Politics

San Benito County's longtime fair manager, Kelley Ferreira, is set to retire at the end of the year, according to an announcement from the 33rd Agricultural District.

Supervisor Jerry Muenzer suggested a possible increase to the lodging tax – from eight percent to 12 percent – at a recent board meeting.

Hollister School District officials are joining their counterparts at the San Benito High School District by weighing the placement of a school bond on the 2014 ballot.

Assemblyman Luis Alejo recognized four veterans for valor by awarding them with the 2013 Veteran of the Year awards. Among those awarded was San Benito County veteran and high school Trustee Raymond Rodriguez.

The City of Hollister held another “Complete Streets” workshop Thursday at Rancho San Justo Middle School to discuss changes to Nash Road, Tres Pinos Road, Sunnyslope Road and McCray Street to make them more pedestrian-friendly.

County supervisors agreed Tuesday to put off any possible ballot-tax measures until at least 2016.

The L.A. City Council last week proposed a statewide earthquake bond ballot measure that would help local governments receive funding to upgrade older concrete buildings with new earthquake safety improvements.

Hollister City Council members Monday approved a market study that is designed to help the city decide if a new downtown hotel is a “viable development opportunity.”

Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, traveled to the nation’s capitol Monday and Tuesday to talk with lawmakers about the fate of immigration reform at the federal level.

Community leaders this week discussed possible solutions to revamp the library system in San Benito County at a forum, where local officials on a panel committed their support to finding more revenue streams and updating the 60-year old library.