San Benito County’s District 2 Supervisor seat will be decided in the March 5 election, pitting current Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki against the challenger, San Juan Bautista City Council member John Freeman.
Since being elected in 2020, Kosmicki has worked to slow residential development in the county while also advocating for infrastructure improvements, according to his website. After previously working as a journalist in the area for over a decade, Kosmicki seeks to continue serving the county in his current position.
San Juan Bautista council member John Freeman has served on that council for seven years. Freeman points to his role in securing safer drinking water for his town and expanding internet service options for residents as major accomplishments.
The Free Lance sent a list of questions to both candidates regarding pressing issues in San Benito County. Over the coming weeks, the Free Lance will pose similar questions to candidates in additional local races on the March 5 ballot—including Supervisor Districts 1 and 5—and publish their responses in the newspaper and on our website.
Read the District 2 candidates’ responses below.
John Freeman, San Juan Bautista council member
Why are you running for County Supervisor?
I am running to continue the work I started while serving at the San Juan City Council, improving our infrastructure and government services. I feel our constituents need a choice between someone who says “no” to everything and someone who takes action to get results. All over the county I want to see citizens be able to travel through San Benito County without delays, to see affordable high-speed broadband available to everyone, to be able to drink water not contaminated with nitrates, to have wastewater treatment facilities in compliance with Federal and State regulations, to create complete public safety departments, and have a trustworthy, well-run hospital to meet citizens’ medical needs.
What do you think will be the most pressing needs for San Benito County over the next four years, and how would you address these needs as a supervisor?
First, the county should increase the amount of pavement replaced on heavily used roads. This means doubling the number of public works employees, which has decreased in the last four years. This will increase our speed in repairing the roads.
Also, the county needs to increase the number of public safety personnel, paying competitive wages, so that they do not leave our county for nearby jurisdictions which pay considerably better. For example, San Juan Bautista is presently unable to hire a second sheriff’s deputy for patrol service because of a lack of available deputies at the Sheriff’s Department. It is critical to increase the budget for this department.
What are your thoughts on how the county should address the increasing demand for residential and commercial growth here? Any ideas on how to keep public services adequate to accommodate all the new growth?
Currently we have an imbalanced tax revenue issue which needs to be addressed. The county needs to practice intelligent economic development at the commercial and light industrial level to provide good paying jobs for our community as well as increase county tax revenue. Residential growth needs to be strictly controlled as building houses costs more money in services than governments collect in taxes. Commercial-industrial development brings in more revenue than it spends in services.
What is your position on the future of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital? Do you think there is more that the county could do to attract more healthcare services—and more sustainable healthcare services—as the community grows?
The elected board of the hospital has the responsibility to choose a trustworthy and adequate service to fit or surpass the medical needs of our county in the future. There are currently four options that the hospital board will consider. It is my hope that the board does its “due diligence” and takes a deep dive into pros and cons of each company or option, in an open and transparent manner. Its decision will affect both the physical health and financial health of our community.
Kollin Kosmicki, San Benito County District 2 Supervisor
Why do you want to serve another term on the Board of Supervisors?
It has been an extraordinary honor to serve as District 2 supervisor since 2021. While we have made immense progress in my first three years, I am incredibly motivated to continue taking major steps forward. We must continue prioritizing road repaving projects with available county funds and slow housing growth while we upgrade failing infrastructure. Above all, I will continue bringing integrity and transparency to this role, and will never pander to special interests.
What do you think will be the most pressing needs for San Benito County over the next four years, and how would you address these needs as a supervisor?
Some of the most important issues include finding solutions to save and sustain Hazel Hawkins Hospital; systematically putting available dollars annually toward road repairs; aggressively moving ahead on the Highway 25 expansion; protecting farmland from housing sprawl; supporting pro-business policies that help to create good jobs; and addressing homelessness and illegal dumping. I am working hard to fulfill all of these objectives and have made significant progress so far.
What are your thoughts on how the county should address the increasing demand for residential and commercial growth here? Any ideas on how to keep public services adequate to accommodate all the new growth?
San Benito County has grown too fast for decades, but we haven’t approved any new single-family housing projects since I joined the board. With thousands of homes coming that were approved before I took office, it’s crucial to prioritize catching up on infrastructure. With commercial growth, we need more businesses and jobs to improve the economy, but also must listen to our constituents’ concerns about developments that would forever destroy the beauty of our community.
What is your position on the future of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital? Do you think there is more that the county could do to attract more healthcare services—and more sustainable healthcare services—as the community grows?
We absolutely must save the hospital. I have been a leader with the county in demanding we don’t squander $10 million in taxpayers’ money in the form of a bailout loan requested from the hospital, while helping the healthcare district find viable solutions. I have called for more transparency and open-mindedness from hospital leadership about possible business partnerships. We are now making progress on these fronts, and I am confident the hospital will survive.
