After the San Benito County Board of Supervisors voted to elect
her to be their new chairwoman, Dist. 3 Supervisor Pat Loe
immediately got to work focusing on economic development and budget
issues.
Hollister – After the San Benito County Board of Supervisors voted to elect her to be their new chairwoman, Dist. 3 Supervisor Pat Loe immediately got to work focusing on economic development and budget issues.
In a 4-1 vote Tuesday, Loe took over the gavel from Supervisor Reb Monaco, who was board chair last year. She said she expects the board to focus on economic issues in the coming year.
“The budget is No. 1,” she said.
Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz was the sole board member to vote against Loe becoming chair, citing her membership on the former Board of Supervisors that crafted the growth control ordinance Measure G as a reason for his dissenting vote. He also said that the previous board wasted tax money on unnecessary litigation.
“It’s not a personal thing,” he said. “It’s a community best interest thing.”
Shortly after she was elected chair on Tuesday and assumed the center seat at the Board of Supervisors dais, Loe, 59, announced that she was doing away with the board’s budget subcommittee and would instead hold open hearings with the full board when it comes time to craft the county’s 2006-07 budget. Also, Loe said that she will likely call for a full mid-year review of the county budget.
“Most of us are new in the process and don’t have experience that other boards in the past have had,” she said. “I thought it might be better to do open hearings so we can all learn as we go along.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, Loe created a new subcommittee that will be charged with drafting a new economic development component for the county’s general plan, which will likely be reviewed and revised this year. She appointed Supervisors Reb Monaco and De La Cruz to the new subcommittee.
“I thought we should probably start the process,” she said, “because economic development is so important.”
As chairwoman, Loe doesn’t have significantly more power than the other supervisors – the chair’s main charge is to run Board of Supervisors meetings. The chair also signs official paperwork. The majority of Loe’s colleagues on the board said they are confident that she will do well in the position.
“I’m optimistic that she’ll do just fine,” Supervisor Anthony Botelho said. “The whole board seems to be working well together. We’re looking forward to a very productive year for county government.”
De La Cruz, however, said that Loe’s participation on the previous Board of Supervisors when it drafted the divisive growth control initiative Measure G makes him question her ability to be chairwoman. Measure G split the county before it was defeated by voters in 2004.
“How is it that someone who advocated the taking of property rights becomes chair?” he said.
De La Cruz also said that the previous board wasted millions in taxpayer money in legal actions that he says were not in the best interest of the county.
“I’m still seeking answers to actions that the prior board did,” he said, adding that if he was given answers about Measure G and the legal expenditures that satisfied him he would retract his ‘no’ vote and fully support Loe.
Despite his claim that it wasn’t personal, Loe said she thinks De La Cruz’s vote against her was a personal issue. She said she is more interested in the future of the board, rather than the past.
“If Mr. De La Cruz didn’t want me to be chairperson, I expect the courtesy of just a vote against me instead of playing some sort of game,” she said. “If Mr. De La Cruz has a problem with me I wish he’d have the courtesy to come talk to me about it.”
Botelho said that he wasn’t too surprised when De La Cruz cast the sole dissenting vote.
“Supervisor De La Cruz is the polar opposite of Supervisor Loe,” he said. “I hope that doesn’t have any indication for their relationship. I worry about my votes rather than Supervisor De La Cruz’s.”
As it stands, though, De La Cruz said that he intends to cooperate with Loe and continue to work with the board.
“I have to work with the entire board,” he said. “The decision was made. She is the chairperson … I respect that.”
Also on Tuesday, the board elected Supervisor Don Marcus as the board’s vice-chair. That vote was unanimous.
“I certainly support Supervisor Loe as the new chair person, and I’m appreciative for being nominated as vice-chair,” he said. “I certainly look forward to another year of cooperative effort.”
Supervisors have said that Monaco did a good job as chair during a challenging year with an inexperienced board and the absence of several key department heads. During Tuesday’s meeting, Loe presented Monaco with a plaque for his year of service as board chairman.
“Thank you very much,” she said to the retired teacher, “and may you always remember us as your unruly students.”
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
