Jan. 31—Candidates vying for seats on the Yuba County Board of Supervisors, Sutter County Board of Supervisors and Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors answered pressing questions during a public forum on Tuesday, addressing opportunities for growth, water rights, and homelessness among other areas of concern for residents.

Each candidate was given 90 seconds to deliver opening statements, one minute to answer questions, and two minutes to deliver closing remarks. The forum was moderated by Janell Willis, executive director of the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce, and Robert Summa, editor of the Appeal-Democrat. Questions were developed by the Appeal-Democrat Editorial Board and submitted by audience members.

Tuesday’s forum was recorded by Ted Langdell of Yuba-Sutter Live and is available for viewing on Yuba-Sutter Live’s YouTube page and the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce’s social media pages.

Yuba County Board of Supervisors

Candidates for the Yuba County Board of Supervisors include incumbent Don Blaser and Renick House running for District 2 along with incumbent Seth Fuhrer and John Floe running for District 3.

Q: Yuba County is gaining a lot of forward momentum with the arrival of Costco and infrastructure projects spreading throughout the county. How would you continue these positive happenings in Yuba County?

Blaser said that this growth has extended through the county, Marysville and the Yuba Water Agency. Rolling out campaigns such as Yes to Yuba has helped to attract more businesses to the area and further economic growth. Blaser hopes to further drive the community’s business friendly attitude and believes that reducing the homeless population and improving infrastructure will help this endeavor.

House wants to tie progress made in south Yuba County to Marysville, which he believes is moving forward in commercial development, but needs to focus on hiring locally to complete new projects.

“If the casino has an expansion, it needs to be our people working those jobs. We need to bridge our agencies together and leverage our resources,” House said.

Fuhrer highlighted that along with Costco, Yuba County also introduced a smaller grocery store to Olivehurst. He believes that at a government level, the best way to promote forward momentum is to make the process of establishing a business as easy as possible.

“Businesses whenever they start are always going to bump into obstacles. If there’s anything we can do at the government level, it’s to smooth away, get them through the red tape, and help them get through those hoops so they can open,” Fuhrer said.

Floe said planning infrastructure around incoming growth is crucial. He compared Yuba County’s potential to areas like Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville in that more infrastructure will support its residents which will in turn trigger more development.

Q: What’s not getting done in Yuba County and how would you get those things done?

House believes that the county needs to be hiring locally and obtain its federal operating license to leverage water resources.

Fuhrer said that traffic in Marysville is a big priority for him. The Goldfields Parkway has long been discussed as a possible solution, but under current funding systems will take approximately 20 years to complete. Fixing traffic could contribute to more commercial growth and improve quality of life for residents, he said.

Fuhrer hopes to find additional funding resources to carry out projects that would help bypass traffic congestion.

“I don’t need a solution in 20 years, I need a solution tomorrow. I know government works slow, but it needs to work faster. That is where I think we need to put some creativity and elbow grease into where we fix traffic and smooth flow,” Fuhrer said.

Floe believes that public safety is also tied to traffic concerns. In regards to the Oroville Dam crisis in 2017, he believes that residents would have been safer if emergency routes were available to quickly evacuate.

Blaser also addressed traffic as a concern of his, saying that Caltrans is working with Marysville for possible solutions. He said that options to move traffic through the city are limited, but do exist.

“Yuba County has plans to run the Goldfields Parkway which could run from McGowan Parkway all the way to Highway 20 and Highway 70. We think that by the end of 2024 it could be complete from Erle Road to Hammonton-Smartsville, which should help,” Blaser said.

Q: As an incumbent, what would you do differently in another term to better serve the people in your district?

Fuhrer said that he would dedicate more time to leveraging resources at the state level in Sacramento. He believes that gaining access to state funds will help generate more necessary infrastructure and build upon existing projects in underserved areas of the community.

Blaser said that he would “get back to basics.” He would like to see improvements to residents’ quality of life such as enjoying local recreation and working with code enforcement. Blaser also wants to promote safe access to recreation and active living by connecting local walkways and bike paths to both sides of the river.

“Marysville should be a destination or what I call a ‘Hallmark Town,'” Blaser said. “You see these pristine little towns, and I don’t know why we can’t be one of these Hallmark Towns.”

Q: As a non-incumbent, each of the incumbent supervisors have already served at least one full term in office and gained experience with how local and regional government works. Why should voters replace an experienced representative in their district?

Floe said that his experience in behavioral health and education would bring a variety of strengths to the position.

“I’m about bringing people together, not pushing them away from each other. I’m about collaboration and coming together. It’s critical that we work together on various projects,” he said.

House said that he wants to connect West Linda to Marysville. He said that the issues seen in Marysville carry throughout the whole county, and as supervisor, he would bring these problems to the board at every meeting.

Q: How would you help prevent homelessness in Yuba County and how would you allocate funds to achieve that goal?

Floe said that Yuba County needs a comprehensive way of tracking homeless individuals as they utilize available resources. He said while the county has many great programs for its homeless population, it has yet to address truancy and people who commit crimes as a result of homelessness. Addressing these issues is crucial to protecting businesses and residents, he said.

Blaser sees housing, behavioral health and the court system as primary factors in addressing homelessness. Mental health resources and affordable housing carry frequent barriers in their own right, he said.

House said that homelessness is a multifaceted issue, but believes that hiring locally will help alleviate it.

“We don’t need to treat the effects of homelessness. We need to treat the people that are going into homelessness. We need youth to complete programs in high school and go on to be productive members of society. We need our under-employed residents to step up and open up those jobs for people to step out of homelessness,” he said.

