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Race for South County Supervisor Draws Three Candidates
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Race for South County Supervisor Draws Three Candidates
Watsonville City Councilmen Challenge Incumbent Supervisor Tony Campos
By Jessica Lyons
Supervisor Tony Campos rattles off a list of agencies and boards on which he sits and other regional, state and federal lawmakers with whom he works — the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Committee, an Agricultural Worker Housing Task Force and the California State Association of Counties, to name just a few.
During the nearly 12 years he's represented the county's Fourth District, which includes rural South County including most of Watsonville and a large amount of agricultural land, he claims to have championed the needs of seniors, young people, Latinos and farmworkers.
His work on the Board of Supervisors isn't finished, which is why he's seeking another term, he adds. Plus, the state's budget deficit — and the state's tendency to raid county coffers — requires an experienced politician who has the know-how to govern in these tough financial times, he says.
"This is the time when we need somebody who understand the budgets, who understands how to work with people, who has a great working relationship with my fellow supervisors, and not only that, has the ability to work with our state legislators and federal representative," Campos said.
Campos, who currently chairs the board, is up for reelection in June. So far, he's got two challengers, both first-term Watsonville City Councilmen.
They both say Campos has served long enough and it's time for new blood on the board.
"Tony Campos has served his time," said Councilman Emilio Martinez, who is running for the Fourth District seat. "We've already paid him over $1 million," he said, referring to the supervisors' annual $110,000 pay.
Too Many Conflicts of Interest?
Martinez, who worked as a private investigator before being elected to the Watsonville City Council, says county government needs to be run like a private-sector business.
Watsonville needs more jobs, he says, and as a self-employed businessman, he has the business savvy to attract companies to South County.
He criticizes Campos, who, according to his 2008 statement of economic interest (the 2009 forms haven't yet been filed) owns 53 pieces of property and rental units. Because of his land holdings, Campos, a real estate broker, has had to often recuse himself from some key land-use votes – to the point a map of his real estate holdings is kept in the board chambers.
Opponents say this leaves South County without a say in important decisions.
Campos could not vote on the Atkinson Lane affordable housing rezoning last June, which had strong opposition in Watsonville. Martinez takes the supervisor to task for this.
"South County has not been property represented," Martinez said. "Tony Campos has had to recuse himself too many times. He has 50 pieces of property in the area."
Campos countered, "That's irrelevant if you look at the accomplishments I've made. Me owning homes didn't stop me from bringing in the new court facilities in Watsonville — I'm the one who spearheaded that. It didn't hurt me from bringing in the money needed to form the vocational tech school. There isn't anybody running who has my credibility or the ability to bring people together."
Prior to being elected to the county board, Campos served on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board.
Three terms is enough, says Campos' other challenger, Watsonville Councilman Greg Caput, a painting contractor.
Like Martinez, Caput says Watsonville needs more jobs. Both candidates list job creation as their top priority.
"There's no such thing as affordable housing if we don't have jobs," Caput said. "And the jobs that are here, we need to protect them."
Caput challenges the county's efforts to be thrifty in difficult economic times.
"Look at the condition our county is in right now with the deficit. Have the supervisors been proactive in trying to prevent overspending? We have to be good stewards of taxpayers' money."
To this end, Caput says if elected, he'll take a
25 percent pay cut, even if his fellow supervisors won't do it.
The Fourth District race is currently the only contested county elected position on the June ballot.
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