How is your police department using Flock data?
An automated license plate reader in Watsonville identifies cars and feeds the information to a statewide database which has been accessed by federal agencies for immigration enforcement. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)
Guide: How to examine data collected from Automatic License Plate ReadersRelated stories:
- Santa Cruz leaders vote to terminate contract with Flock — Jan. 13, 2026
- Anti-surveillance organizers want to engage leaders in Watsonville and Capitola, but efforts are slow-going — April 19, 2026
- ICE accessed Capitola license plate data. Police say it was a mistake. — Nov. 7, 2026
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY >> Over the past year numerous news outlets, including Santa Cruz Local, have investigated how data collected from Automatic License Plate Readers have been used by local and out-of-state law enforcement.
Thousands of police departments and sheriff’s offices across the country, including hundreds in California, have contracts with Flock Safety, one of the top providers of these cameras.
We have been asked how we reported on this story, and how it could be replicated other places. Reporter Jesse Kathan created a guide that aims to help journalists and other researchers obtain and analyze the data that shows when and why law enforcement searches for license plates in the camera data. This guide does not constitute legal advice.
Most of the records of how the data is used have not been made public. But members of the public can request the data from law enforcement agencies in California under the California Public Records Act.
In the guide, there is also a step-by-step exercise to help guide users through coding platforms R and R Studio. Our hope is to support reporters and researchers in examining this data from their own counties and local law enforcement agencies.
Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.
Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membershipThe post How is your police department using Flock data? appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.
Why is PVUSD paying a consultant $200,000 for advising amid budget troubles?
Superintendent Heather Contreras brought in a consultant that costs $15,000 a month. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file)
WATSONVILLE >> Pajaro Valley Unified School District is paying a consultant $15,000 a month to advise on projects funded by a $315 million bond measure, raising questions about how the district is utilizing its limited resources amid layoffs and potential school closures.
Records show Superintendent Heather Contreras brought in school finance consultant Bill McGuire in June 2025 with a 12-month, $200,000 contract to advise on projects for Measure M, the bond measure approved by voters in 2024. The board voted 5-0-2 to approve the contract after a less than two minute presentation from Contreras, and without asking any questions. Trustees Gabriel Medina and Joy Flynn were absent.
The pricey contract was approved as the district faces a significant budget deficit. Trustees mostly voted down a proposal to layoff about 100 teachers and staff in February 2025, then approved about 150 layoffs in December 2025. Every mental health clinician in the district and 85 teachers were laid off.
“Bill McGuire is a former CBO [chief business officer], very talented in both fiscal services and facility services. He is willing to come on board to help us,” Contreras said at the June 25, 2025 meeting when the contract was first approved. “Having a huge bond, $315 million bond, to oversee and get started on — Bill will be able to help on the facility end of things.”
McGuire’s contract with PVUSD continues through June 30, but could be renewed if the board approves it. He said district leaders “have requested that I be there for the long run to help them through many of the issues that they’re facing.”
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Contreras did not respond to requests for an interview. Nor did trustees Olivia Flores, Misty Navarro, Jessica Carrasco, Carol Turley or Daniel Dodge Jr., who voted to approve the contract. District spokesperson Alejandro Chavez responded to a detailed list of questions from Santa Cruz Local on Thursday.
“Bill McGuire’s consulting services focus on facilities planning, Measure M bond implementation support, project coordination, and related capital planning initiatives,” Chavez wrote. “His role is entirely advisory, intended to assist the District in managing highly complex, multi-million-dollar capital facilities projects.”
The contract for McGuire’s services is a brief, two-page document. It describes the scope of work as monitoring project budgets, detailing revenue sources, training facilities staff and facilitating “best practices in project delivery methods and consultant contracts.”
The one deliverable listed in the contract is “Regularly scheduled meetings in person and by Zoom — starting twice a week during the initial phase of the contract, arranged at a mutually beneficial time for the parties.” There are no required progress reports cited in the contract.
Superintendent Heather Contreras brought in a consultant that costs $15,000 a month. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file)
By contrast, several other PVUSD consultant contracts reviewed by Santa Cruz Local were more than a dozen pages long with an itemized services agreement. Like a $35,000 contract with MGT Impact Solutions from April 2025 to do a boundary planning study — it was 16 pages long and detailed precisely the work to be done.
A lack of public records makes it difficult to verify the exact work McGuire has completed for PVUSD in the past year.
