Lookout Santa Cruz

Under the leadership of new executive director Dennis Bartok, Santa Cruz’s long-standing arts nonprofit The 418 Project is undergoing a “rebirth” by expanding its traditional dance focus into adventurous, self-produced programming.

Santa Cruz County is losing its young families with children — and local activist Kevin Norton says our fractured, agency-by-agency approach to housing is why. Here, he offers up a new, collaborative approach to housing that he thinks will help families, teachers, first responders and others stay in our community. He believes we need to follow Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley and create a “joint powers housing trust” that allows cities, agencies and the county to work together – and reduces the bureaucracy of applying for low-income housing. We coordinate for book lending and emergency services, he argues. Why not housing?

Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s chief business officer announced his resignation this week after about eight months on the job. 

Gerardo Castillo was hired last September and started on the job Oct. 1. His resignation comes a year after the previous CBO, Jenny Im, resigned. 

“My short tenure at PVUSD since October of last year is not a reflection of my colleagues, and especially not of Dr. [Heather] Contreras, but rather due to a recent change in health for one of my family members,” he said in a statement. “This has significantly shifted our circumstances, making it essential that I accept a professional opportunity closer to home to prioritize my family.”

In a message to staff Friday morning, the district said Castillo made the decision to resign and take a new role with Sacramento City Unified School District. 

“While we are saddened to see Gerardo leave PVUSD, we are deeply grateful for his service, leadership, and dedication to our district,” district officials wrote. “During his time with PVUSD, Gerardo helped guide important financial and operational work in support of our schools, students, and staff.”

The district said it will begin searching for a new CBO soon and is committed to a “smooth transition.” 

According to his statement, Castillo said the district is facing significant challenges, from declining enrollment to rising healthcare costs. 

“Addressing these issues requires difficult but necessary actions, and the ongoing work regarding school consolidation and school closures must continue if the district is to achieve fiscal stability,” he wrote. “While we recognize that there are strong opinions surrounding these issues, the ongoing public discussion and differing interpretations of our fiscal realities have made it more difficult.”

During school board meetings, teachers union representatives have argued against recently approved layoffs and the district’s budget projections, saying that PVUSD is manipulating the budget in order to make more cuts than necessary. However, many school districts are facing similar budget challenges across the state. 

The Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers said in a statement that despite Castillo’s departure, its priority continues to be to put students first. 

“We look forward to engaging the district in this mediation process and reaching an agreement that prioritizes our students and staff,” the union wrote.

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Longtime community leader and former journalist Tony Nuñez has defeated incumbent Felipe Hernandez in the race for the District 4 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. 

Nuñez has maintained a nearly 20 percentage-point lead over Hernandez over the past three weeks as vote tallies were posted since the June 2 primary election. Nuñez earned 50.07 % of the vote ( 3,944 of 8,510 votes cast) while Hernandez had 30.84% and third-place Elias Gonzales received 18.41%. 

Nuñez won the race outright because he received at least a simple majority plus one (50% of votes cast + 1). If no candidate had reached that threshold, the top two vote-getters would head to a run-off election in November. 

“[I’m] just really humbled by the trust voters have placed in me,” Nuñez told Lookout Friday afternoon. “Listening to voters was an incredible experience, and they have put their trust in me. And, it was not a small amount of people who put their trust in me.”

More than anything, Nuñez said he’s excited about the opportunity to continue serving the community in this role.

Now that Nuñez has won the District 4 seat, he will be required to vacate his role as board chair of the Pajaro Health Care District, which operates Watsonville Community Hospital, at a time when the health care facility is undergoing a leadership change with the impending departure of CEO Stephen Gray. 

The focus for his last six months on the hospital board will be supporting it’s new interim CEO, Tim Moran, staff and leadership as best he can. “It’s a huge time of transition for the healthcare district and the hospital,” he said.

Throughout his campaign, Nuñez has said that he wants to increase economic development in South County — which he believes could be the key to meeting community needs. 

He told Lookout in April that he’d like to work with Watsonville city officials to figure out ways to develop tourism in the city that’s been primarily driven by agriculture and nonprofits. The county — which currently faces a $23.2 million deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year — is struggling to bring in additional revenue to fund programs that benefit community members, Nuñez said. 

