, California Forever announced it had signed a 40-year deal with the Napa/Solano Building Trades Council and Northern California Carpenters Union to use union labor to build its development. The agreement was an important political alliance for CEO Sramek, bringing more influential advocates to the table. 

According to Digital Democracy, both the Building Trades Council and the Carpenters Union have given roughly $10 million in direct donations to legislative candidates since 2000. 

Those advocates made themselves heard over the past few weeks, following a Texas county court approving significant tax incentives to lure Saronic to Brownsville. In a statement, Saronic said its nationwide search is still “active and ongoing.”

The California Alliance For Jobs, an alliance of influential construction companies and workers, drafted two letters in quick succession calling for legislative leaders to streamline the California Forever expansion and shipyard. 

“We champed at the bit to go all in to get this project moving, and to get legislation through Sacramento this session,” said Joshua Arce, the CEO of the alliance.

Suisun City Councilmember Princess Washington, who has consistently been the sole vote on the council against the annexation plan, said she feels organized labor is being used as “political pressure” to win approval. 

“Processes are slow, but they’re done that way through government to ensure that it’s being done correctly, that all parties of interest are being treated fairly, and there’s checks and balances,” Washington said. 

“It’s unheard of for a project to be done as quickly as they want it to be done.”

In a statement, California Forever spokesperson Jim Wunderman said any shipyard project will comply with all California environmental and land use laws. He said county supervisors already approved using the 2008 impact report, and that legislation would allow the group to “meet prospective employers’ timelines.”

He said by pursuing expansion within Suisun City, California Forever is following the community’s preferences by channeling new growth into existing cities.

An ongoing presence in the Capitol

Since 2024, California Forever has spent at least $330,000 lobbying the Legislature and governor’s office on bills and other actions, according to campaign finance records. 

Steinberg and Hertzberg told CalMatters they were hired in April as “special counsel,” not lobbyists, meaning they are spending less than a third of their time talking with public officials. 

Grimes, who said he respects Steinberg for leading landmark environmental land use reforms in the Legislature, said he’s disappointed in his advocacy for California Forever, “a project that is antithetical to all of this.”

Sheep graze on land where California Forever plans to build its new city in Solano County. Credit: Loren Elliott for CalMatters

California Forever reported spending $90,000 lobbying the governor’s office and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, GO-Biz, last year on “federal shipbuilding activities and California business attraction and retention activities.” 

GO-Biz spokesperson Willie Rudman did not respond to questions about whether the agency plans to offer specific incentives to Saronic, saying the office had “discussed relevant state incentive programs with Saronic and explained how they operate.” 

Last fall though, GO-Biz helped organize a bid for Saronic to settle in Solano County. County staff reported during a board meeting that GO-Biz supported a legislative effort to override the county’s “orderly growth” law. 

County supervisors rushed through a proposal to change the boundaries of the Solano Shipyard to comply, but with just days remaining before the end of the legislative session, Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City, said there wasn’t time to introduce legislation. 

Since then, Wilson said, the proposal has been on the table, but “nothing’s been requested” of her office by California Forever. 

The company also urged lawmakers to act fast or risk losing the shipbuilder to Texas last year — a negotiating tactic common in economic development, Cabaldon said. 

But Cabaldon argued that Saronic will decide where to place its shipyard based on “defense needs of the United States of America” instead of state incentives.

“We have to negotiate with our eyes open.”

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The post Tech billionaires hire Democratic dealmakers in renewed push to build a Bay Area city appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

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A proposal that would have set a first-of-its-kind minimum wage for certain housing construction workers in California is dead for the year in the face of fierce opposition from a major construction union coalition. 

Assembly Bill 1751 would fast-track the approval of new townhouses. In exchange for using the law, developers would have been required to pay their workers at least $28 per hour. 

In a hearing before the state Senate Housing Committee, Oakland Democrat Buffy Wicks, a co-author of the bill, reluctantly agreed to strip out the minimum wage “based on the staunch opposition to this change by the Building Trades.”

Sen. Jesse Arreguín, the committee’s chair, ultimately made the stripping of the wage measure a condition of his approval. The Berkeley Democrat vowed to pursue a policy that would “establish some minimum floor” in the coming months that would be acceptable to all parties, including the the State Building and Construction Trades Council.

The council, known colloquially in Sacramento as “the trades,” is a union coalition made up of electricians, plumbers, sheet metal workers and other skilled trades. It has rallied against the measure since it was introduced in April, arguing that it would undermine federally determined “prevailing wage” rates — even higher minimum wage levels required for publicly funded projects.

The state’s unionized carpenters, a regular political foe of the trades on housing policy, disputed that characterization, arguing that residential construction workers rarely work on jobs where pay is determined by federal public work rules. The bill is sponsored by the New California Coalition, a centrist political advocacy group composed largely of business groups. 