McGuire’s name does not appear in records included in board agendas like budget documents, facilities reports or other documents related to Measure M facilities planning. The only place his name appears consistently is on the purchase orders and check registers, where records show he’s been paid $154,715 so far.
“I’m facilitating and working as the project manager for the bond fund, and working with all of the individuals within the facilities department, within the business services department, to make sure that we’re utilizing the bond funds in the best way possible and helping coaching the team, who’s fairly new at this work,” McGuire said.
At the June 2025 board meeting, Contreras said McGuire would be working one to two days a week. The contract requires a minimum of 500 hours of work, which would equal $400 an hour in pay.
“Some weeks I can work 25 hours a week, and some weeks I may only work 10 on average,” McGuire said on Friday.
Santa Cruz Local wants to speak with you. Are you a current or former employee of PVUSD in the business, facilities or superintendent offices? You can reach us by phone and on the secure messaging app Signal at (831) 291-3456. Email reporter Nik Altenberg at nik@santacruzlocal.org or nikaltenberg@proton.me. Secure, anonymous tips can also be shared on Hush Line.
McGuire’s work at PVUSDMcGuire has remotely attended Measure M citizens oversight committee meetings, a group tasked with oversight for how the bond money is used. Five meetings have occurred since July 2025.
Lourdes Barraza, a district parent who serves on the committee, said she was surprised to hear how much money the district is paying him.
“I’m very disappointed that we’re spending that much money on a consultant when I don’t really feel like he’s been helpful in the meetings. I don’t feel like he’s contributed so much,” she said.
Perhaps where McGuire has been the most publicly visible and engaged is at the Sustainable Schools Advisory meetings — a committee of district parents, staff, residents and union leaders convened in April 2026 to come up with a plan for which schools in the district to close amid an ongoing budget crisis.
McGuire facilitated the May 28 meeting, which centered around a proposal from district administrators to relocate students from Renaissance High School to a preschool for disabled children, and move those children to other schools.
That plan would have seen the schools close this summer, but amid strident backlash from parents and teachers, the board rejected the plan and directed administrators to have the proposal instead go through the committee process.
Renaissance High School is a continuation school for students who need to make up credits to graduate. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local)
McGuire said he made a site capacity study for the May committee meeting that analyzed enrollment in the districts’ schools. Near the end of the tense, two-hour meeting, he pointed to low enrollment at Renaissance as a reason to consider relocating students.
“There’s going to be program relocation,” he said at the meeting. “ If we can’t do Renaissance, we can’t do anything, I’m just telling you right now,” adding that the school “has 50 kids.” Renaissance High had 92 students in the school year that just ended, according to a district staff report, and dozens of seniors just graduated.
Mads Realmuto is a district parent and a member of the advisory committee. At the May meeting, he said he felt like “we’re being steered in a direction rather than us steering the direction.”
When reached by phone on Thursday, Realmuto was shocked to learn how much McGuire was being paid by the district.
“We’re sitting here trying to figure out how to make this district work and then we’re spending money like this — I don’t want to make this about one individual, the real issue is judgment and process,” Realmuto said. “When we’re talking about something painful and consequential like school closures, the school district should be doing everything it can to build trust in the process.”
In reference to the steep cost of McGuire’s contract, he said, “I think the board needs to be willing to ask harder questions before decisions are made, not after.”
Board trustee Medina echoed the sentiment.
“It’s so important that when we get these proposals put in front of us, that we vet them properly, we can’t just take the district’s word,” Medina said on Friday. “We need to ask questions.”
This is the first of a multi-part series. Look for part two next week.
Santa Cruz Local wants to speak with you. Are you a current or former employee of PVUSD in the business, facilities or superintendent offices? You can reach us by phone and on the secure messaging app Signal at (831) 291-3456. Email reporter Nik Altenberg at nik@santacruzlocal.org or nikaltenberg@proton.me. Secure, anonymous tips can also be shared on Hush Line.
Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.
Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membershipThe post Why is PVUSD paying a consultant $200,000 for advising amid budget troubles? appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.
Santa Cruz County leaders join lawsuit against planned immigration facility
Watsonville High School students participate in a nationwide walkout on Jan. 20. The action is in protest against the killing of Renee Good and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s tactics. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY>> Local leaders announced they’re joining a lawsuit against a planned federal immigration enforcement facility near Gilroy.
The suit was first brought by the California Attorney General and Santa Clara County, which they jointly filed on June 10. It is alleging the project was undertaken without required local review and permitting processes. Despite the proposed location not being within county boundaries, Santa Cruz County leaders warned the impacts would be felt throughout the Central Coast region.