As supervisor, Nuñez said he’d like to address the impact a high cost of living has on families in Santa Cruz County — especially in South County. He previously told Lookout one of his ideas would be to create a pilot program that would ensure residents in the Pajaro Valley have access to low-cost childcare up to transitional kindergarten. 

Another initiative Nuñez would like to create is a robust down-payment assistance program for local residents, specifically in South County, to help increase homeownership. But acknowledged that those things take money and time to achieve. 

The candidates for District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor at an April forum hosted by Lookout in Watsonville, from left, challengers Tony Nuñez and Elias Gonzales and incumbent Felipe Hernandez. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Nuñez’s victory marks a surprising upset: the first incumbent supervisor in recent history to outright lose a reelection bid in the primary election. Hernandez’s predecessor on the board of supervisors, Greg Caput, served three terms before retiring from public office. Before that, Caput unseated Tony Campos, who was seeking a fourth term, in the November 2010 election. 

Hernandez has faced criticism from his South County constituents throughout his reelection bid over not taking a stance on a contentious proposal to build a battery storage facility outside of Watsonville, along with the county’s handling of a local ordinance meant to regulate these facilities. He also faced allegations that he removed one of his opponent’s campaign signs a week before the June 2 primary. 

Hernandez did not respond to Lookout’s request for comment.

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The post Tony Nuñez unseats incumbent Felipe Hernandez in District 4 county supervisor race appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Welcome to Lookout’s 2026 primary election results page. The Santa Cruz County Clerk certified the results of the June 2 primary election Friday, releasing the final vote counts in all county races just after 2 p.m. See the charts below for the final margins.

Santa Cruz County supervisor results

In District 3, encompassing Santa Cruz, Davenport and Bonny Doon, Justin Cummings secured a second term after running unopposed. In District 4, covering much of the city of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley, challenger Tony Nuñez has unseated incumbent Felipe Hernandez, avoiding a November run-off after securing 50.07% of the vote.

Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge

Immigration attorney Alisa Thomas defeated criminal defense attorney Bryan Hackett in the race for an open seat on the Santa Cruz County Superior Court.

Santa Cruz mayor

Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen-Mills are headed to a November run-off after securing the top two spots in the five-person field vying to succeed Mayor Fred Keeley.

Santa Cruz City Council

In District 4, covering downtown and part of the Westside bounded by High Street to the north and Bay Street to the west, incumbent Scott Newsome won a second term, defeating challenger Hector Marin. In District 6, which covers the lower Westside, the westernmost part of the upper Westside and part of the UC Santa Cruz campus, Renee Golder also secured reelection, beating Gabriella Noack.

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The post Santa Cruz County 2026 primary election results in charts: Final tallies for all county races appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

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.

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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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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The post Billionaire tax, affordable housing: See the measures on California’s November ballot appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

With the weekend nearly here, check out things to do around Santa Cruz County with a recommendation from Lily Belli and a specially curated list from Lookout’s BOLO events calendar.

No one knows Santa Cruz County summer like the people who live it every day. Summer here has a way of bringing out the best in this community. The beaches fill up, the festivals return, the trails get busy, and somehow every weekend feels like it was made for being outside. Here is how a few Bay Federal employees spend theirs.

Erin Davidson, Home Loan Consultant

A morning yoga class at Pleasure Point, a walk down to the beach with friends, and an evening catching live music at Capitola Beach, the Crow’s Nest Beach Parties, or Midtown Fridays. “The long days and the live music are what make it feel like summer,” she says.

Andrew Thompson, Financial Services Officer – Capitola

Capitola Village is Andrew’s happy place in the summer: great food, easy energy, and plenty to do. Margaritaville and Britannia Arms are his two favorite spots. “It’s one of those places that just feels like summer every time you go,” he says.

Nicole Beaver, AVP, Regional Manager

Nicole’s perfect summer day starts with a coastal walk alongside her husband, kids, and dog. They fuel up with breakfast at East Side Eatery, a favorite dog-friendly spot, before heading down East Cliff toward Pleasure Point Beach to splash in the waves and dig in the sand. As the sun sets, they grab a slice from Pleasure Pizza, followed by s’mores. “There’s nothing better than ending the day under the stars together,” she says.

