Guest View: Beware of misinformation from growth supporters

A coordinated effort has been underway to make false claims about specific public officials. It’s clear their motivation is to discredit elected officials who support slow housing growth—a movement favored by a vast majority of local residents. 

It’s no coincidence those behind this effort are all supporters of massive growth and everyone targeted supports slow growth. It’s also no coincidence this nonstop negativity started right after the 2024 elections when the Hollister Council and San Benito County Board finally swung toward majorities standing up against irresponsible housing growth. 

This misinformation is an obvious attempt to swing the pendulum back to the way it was for decades—leading us to logjammed roads, crowded schools and a path toward becoming yet another Silicon Valley suburb. 

So among the false claims, let’s start with growth. 

False claim: Supervisors have “opened the floodgates” for housing growth and approved 4,000 new housing units. 

Truth: This is entirely false. 

The current board hasn’t supported any housing projects, while we are developing a range of policies to prevent housing sprawl that include: 

• An ordinance giving local residents preference when applying for affordable housing. 

• Requiring more low-income units in projects. 

• Requiring all affordable units within projects meet the same design standards as market-rate housing. 

• Eliminating single-family zoning so all developments require mixed uses, not just single-family homes. 

• Creating policies to prevent development in areas prone to floods and fires. 

• Rezoning areas east of Fairview Road to prevent more sprawl. 

• Overhauling the General Plan to close developer loopholes. 

• Drastically increasing impact fees to make developers pay their fair share. 

• Approving a new Housing Element with the absolute minimum level of rezoning required to gain state compliance. This is where the knowingly false “4,000 units” propaganda is originating. 

False claim: The board is supporting ag policies that will ruin local farms. 

Truth: Again, a polar contrast to reality. The board is working with the agriculture community through a stakeholder group (composed of ag industry members) to create a new Agriculture Element in the General Plan. 

Supervisors are strengthening the agriculture mitigation policy—requiring any future developments to set aside more ag lands forever. 

The board is working with the ag community to cooperatively address problems that come with five-acre ag residential zoning in unincorporated areas, and to avoid unnecessary loss of farmland. 

False claim: The board has decreased fire protection services and defunded fire protection.

Truth: This is wholly inaccurate on both fronts. 

The board this year finalized a new fire protection contract. The new contract includes a more than 50% increase to the county’s financial contribution with escalating amounts through the term. So the county drastically increased funding for fire protection, contrary to outlandish claims. 

What about the claim of reduced fire services? It’s a fabrication. The county’s contract calls for the exact same level of services as the prior contract. The county board increased fire protection funding and kept the same service levels. 

False Claim: Supervisors defunded the sheriff’s office. 

Truth: Supervisors have consistently supported the office through additional funding and positions. 

First off, the sheriff’s office budget grew from $17.2 million in 2022 to about $24 million in 2025-26—a roughly 40% increase. 

Last year when there was concern about the sheriff having too many vacancies for funded jail officer positions, the board worked with Sheriff Taylor to champion pay increases for all correctional officers to help with recruitment and retention. 

This year, the board invested $2.5 million in upgrades to the public safety communications system to increase reliability for the sheriff’s office and other responders. 

These are just some examples of the misinformation. 

Unfortunately, we live in a world where people can make up whatever they want without consequence. We must recognize this is shameless propaganda and understand this is all about a desire to turn our beautiful community into an extension of San Jose. 

Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki represents District 2 on the San Benito County Board.