“Santa Cruz County communities are deeply connected to those throughout the region,” said Supervisor Monica Martinez in a Thursday press release.
A private developer leased the property to the federal government for use by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in January 2025, possibly as an Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) office, according to a June 10 press release by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. ERO’s have come under fire and have been the subject of multiple lawsuits under President Donald Trump’s administration. They’ve been criticized for overcrowding, long-term confinement and inhumane conditions, Bonta’s office stated.
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“President Trump’s mass detention and deportation campaign has led to cruel, inhumane, and unacceptable conditions at immigration holding and detention facilities across California. But instead of working to improve conditions at these facilities — instead of enforcing ICE’s own detention standards — the Trump Administration is trying to jam through a new facility on a community that doesn’t want it,” Bonta stated.
Supervisors Felipe Hernandez and Martinez created the SHIELD ad hoc subcommittee in January to address local immigration concerns. SHIELD – Safeguarding Health, Inclusion, Essential Services and Local Defense – coordinates closely with county staff and community organizations serving immigrant residents to come up with possible next steps and solutions as fears rise nationwide.
In March, supervisors supported a proposal brought by the subcommittee to ban federal agents from using county property for civil immigration enforcement. County leaders said joining this lawsuit is a natural extension of the work SHIELD is already doing for immigrant communities.
“Many residents throughout our region are experiencing uncertainty and fear regarding federal immigration enforcement activity,” Hernandez said in the press release. “We have a responsibility to understand and prepare for the impacts these actions may have on local families, schools, healthcare systems and community organizations. Our participation reflects that commitment.”
ICE notified local law enforcement of activity in Santa Cruz County 23 times between Jan. 25, 2025 and Jan. 26, 2026. Santa Cruz Local is tracking this activity to help give communities affected by immigration enforcement more information about what’s happening in their community, and help separate facts from rumors.
Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.
Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membershipThe post Santa Cruz County leaders join lawsuit against planned immigration facility appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.
Inside Renaissance High: students photograph their school amid threat of closure
High schoolers at Renaissance participated in a photojournalism project about their school.
LA SELVA BEACH >> When news first broke last month that Pajaro Valley Unified School District administrators planned to close Renaissance High School this summer and relocate students to Duncan Holbert Preschool, the outrage was swift.
Teachers, students and parents urged the board of trustees to reject the proposal at a May 20 meeting. Most meeting attendees spoke of the challenges in relocating disabled preschoolers with such short notice. The board rejected the plan for now, but multiple trustees said at the meeting that Renaissance should be considered for closure.
Amid money troubles and declining enrollment, district leaders have said PVUSD needs to close schools to help fix the budget. A committee of parents, teachers and union representatives was established to make recommendations about which schools to close — it meets regularly and is tasked with coming up with recommendations for school closures by November.
Renaissance High is a continuation school for students who failed many of their classes and now need to make up credits or were expelled from other schools, including for truancy.
People think we’re a school for criminals, or people who want to disobey, even though it’s the complete opposite. It’s for people that really need these opportunities and don’t really get them in other schools.
—Acciri, rising senior at Renaissance High School
Ariel Stonebloom, a biology teacher at Renaissance, said there’s often a stigma around these students. But many of them have failed or ditched classes because of family responsibilities, including caregiving for a sick parent, babysitting their siblings or working to help their parents make ends meet.
In an effort to capture the student experience at one of the county’s most critical schools, Santa Cruz Local collaborated with two of Stonebloom’s classes last month on a photo essay. The goal: to show the school through students’ eyes so that district leaders, residents and others who care about PVUSD issues could better understand the importance of this unique learning environment.
On May 21, about two dozen students shared six disposable film cameras and responded to prompts like:
- Photograph one place on campus where you feel safe.
- Photograph a person, place or thing that challenged you.
- Photograph one thing you don’t want to forget.
From left, Janella, Maria and Ariel Stonebloom.
Students and teachers play volleyball during lunch break.
Electives teacher Jason Solis and rising senior Jairo.
Students spent the one-hour class period roaming campus and popping in on their friends, favorite teachers and the best spots on campus to capture scenes in response to the prompts. Santa Cruz Local came back to Renaissance on June 2 to discuss the photos with students. Many of the seniors had already graduated, but several students reviewed the photos and wrote reflections.
During the class exercise, several students described liking Renaissance High more than their previous schools because of its small size. There were 92 students this past school year, and the school has a capacity of about 200 students. Students said that at Renaissance, students know all the teachers and teachers know all the students.