Cameron Haste, EVP Chief Operations Officer

Cameron looks forward to Sip for Second Harvest every summer. The event brings together local wine, community connection, and a beautiful Seascape setting in support of a great cause. “It’s a really memorable summer afternoon, and it feels good to give back while you’re enjoying it,” he says.

Venus Blake, Dealer Relationship Manager

Venus heads to the Forest of Nisene Marks to hike and let her dogs play in the riverbeds. The benches and picnic tables make it easy to pack a lunch and stay awhile. Afterward, dinner at Manuel’s in Aptos is the perfect way to wind down. “The owners and staff make everyone feel like family,” she says.

Raquel Diaz, Service Manager, Member Services – Aptos

For Raquel, the ideal summer day blends the outdoors with good food and family fun. She starts with a walk along Seacliff Beach out to the historic cement ship, or a hike through the Forest of Nisene Marks. Lunch at The Parish Pub in Aptos is always on the agenda, and if the Watsonville Strawberry Festival is on the calendar, she’s bringing the kids.

Alejandra Lazalde, Financial Services Officer – Capitola

Alejandra keeps it simple and restorative: a walk along Westcliff with a boba tea from UMe Tea in hand. “It’s the perfect way to decompress after a long day,” she says.

Felisa Garcia, AVP Branch Manager, River Street

Felisa starts her summer days at the Seacliff stairs for a workout before heading to the beach with her kids. Her go-to restaurant is Tacos de Fuego. “The food is amazing, and the staff always makes you feel welcome.” To close out summer, she looks forward to the Santa Cruz County Fair, where her kids love seeing all the animals.

Christina Ramirez, Lead Financial Services Officer – Freedom 

Christina has a summer ritual she shares with her son: a walk along the cliffs at Pleasure Point followed by a slice from Pleasure Pizza. “We’ve been going since he was a baby, and now, as a toddler, the pepperoni pizza is his favorite,” she says. It’s the kind of simple tradition that makes summers here feel timeless.

Yesenia Alvarez, Home Loan Consultant 

Yesenia loves spending a summer afternoon in Capitola Village. She starts with lunch at Thai Basil, then takes a walk on the beach, browses the shops, and caps it off with a scoop of Marianne’s ice cream for the drive home. “It’s one of those days where everything just feels right,” she says.

Elsa Limas, Financial Services Officer – River Street 

Elsa’s go-to summer evening starts with a stop at Garden Deli for sandwiches or Trader Joe’s for cheese and crackers before heading to Stockwell Cellars, where guests are welcome to bring their own food. They grab a table, pour a glass, and enjoy the always festive live music. Afterward, it’s across the street to Marianne’s Ice Cream for a scoop to savor on a sunset walk along Westcliff. 

From the trails to the tables, the beaches to the festivals, Santa Cruz County summer looks a little different for everyone. But the common thread is clear: community, connection, and a deep appreciation for this place we get to call home.

About Bay Federal Credit Union

Bay Federal Credit Union is a full-service, not-for-profit financial institution that serves over 97,000 members, including 3,100 local businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey counties. With more than $1.8 billion in assets, Bay Federal is the largest member-owned financial institution in the region. The organization has been proudly serving its members and the community since 1957. Bay Federal is a certified Community Development Financial Institution, with a primary mission of promoting community development alongside their financial activities. Bay Federal has an award-winning employee volunteer program in which employees have given their own money and volunteered for numerous local schools, nonprofit organizations, and community events each year.

The post Ask a local: Summer in Santa Cruz County with Bay Federal Credit Union appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Watsonville Community Hospital leadership has appointed veteran healthcare executive Tim Moran to lead the facility as interim CEO. 

Tim Moran will step in as Watsonville Community Hospital’s interim CEO on July 11. Credit: Watsonville Community Hospital

Moran, who has more than three decades of healthcare leadership experience, will be at the helm of the hospital beginning July 11, following outgoing CEO Stephen Gray’s last day on July 10. 

Gray announced his departure from the hospital earlier this month, saying that he wanted to prioritize more time with his family. He took over as hospital CEO in 2023, when the facility became publicly owned after facing bankruptcy in 2022. 

