budget

Expressed appreciation for the Board's support of the Youth Fund and encouraged direct engagement with Future Leaders of America.

Expressed gratitude for continuing funding for the Sheriff's Behavioral Services Unit and mental health co-response.

Thanked the board for preserving the Behavioral Sciences Unit manager position and co-response teams.

Appreciated partial restorations but urged the board to pause adoption to review new state budget funding that could save jobs.

Requested that the county budget include employee names and job titles and raised concerns regarding public records and past legal claims.

Expressed concern that removing all vehicles from a parking lot participating in the Safe Parking Program is an overreaction to a single person's actions.

Objected to the elimination of lab assistant positions at the Lompoc Healthcare Center.

Read the list of proposed layoffs and urged the board to protect frontline workers instead of executives.

Discussed the long-term negative consequences of losing experienced county IT staff.

Warned that proposed social services cuts and AOP layoffs will lead to systemic collapse and backlogs.

Asked the board to exhaust all alternatives before proceeding with layoffs that create fear and anxiety.

Spoke on behalf of social services workers regarding high caseloads and the impact of staff shortages.

Expressed dedication to public health lab work and urged the board to preserve jobs and services.

Questioned funding priorities between the sheriff's department and public health, urging investment in health services.

Proposed alternatives to layoffs such as employee furloughs and temporary reassignments across departments.

Spoke as executive director of SEIU Local 620 against proposed layoffs, emphasizing their impact on vulnerable residents.

Urged the board not to lay off essential safety net workers while funding jail expansion.

Emphasized the importance of public health services for vulnerable rural populations like Guadalupe.

Highlighted the critical role of the county pharmacy in Santa Barbara and urged against budget cuts and layoffs.

Spoke about healthcare accessibility barriers for Lompoc farmworker families and opposed service cuts.

Expressed concern over pharmacy and laboratory closures and their impact on uninsured and immigrant residents.

Spoke as county pharmacy director, questioning the financial assumptions behind closing revenue-generating pharmacies.

Expressed support for SEIU Local 620 and concern over disproportionate impacts on communities of color.

Expressed opposition to proposed budget cuts on behalf of Indivisible Santa Barbara.

Expressed solidarity with farmworker and immigrant communities affected by proposed healthcare cuts.

Expressed concern over pharmacy technician layoffs and the impact on low-income patients.

Spoke passionately about the lifesaving impact of county pharmacies and urged the board to keep them open.

Urged the board to use strategic reserves instead of cutting health and social services.

Represented SEIU Local 620 in rejecting the budget proposal that includes layoffs across multiple departments.

Spoke about the vital services provided by Lompoc pharmacy staff and the impact of closures on farmworker families.

Objected to proposed funding cuts to city library systems, noting that unincorporated and regional residents heavily rely on city library services.

Highlighted the high return on investment and community value provided by public libraries across the county.

Spoke as an emergency management professional advocating for the Office of Emergency Management to remain an independent unit rather than under the fire service.

Requested additional partial restoration for Animal Services to avoid reducing days of operation at shelters while long-term fundraising and licensing strategies are implemented.

Highlighted concerns regarding the elimination of specific specialty clinics and potential impacts on emergency room wait times at Cottage Health.

Spoke on behalf of SEIU Local 620 supporting requested restoration funding and opposing layoffs and labor concessions.

Warned that proposed reductions in social safety net programs will harm vulnerable residents and urged the Board to utilize one-time funds to prevent layoffs.

Expressed concerns regarding proposed reductions to Social Services and Public Health funding while noting high spending on the Sheriff's Department.

Raised concerns about proposed staffing cuts and eliminated specialty services in county health clinics and urged transparency during transitions.

Criticized the Sheriff's Office for exceeding its overtime budget and urged the appointment of an independent Inspector General.

Spoke on behalf of county workers urging management not to balance the budget on the backs of rank-and-file employees and supporting revenue generators.

Criticized Animal Services and county budgeting practices.

Urged the board to restore funding for Animal Services to prevent service cuts that would harm pets and the community.

Highlighted growing sheriff budgets amid cuts to public health and social programs.

Criticized persistent sheriff budget overruns and advocated for strict budget limits.

Asked the Board to consider community impacts and budget cuts before expanding the jail.