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“Here, we could communicate more. I feel like some teachers are my friends, and over there it’s just like strangers,” said Jairo, a rising senior who previously went to Watsonville High School, which he felt was “just too much” and “full of trash, gangsters, cars honking.”
Jairo described the above photo as “me and my favorite teacher” and wrote that he wants to “show people they can talk to their teacher like friends.”
Teacher Debbie Singleton’s sweatshirt.
Social studies teacher Jennifer Puente.
Emiliano takes a selfie with a teacher.
Rising senior Acciri also chose a photo of electives teacher Jason Solis to write about, and said he is “a very helpful teacher” and “an amazing flag football coach.”
She described the Renaissance community as helping her with social skills and giving her more opportunities for job training.
“It’s a very cool school, because it gives you many opportunities — it helps you with finding jobs,” she said. “I think many people should keep coming to the school because it’s really helpful and it has also helped me with talking with other people since everybody knows each other.”
Acciri debunked some stereotypes about Renaissance students: “People think we’re a school for criminals, or people who want to disobey, even though it’s the complete opposite. It’s for people that really need these opportunities and don’t really get them in other schools.”
She said other schools are so big, that the students that need the most support often won’t get it.
“Many teachers don’t really pay attention to you, because it’s so many other people,” she said.
When asked what she looked forward to after high school, Acciri said she hoped to go to college, but if that doesn’t happen then “working, because I want to help my mom with the bills.”
Sitting with Acciri was Nancy. The two didn’t know each other before Renaissance, but are now friends.
Nancy chose the photo of math teacher Pat Demera to write about.
“During a whole year that I been in this school Pat has helped out many students. He’s always willing to help if you need help,” wrote Nancy, a rising senior. “If you don’t find me somewhere just go to his class, I’m always there,” she said.
Math teacher Pat Demera.
Hairo, who graduated this month, and biology teacher Ariel Stonebloom.
From left, Arturo, mental health clinician Matt Merill, Juan, Jairo, Isaiah and Nino. The school district laid off all 13 mental health clinicians in the district and Merrill worked his last day at Renaissance this month.
Juan wrote about the above photo, “I chose this photo because it shows friendship and represents safety and a place where people feel welcome.”
Of the 162 photos students took, many were of the natural spaces on campus, including the garden.
Renaissance High is tucked away in La Selva Beach, a few blocks from the ocean on a rural road. Stonebloom said when new students arrive at Renaissance, many times they will take a couple weeks to adjust and then — they relax.
“They actually come to school because they want to be here,” Stonebloom said. “Students that came because of credit deficiency because of ditching, will come to school consistently for the first time in their high school careers because they love it [at Renaissance].”
Maria sits near the field.
Nico walks on a path by the school’s field. Students showed a Santa Cruz Local reporter where to look for snakes in a spot where they go to sun and keep warm.
The entrance to the school’s garden.
In addition to teaching biology, Stonebloom stewards the garden. She said the garden is important to students, and it’s something that would likely not exist at another campus. Indeed, in both classes that did the photo project, students immediately suggested the garden as the first place to photograph.
Stonebloom said Renaissance is “quiet and nice and it’s an environment where they can be their whole selves in a way that is challenging in a traditional school environment.”
Several students, when asked why they liked Renaissance, said it was quiet.
“I really like nature,” Janette, a rising senior, wrote in Spanish about the above photo. “I want other people to know that this place is very pretty and calm, and the nature makes the school special.”
Alondra walks through the garden.
The garden is colorful and overgrown.
Corn and strawberries grow in the garden. ‘Each plant is full of memories,’ said Acciri.
Students in Ariel Stonebloom’s second period class.
What do you think of Renaissance High? #wpforms-31797 { --wpforms-field-size-input-height: 43px; --wpforms-field-size-input-spacing: 15px; --wpforms-field-size-font-size: 16px; --wpforms-field-size-line-height: 19px; --wpforms-field-size-padding-h: 14px; --wpforms-field-size-checkbox-size: 16px; --wpforms-field-size-sublabel-spacing: 5px; --wpforms-field-size-icon-size: 1; --wpforms-label-size-font-size: 16px; --wpforms-label-size-line-height: 19px; --wpforms-label-size-sublabel-font-size: 14px; --wpforms-label-size-sublabel-line-height: 17px; --wpforms-button-size-font-size: 17px; --wpforms-button-size-height: 41px; --wpforms-button-size-padding-h: 15px; --wpforms-button-size-margin-top: 10px; --wpforms-container-shadow-size-box-shadow: none; } Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Are you a current or former student, parent or teacher at Renaissance High School? Share a memory with us for a future story about the school. *- Yes, you can share my name and publish my comments on Santa Cruz Local.