Moran will serve as interim CEO through Jan. 11, 2027, as the hospital board searches for a permanent replacement for Gray, Tony Nuñez, head of the hospital’s governing board, said Wednesday night. He added that Moran’s tenure could be extended if needed. 

The board approved a $416,000 annual salary for the interim CEO position. But since Moran is expected to be in the role for only six months, the base pay is not expected to exceed $208,000, said Nuñez. Moran will also receive temporary employee benefits and a $4,500 monthly housing stipend. 

This is not Moran’s first time stepping into an interim position for Watsonville Community Hospital. He served a four-month stint as interim CEO for the facility in late 2011, under its previous management. 

More recently, Moran was at the helm of Chino Valley Medical Center, a 116-bed acute care hospital in San Bernardino County, where he helped strengthen daily operations and improve relationships with labor unions, according to a media release from Watsonville Community Hospital. He also served as CEO of Tri-City Medical Center, an almost-400-bed public hospital in Oceanside, where he helped ink an affiliation deal with UC San Diego in 2015 that allowed patients access to specialists, according to the media release. 

“Tim understands hospitals, public accountability, people, and the importance of earning trust inside and outside the organization,” said Nuñez in a media release Thursday. “As we move through this transition, our board is focused on continuity, operational stability, and maintaining the progress Watsonville Community Hospital has made for the Pajaro Valley and South County.” 

Last month, Watsonville Community Hospital received a $10.6 million state grant from a fund aimed at stabilizing hospitals in financial distress. Gray previously told Lookout that the grant is “a crucial funding bridge during a challenging financial period.” 

The hospital has faced a flurry of financial challenges since late 2024, when it fell victim to a cyberattack, leading to a delay in billing patients. It also reported a nearly $23 million loss in 2025, after seeing a decline in the number of patients and changes to state and federal funding. Hospital leadership are also searching for an external partner to help manage the facility’s day-to-day operations. 

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

The post Watsonville Community Hospital appoints veteran healthcare leader as interim CEO appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Team BOLO (Be On The Lookout) is gathering and curating all of Santa Cruz County’s biggest and best happenings from now until forever — or at least until the latest gigs are officially announced.

Latest additions are marked as NEW below.

Use the following links to see the major events happening by month:

• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December
• January 2027
• April

And away we go with Down The Line …

June

June 25: “Wild Women of the ’60s,” Kuumbwa Jazz Center

June 25: Khemmis, Felton Music Hall

June 27: Santa Cruz Roller Derby, Santa Cruz Civic

June 27: Andre Nickatina, The Catalyst

June 28: Billy Childs, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

June 29: Luciana Souza & Marcel Camargo, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July

July 7: Taj Farrant, Moe’s Alley

July 7: Angelica Glass, Bookshop Santa Cruz

July 8: TAE & the Neighborly, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 9: Beth Stelling, Felton Music Hall

July 9: Mads Tolling, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 10: Fleetmac Wood, Felton Music Hall

July 10: Alice Howe & Freebo, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 10: Cabrillo Stage opening night: “Sister Act, the Musical,” Crocker Theater

July 11: Depeche Mode tribute, Felton Music Hall

July 11: Santa Cruz Shakespeare opening night: “Much Ado About Nothing,” Audrey Stanley Grove

July 12: Santa Cruz Shakespeare opening night: “Macbeth,” Audrey Stanley Grove

July 13: Maruja Limon, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 13: White Denim, Moe’s Alley

July 14: Nation of Language, Felton Music Hall

July 16: RJD2, Felton Music Hall

July 16: Tony Lindsay Quintet, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 17: Hot Buttered Rum/Tea Leaf Green, Felton Music Hall

July 18: Kr3ture, Felton Music Hall

July 18: Water Tower, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 18: Babe Rainbow, The Rio

July 19: Leah Song, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 19: Los Tranquilos, Felton Music Hall

July 20: Keshav Batish, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 20: Pink Ladies of the Sonnets, Audrey Stanley Grove