After the wage provision was pulled, the trades — whose members showed up in droves to the hearing — went neutral on the bill.

The bill ultimately passed through the Senate Housing Committee, but not before a number of Democratic members expressed frustration with the stripping of the wage language. 

“We do have a segment of folks who do need to make more than just the minimum wage,” said Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Long Beach Democrat. 

Wicks ended her testimony on a similar note.

“The idea to raise the floor from $16 to $28 seems like it should be an easy thing for us to do in this legislative body as Democrats,” she said. 

Even with the wage language jettisoned, trouble could lie ahead for AB 1751. Another Democrat on the committee, Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, noted that the changes made Wednesday did not address her concerns over the bill’s circumvention of local land-use authority. Durazo chairs the Local Government committee, where the bill heads next week.

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On Nov. 3, Californians will vote on 14 statewide ballot measures on environment, taxation, election, housing and healthcare.

For months, interest groups sponsoring ballot initiatives spent heavily on ad blitzes and signature gathering to get on the ballot, but some agreed to withdraw high-profile proposals after striking deals with state leaders or other interest groups this week, ahead of Thursday’s deadline to finalize the November ballot.

Rideshare giant Uber and the state’s trial lawyers pulled rival measures in a deal with state lawmakers and healthcare labor unions, and the California Hospital Association agreed to pull two measures that would have capped hospital executive pay and restricted spending by healthcare unions.

Here’s what’s on your November ballot:

Billionaire tax

What it does: This high-profile measure would apply a one-time 5% wealth tax on the assets of roughly 200 California billionaires, to be paid over five years. Ninety percent of the revenue would go to pay for healthcare for low-income Californians and 10% toward education and food assistance programs.

Supporters: Service Employees International Union–United Healthcare Workers West, independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Teamsters California and AFSCME California

Opponents: Gov. Gavin Newsom, prominent billionaires including Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Ripple Labs co-founder Chris Larsen, the California Teachers Association, California Primary Care Association and California Medical Association

Audit new tax spending

What it does: This measure in response to the billionaire tax proposal would require state audits of programs funded by new taxes. It would also apply revenue from new taxes to the state’s spending cap, which requires that spiking revenue go back to taxpayers or toward education. That would effectively cancel out the wealth tax proposal. If voters approve both measures, the one with more votes will prevail.

Supporters: Building a Better California, primarily funded by Brin and venture capitalists John Doerr and Michael Moritz, and Reform California, led by GOP Assemblymember Carl DeMaio of San Diego

Opponents: Proponents of the billionaire tax initiative

Prohibit new personal property tax and retroactive taxes

What it does: This measure is also aimed at undercutting the wealth tax proposal. It would prevent new taxes on personal property, which would offset the wealth tax. If both pass, the one with more votes prevails. 

Supporters: Building a Better California and Reform California

Opponents: Proponents of the billionaire tax initiative

Make high-earner income tax permanent

What it does: The measure seeks to make permanent a temporary income tax — up to 12% — on high earners that voters approved in 2012. The tax applies to household income over $721,000 for couples and over $360,000 for individuals. The tax generates between $5 billion and $15 billion each year for K-12 schools and community colleges. It is set to expire in 2031.

Supporters: The California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers and California School Employees Association

Opponents: California Taxpayers Association

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal May 14 in Sacramento. Credit: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press Higher threshold for local special taxes

What it does: This would raise the threshold for citizen-driven special tax ballot initiatives to pass from a simple majority to two-thirds, making it harder to impose or increase taxes. The measure, placed on the ballot at the last minute by state lawmakers, reflects a deal state leaders struck with Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. 

Supporters: Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, California legislators, Newsom

Affordable housing bond

What it does: This would allow the state to borrow a record $11.25 billion for affordable housing, with $10 billion to buy, build, rehabilitate and preserve affordable homes and $1.25 billion to help veterans buy homes.

Supporters: Newsom, Democratic state lawmakers, the California Apartment Association and AFL-CIO California

Opponents: Republican state lawmakers

$25 billion homebuying loan

What it does: This would create a $25 billion mortgage loan program for home buyers who make less than 200% of the area median income. The measure would offer fixed-rate mortgages for up to 17% of the purchase price on homes priced under $1.5 million. Home buyers must pay at least 3% of their down payment. 

Supporters: Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg, Building a Better California, the California Association of Realtors, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and Western States Regional Council of Carpenters

Rainy day fund

What it does: This constitutional amendment from top Democratic leaders would allow the state to deposit up to 20% of its general fund tax revenue into its rainy day fund each year, instead of the current 10%. The state could also spend some tax revenue to pay down its $20 billion federal unemployment insurance debt.