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Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.
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Paid parking, road repairs and scanter reserves: Inside the draft Santa Cruz County budget
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve the county budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 by September. (Marcello Hutchinson-Trujillo — Santa Cruz Local file)
Santa Cruz County Budget Hearings- 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 10 at 500 Westridge Drive in Watsonville, and on Zoom. Includes budgets for the Health Services Agency, Human Services Department, and Office of the Public Defender. To comment ahead of time, email BoardOfSupervisors@santacruzcountyca.gov by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
- 9 a.m. Thursday, June 11 at 701 Ocean St., Room 525 in Santa Cruz, and on Zoom. Includes budgets for the Probation Department, Sheriff’s Office, Parks Department, and Community Development and Infrastructure.To comment ahead of time, email BoardOfSupervisors@santacruzcountyca.gov by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
- Meetings are also streamed on the county website and on Facebook.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY >> This week, county leaders will consider a $1.29 trillion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. The General Fund, which can be used for any purpose, accounts for about $844 million of the spending. The rest of the budget includes state and federal grants and other money restricted for specific uses.
County staff developed the budget “under one of the most challenging fiscal conditions that I’ve ever faced,” said County Executive Officer Nicole Coburn when the draft budget was first presented at a May 5 meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. The challenges include rising salary costs and federal funding changes following H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The federal budget bill adopted in July 2025 decimated funding for health care, food assistance and other social safety net services — to maintain the programs, local municipalities must now pick up the tab.
To cut costs, the county budget would eliminate the equivalent of close to 60 full-time positions, most of them vacant. It does not include any layoffs. The budget maintains funding for the equivalent of about 2,680 full-time positions.
After the board of supervisors’ budget hearings this week, staff will return with a revised draft budget for approval on June 24. The final budget is expected to be adopted on Sept. 29.
Detailed information about the budget is available on the county’s website and transparency portal. Santa Cruz Local compiled five takeaways on aspects of the budget most relevant to residents.
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The budget balances costs and expenses with $30.8 million in General Fund reserves. That drains the reserves, which serve as a savings account for unexpected costs, to 10.4% from 12.5% of the General Fund budget. The county’s target is 15%.
The reserve spending includes:
- $17.1 million for the Health Services Agency to cover salary increases and rising demand for health clinics and mental health services.
- $4.3 million for the Human Services Department, largely to offset increased costs of administering CalFresh and MediCal following H.R. 1. Those costs are expected to compound in coming years, county staff wrote in a report ahead of the budget hearings.
The dip into reserves is a temporary measure, and moving forward the county will either have to cut costs or raise more money, staff wrote. Coburn called the budget a “stopgap” in her budget message.
Sheriff spendingThe General Fund reserve spending includes $6 million for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to cover salary increases and avoid layoffs. “A large number” of employees have been on extended leaves from work, Coburn said. The county is trying to determine how to bring people back or see if they would permanently leave employment. Two sheriff’s positions to be added for the DNA laboratory are covered by dedicated funding outside of the General Fund.
Ahead of the meeting, some advocates with the group Care not Cages have signed on to a letter urging county leaders to prioritize social services spending over sheriff, probation and jails. The group aims to decrease incarceration, particularly for people with mental illness and substance use disorders.
Public safety “actually looks like being healthy, having access to medical services, having food on the table, having a job to go to,” said Bernie Gomez, who has worked with Care not Cages. Gomez is a programs and leadership coordinator at the MILPA Collective, a Chicano-Indigenous community support and advocacy group.
The sheriff’s department is one of the county’s largest General Fund expenditures. Although more county money goes towards social services, a larger portion of sheriff funding comes from local sources, rather than state and federal grants.
“To provide additional rainy day funds” to the department is “unacceptable during this time of uncertainty,” Gomez said.
Road repair strugglesThe county has planned $66 million in spending on roads, including repairs, maintenance and repaving. Most of that money comes from state and federal funds, plus county fees. Measure K sales tax funds contribute $2 million annually.
Last year, the county dipped into the General Fund to allocate a further $1.9 million to road maintenance, meant to make progress on a hefty backlog of deteriorating roads. This year’s budget didn’t include that contribution. However, total spending on road maintenance, including state and federal funds, is set to increase by $2.2 million.