July 21: Ocean Vuong, The Rio

July 23: James McMurtry, The Rio

NEW: July 23: Daniel Mason, Bookshop Santa Cruz

July 26: Sue Foley, Moe’s Alley

July 27: Ray Obiedo’s Latin Jazz Ensemble, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 27: Chloe Chapin, Bookshop Santa Cruz

July 28: Yilian Cañizares, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 28: Santa Cruz Shakespeare opening night: August Wilson’s “Fences,” Audrey Stanley Grove

July 29: Monophonics, Moe’s Alley

July 30: Peter Asher & Jeremy Clyde, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 31: Maria Muldaur, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

July 31: Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: “On Freedom,” Santa Cruz Civic

August

Aug. 1: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Quarry Amphitheater

Aug. 1: Eileen Jewel, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 1: Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: “Defiant Dreams,” Santa Cruz Civic

Aug. 2: Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: Family Concert, Santa Cruz Civic

Aug. 3: Kim Nalley, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 3: Heart tribute, Audrey Stanley Grove

Aug. 6: Sylvia Cuenca’s Bridging Generations, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 7: Bria Skonberg, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 7: ALO, Felton Music Hall

Aug. 8: Shawn Colvin, The Rio

Aug. 8: Mickey Avalon, Felton Music Hall

Aug. 8: Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: “Control,” Santa Cruz Civic

Aug. 9: Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: “Hope As Our Banner,” Santa Cruz Civic

Aug. 10: David Bowie tribute, Audrey Stanley Grove

Aug. 12: John-Robert, The Crepe Place

NEW: Aug. 12: Angelo De Augustine, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 13: Marina Crouse, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 14: Death & Saxes, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 14: The Polish Ambassador, Felton Music Hall

Aug. 14: Atmosphere, Quarry Amphitheater

Aug. 15: Snail, The Rio

Aug. 15: Ani DiFranco/Valerie June, Santa Cruz Civic

Aug. 16: The Blues Project, Moe’s Alley

Aug. 17: Jazz Mafia, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 17: Nina Simon, Bookshop Santa Cruz

Aug. 19: Bill O’Connell Trio, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 19: Steve Hawk, Bookshop Santa Cruz

Aug. 20: Jon Dryden, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 22: Earthless, Moe’s Alley

Aug. 24: Keyon Harrold, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 25: La Luz, Felton Music Hall

NEW: Aug. 25: “Winter in America,” Bookshop Santa Cruz

Aug. 26: Duane Betts, Felton Music Hall

Aug. 26: The Kirtan Love Experience, The Rio

Aug. 26: Built to Spill, The Rio

Aug. 27: Simon Phillips, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 28: Tim Flannery & the Lunatic Fringe, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Aug. 29: Greyboy All-Stars, Moe’s Alley

Aug. 31: Eagles of Death Metal, The Catalyst

September

Sept. 1: Rehash, The Catalyst

Sept. 3: Paula Arai, Bookshop Santa Cruz

Sept. 4: Santa Cruz Shakespeare opening night: Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” Audrey Stanley Grove

Sept. 5: Clinton Fearon & the Boogie Brown Band, Moe’s Alley

Sept. 5: Public Image Ltd., The Rio

Sept. 6: Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, Moe’s Alley

Sept. 7: Tom Petty tribute, Audrey Stanley Grove

Sept. 9: PawPaw Rod, The Catalyst

Sept. 9: Laurie R. King, Bookshop Santa Cruz

Sept. 10: Nduduzo Makhathini, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Sept. 11: Santa Cruz Shakespeare opening night: Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last 5 Years,” Audrey Stanley Grove

Sept. 12: Black Uhuru, Moe’s Alley

Sept. 14: John Pizzarelli, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Sept. 15: “Smoke Cabaret,” Laurie Rivera, Audrey Stanley Grove

Sept. 17: The Growlers, The Catalyst

Sept. 17: Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Sept. 19: Rayland Baxter, Moe’s Alley

Sept. 20: Vieux Farka Toure, Felton Music Hall

Sept. 22: Al DiMeola, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Sept. 22: Welcome Week Rave, Santa Cruz Civic

Sept. 23: Brass Queens, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Sept. 24: Bill Frisell & Harmony Five, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