Supporters: Newsom and legislative Democrats

Opponents: Legislative Republicans

Expedited environmental review

What it does: This would amend the state’s landmark California Environmental Quality Act to create deadlines for environmental reviews of most housing, transportation, water, health and clean energy projects to speed up permitting and limit the court’s ability to stop or delay developments.

Supporters: California Chamber of Commerce, Building a Better California, the California Building Industry Association, Pacific Gas & Electric and Edison International

Opponents: Clean and Healthy California, a coalition of environmental advocates and the California State Building and Construction Trades Council

Voter ID

What it does: This constitutional amendment would require voters to present government-issued ID when voting in person or the last four digits of their ID number when voting by mail. Voters would be required to state under the penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. 

Supporters: Reform California, GOP U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, and state Sen. Tony Strickland of Huntington Beach

Opponents: League of Women Voters of California, ACLU California Action and California Donor Table

Public campaign financing

What it does: This measure would allow state and local political candidates to tap into public funds for their campaigns. Public campaign financing has been banned in California since 1988. State lawmakers approved the measure last year to send it to voters this November.

Supporters: California Common Cause, California Clean Money Campaign and ACLU California Action

Opponents: California Taxpayers Association

Recall election reform

What it does: After a recall, this constitutional amendment would eliminate the election to pick a successor immediately, such as when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced recalled Gov. Gray Davis, instead leaving the post vacant until it’s filled in a separate election. It would also allow the recalled official to run for the office again.

Supporters: League of Women Voters, California Common Cause and Secretary of State Shirley Weber

Opponents: Election Integrity Project California

Clinic funding

What it does: This measure would require federally qualified health centers to spend 90% of revenue on direct patient care and services that aid in providing care to low-income and underserved people. Clinics that don’t comply would be fined; the money would go into a state-operated account for worker training and staffing. 

Supporters: Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West

Opponents: The California Primary Care Association, which represents clinics; the California Medical Association, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and the California Teachers Association

Immunology research bond

What it does: This would allow the state to borrow $8.4 billion in debt to research immune system-based technologies for treating conditions including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. The money would be divided between a University of California-affiliated nonprofit and a grant for public or nonprofit institutions. Any resulting technology and drugs from the research would be sold at 20% below the national average. 

Supporters: Gary Michelson, philanthropist and funder of the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Meyer Luskin, philanthropist and institute board member, The ALS Association, The Alzheimer’s Association and Blood Cancer United

Opponents: Robert Kaplan, former associate director of the National Institutes of Health

CalMatters’ Ben Christopher contributed reporting.

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Watsonville Community Hospital has appointed veteran healthcare executive Tim Moran as its interim chief executive officer as the community-owned hospital begins a search for a permanent leader.

The Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board of Directors unanimously approved Moran’s appointment during its June 24 meeting. He will replace current CEO Stephen Gray, who announced earlier this month that he is resigning. Gray’s last day is July 10, and Moran will begin July 11.

Moran is expected to serve as interim CEO for six months while the board conducts a search for a permanent replacement.

Board Chair Tony Nuñez said the hospital needed a leader who could provide stability during the transition.

“At this critical moment for Watsonville Community Hospital, our community needs and deserves a leader who can provide consistency and will support staff and physicians,” Nuñez said in a statement.

Moran previously served as interim CEO of Watsonville Community Hospital from December 2011 through March 2012. He has more than 30 years of healthcare leadership experience, according to the hospital.

Most recently, Moran was CEO of Chino Valley Medical Center, a 116-bed hospital in San Bernardino County. Before that, he led Tri-City Medical Center, a public district hospital in Oceanside, where he oversaw strategic planning, physician recruitment and partnerships, including an affiliation with UC San Diego Health.

The leadership change comes as Watsonville Community Hospital continues its recovery under public ownership. The hospital was purchased by the Pajaro Valley Health Care District in 2022 after community leaders and local governments raised funds to prevent its closure.

The board also created a CEO Recruitment Ad Hoc Committee to oversee the search for a permanent chief executive. Directors Emily Balli and Aleandra Friel were appointed to the committee.

According to the hospital, the committee will develop the recruitment process, gather input from staff, physicians, labor groups, community partners and the public, and recommend candidates for consideration by the full board. The search is expected to take several months.

Hospital officials said Watsonville Community Hospital has recently improved its financial position, citing positive operating revenue and more than $10 million in emergency state funding. Officials also pointed to recent patient safety ratings and ongoing Measure N-funded equipment upgrades as signs of continued progress.

Tonight! Bay Area comedian and musician Phil Johnson brings his musical comedy act to Woodhouse Blending & Brewing in Santa Cruz, 7:30pm