Supervisor Manu Koenig said he was concerned by the lack of General Fund investment in road maintenance. “Anything that we can do for preventative maintenance now, while it’s dry, is ultimately going to save us a lot of money in the long term,” he said at the May 5 meeting.
The county is anticipating an El Niño weather pattern this year, “which gives me heart palpitations,” said Coburn, “because I’m anticipating that it could be very wet, and we could see mudslides, flip-outs, flooding, all the rest of it.”
Climate scientists are predicting a potential “super” El Niño this year that is more intense due to human-fueled climate change. That could mean lots of rain locally.
Storm repairs have been hampered for years by delays in federal disaster money. The county is waiting on $50 million in reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coburn said. Fifty-seven repair projects are on hold because the county cannot afford the local match required to receive federal funds.
Paid parking pilotThe proposed parks budget includes plans for a paid parking pilot program at some county parks to fill budget gaps. Multiple county supervisors spoke against the idea. “Everybody is so strapped for cash these days, and that would be one more cost to providing access to open spaces,” said Supervisor Felipe Hernandez at the May 5 meeting.
#wpforms-31758 { --wpforms-field-size-input-height: 43px; --wpforms-field-size-input-spacing: 15px; --wpforms-field-size-font-size: 16px; --wpforms-field-size-line-height: 19px; --wpforms-field-size-padding-h: 14px; --wpforms-field-size-checkbox-size: 16px; --wpforms-field-size-sublabel-spacing: 5px; --wpforms-field-size-icon-size: 1; --wpforms-label-size-font-size: 16px; --wpforms-label-size-line-height: 19px; --wpforms-label-size-sublabel-font-size: 14px; --wpforms-label-size-sublabel-line-height: 17px; --wpforms-button-size-font-size: 17px; --wpforms-button-size-height: 41px; --wpforms-button-size-padding-h: 15px; --wpforms-button-size-margin-top: 10px; --wpforms-container-shadow-size-box-shadow: none; } Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Have questions or comments about the budget?We’ll forward any public comments submitted here by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10.NameFirstLast questions about Name Email ( function() { const style = document.createElement( 'style' ); style.appendChild( document.createTextNode( '#wpforms-31758-field_4-container { position: absolute !important; overflow: hidden !important; display: inline !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important; z-index: -1000 !important; padding: 0 !important; } #wpforms-31758-field_4-container input { visibility: hidden; } #wpforms-conversational-form-page #wpforms-31758-field_4-container label { counter-increment: none; }' ) ); document.head.appendChild( style ); document.currentScript?.remove(); } )(); Submit Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.
Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membershipThe post Paid parking, road repairs and scanter reserves: Inside the draft Santa Cruz County budget appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.
Santa Cruz Mayor race could head to November runoff as Coonerty loses majority in latest count
Ryan Coonerty, frontrunner for Santa Cruz Mayor, could be headed to a November runoff against Ami Chen Mills. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file)
.scc-row:hover { background-color: #eee; } Last county update: 6/8/2026 4:00:00 PMSanta Cruz City Council, Mayor (vote for 1)CandidateTotalAmi Chen Mills2,945 (19.73%)Ryan Coonerty7,291 (48.85%)Joy Schendledecker1,737 (11.64%)Gillian Greensite1,702 (11.40%)Chris Krohn1,165 (7.81%)Write In86 (0.58%)
SANTA CRUZ >> Ryan Coonerty, the frontrunner in the race for Santa Cruz Mayor, dipped below the 50% margin required to win the election outright in the latest vote tallies posted Monday afternoon. If Coonerty doesn’t secure a majority of votes he’ll face off against the next highest vote getter, likely Ami Chen Mills, in the November general election.
Coonerty had 48.85% of the vote as of 4 p.m. June 8, Ami Chen Mills had 19.73%, and three other candidates for Santa Cruz Mayor each had fewer than 12% of votes.
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In the race for District 4 Santa Cruz County Supervisor, Tony Nuñez maintained a slim majority with 50.54% of votes in updated counts. Incumbent Supervisor Felipe Hernandez dropped to 30.92% of the vote and Elias Gonzales gained a couple of percentage points to 17.82%.
In the races for Santa Cruz City Council, incumbents Renee Golder and Scott Newsome maintained their majorities.
Thousands of ballots remain to be processed in Santa Cruz County, and final results are expected by July 2. The next update to vote tallies is expected at 4 p.m. June 9.
Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.
Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membershipThe post Santa Cruz Mayor race could head to November runoff as Coonerty loses majority in latest count appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.