NEW: Sept. 26: Laurie Anderson, The Rio

Sept. 28: Linda Ronstadt tribute, Audrey Stanley Grove

Sept. 29: Aldous Harding, The Rio

Sept. 30: Cyrille Aimee & Mathis Picard, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

October

Oct. 1: El Khat, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Oct. 2: Soda Blonde, The Crepe Place

Oct. 2: Fruit Bats, The Rio

Oct. 3: The Bends, Felton Music Hall

Oct. 4: Mike Dawes, Felton Music Hall

Oct. 5: Hiromi, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Oct. 6: Kishi Bashi, The Rio

Oct. 8: Rickie Lee Jones, The Rio

Oct. 8: Ben Flocks, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Oct. 10: Damien Jurado, Felton Music Hall

Oct. 10: Banff Center Mountain Film, The Rio

Oct. 11: Yellowjackets, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Oct. 12: Somi, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Oct. 14: Bonnie Raitt, Santa Cruz Civic

Oct. 14: Acoustic Alchemy, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Oct. 14: Alborosie & Shengen Clan, Moe’s Alley

Oct. 15: Bumpin’ Uglies, The Catalyst

NEW: Oct. 16: Young Dubliners, Moe’s Alley

Oct. 17: B-Side Players, Moe’s Alley

NEW: Oct. 19: Buster Williams, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Oct. 23: Black Flag, Felton Music Hall

Oct. 26: Fonville & Fribush, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

NEW: Oct. 27: Great Lake Swimmers, Felton Music Hall

NEW: Oct. 28: Lyle Lovett, Santa Cruz Civic

Oct. 29: Laura Anglade, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

NEW: Oct. 30: The Mother Hips, Moe’s Alley

November

NEW: Nov. 1: Andrew Duhon, Moe’s Alley

NEW: Nov. 4: Joshua Redman, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Nov. 6: Elijah Scott, Felton Music Hall

Nov. 7: Henry Diltz: Behind the Lens, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Nov. 8: Southern Culture on the Skids, Moe’s Alley

Nov. 9: Alex Cameron, The Crepe Place

Nov. 12: Jake Xerxes Fussell, Felton Music Hall

Nov. 14: Nick Shoulders, Felton Music Hall

Nov. 14: Jon Spencer, Moe’s Alley

NEW: Nov. 29: Sandra Bernhard, The Rio

December

Dec. 8: Buck Meek, Moe’s Alley

NEW: Dec. 12: The Wooten Brothers, Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Dec. 17: Pokey LaFarge, Felton Music Hall

January 2027

NEW: Jan. 21: Jesse Cook, The Rio

April

April 23: Fashion Teens, The Rio

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF BOLO

Sign up for Lookout’s Weekender newsletter, sent every Thursday afternoon.

If you’re planning or producing your own event, click CREATE AN EVENT on the calendar.

Questions, comments, concerns? Email bolo@lookoutlocal.com.

The post Down The Line: All the biggest and best shows, gigs & events ahead in Santa Cruz County appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

A sprawling legislative package aimed at lowering the cost of housing and spurring more home construction won bipartisan approval from Congress this week, but it’s hit a major roadblock in becoming law: President Donald Trump.

Here’s what’s happening on Santa Cruz County roads this morning…

▼︎ new incidents

Road incidents as of 6 a.m. on June 25

• Highway 9 at Cascade Avenue in Brookdale has one-way traffic due to ongoing work. This closure is expected to last until Aug. 31.
   
• There will be alternating lane closures on Highway 9 at Pool Drive in Boulder Creek because of bridge work. This is scheduled to continue until April 30, 2027.
   
• A lane on westbound Highway 152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville is closed for paving work. The closure is expected to last until July 3.
   

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 Thursday morning traffic: Highway 9 one-way traffic; Highway 152 lane closed for work appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Following a nearly two-hour discussion and after hearing from the county’s arts community Wednesday, Santa Cruz County supervisors delayed their approval of the parks department budget, which included a proposed cut in arts funding to local organizations.

Law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel are participating in Santa Cruz County’s five-day active-shooter response training this week at Soquel High School. The annual exercise, hosted by the sheriff’s office, brings together about 150 officers and more than 80 firefighters to practice coordinated response to a simulated mass-casualty incident.