Fuhrer said Yuba County needs a “multi-pronged attack” that encompasses behavioral health, housing and accommodations. While many of these areas impacting homelessness are beyond the county’s control, Fuhrer said that Yuba County can control the number of local housing units to directly help residents.

Q: Marysville is preparing to ask voters in November to support the extension of Measure C, a one cent general sales tax that funds vital city services and something that officials have gone as far to say that the city would not survive without. Will you be taking a position on this possible measure? Why or why not?

Blaser said that Marysville doesn’t have many sources for revenue, but has a chance to develop tax-generating businesses. While he is wary of imposing another tax, he believes that the city will have to consider an extension.

House referred to Measure C as a “timing issue” and said that he is against all tax increases. He believes that extending the tax is counterproductive if people are struggling to pay existing bills.

“I would let this one expire unless someone could convince me otherwise,” House said. “Taxes are not going to improve this for any of us. It’ll put us on stilts for a little while, but it’s not a long-term solution.”

Fuhrer said that he is typically against taxes and bonds due to stewardship. He believes that while a lot of money flows through the government’s hands, the government is not always frugal in its spending.

Floe said that tax increases in the current economic state are not feasible for residents struggling to make ends meet. He believes that the city should reevaluate its spending before pursuing an extension.

Q: Have you worked on developing a bypass? If not, what will you do to resolve increased traffic complaints?

Fuhrer is one of seven votes on the Yuba Water Agency that has worked toward establishing a local traffic bypass. He has sought funding solutions for possible emergency routes in the event of a major flood.

Floe said that current highway expansions are not feasible if that traffic is being funneled into the city’s roadways. He believes that nothing will alleviate traffic unless all agencies can develop an appropriate plan to establish a bypass.

Blaser said that he would like to see two new bridges in the area to help reduce traffic. Current routes are simply directing large swaths of traffic into Marysville’s narrow roadways, he said.

House said that the county should pursue a seasonal causeway, a raised stretch of road carried over a waterway. He believes that building bypasses around rivers rather than around levees would be more feasible to carry out.

Q: The position of Yuba County Supervisor also places you on the Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors. With power bills skyrocketing, should the Yuba Water Agency support the development of a local two or three county municipal power provider with Yuba County as one of the providers?

Blaser said that this has been a topic of discussion and could be a viable project, but will take a lot of research to consider. In the long run, there may be a possibility for a power bill reduction, but this would prove to be a “long-evolved” project with many factors to consider, he said.

House said that there is no reason why Yuba County can’t complete its federal operating license to establish a municipal power provider and offer a reduced rate utility.

Fuhrer said that the Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors has explored this avenue, but not as a multi-county power provider. He acknowledged that utility bills are skyrocketing, and a reduced rate utility may provide small, but nonetheless substantial discounts to customers.

Floe said that a study would be crucial to understand how a project of this scale could impact the community. He believes that further research would be necessary to fully understand possible savings or opportunities.

Yuba Water Agency

Candidates for the Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors North Yuba County representative include incumbent Charlie Mathews along with challengers Randy Fletcher and Don Schrader.

Q: Each of you has already had experience with the Yuba Water Agency. Why should voters change course midstream or continue with the incumbent?

Mathews said that the Agency has had major problems with water primarily in Sacramento. As a director, Mathews has been deeply involved in all hearings regarding local water rights.

Fletcher said that there were several projects that moved forward since his time on the Yuba County Board of Supervisors and subsequently the Yuba Water Agency. He believes that issues unique to the foothills such as public safety, a biomass plant, and insurance still need to be addressed. On top of these issues, Fletcher would also focus on the state of Ellis Lake in Marysville, if elected.

Schrader said that during his time on the board, he was the only member to participate in the Yuba River Accord, the first long-term water transfer program in the state. He hopes to help the Agency continue protecting the area’s water rights.

Q: What are the biggest challenges to the Yuba Water Agency and what do you bring to the table to address them?

Fletcher said one of the big issues is the possibility of the state seizing Yuba County’s water rights. Yuba County has a source of water that is a big draw to the state, he said. In addition, fire safety, insurance and establishing a biomass plant are unique issues to north Yuba County.

Schrader said he fought the state in previous threats to Yuba County’s water rights.

Mathews also negotiated groundwater transfers to help protect the area’s water rights in the past, he said.

Q: With power bills skyrocketing, should the Yuba Water Agency support the development of a local two or three county municipal power provider with Yuba County as one of the providers?

Schrader said that this project would be substantial to residents in the face of increased utility rates.

“If we could gain control of power and not only sell it or provide power to people in Yuba County, but surrounding counties, that would be wonderful. That’s going to be a long, long-term project,” he said.

Mathews said that the Agency has worked with consultants to establish community aggregates to procure power on behalf of residents. As a director, he has pushed for these projects.

Fletcher said pursuing a community choice aggregate was one of the first things he looked into when he was first elected. He previously worked with state and county representatives to examine the feasibility of a municipal power provider. He hopes to research the project more to understand the best avenue for development.

Q: What more can the Yuba Water Agency do to benefit Yuba County?

Mathews said that the Agency currently operates under an agency act which has helped carry out flood and infrastructure projects throughout Yuba County. He has been a leader in pushing for more of these projects to benefit residents.

Fletcher said that teamwork is necessary in carrying out projects that benefit the community. He believes that there are a multitude of issues impacting the area, and communication between directors and staff is crucial to addressing them.

Schrader said the Agency has spearheaded flood protection throughout the county, but it remains a high-priority issue. He also hopes to address levee protection through other flood control methods.

Q: North Yuba Water District received a lot of support from the Yuba Water Agency after the ouster of its former general manager and board, which were accused of gross mismanagement and unethical practices. Will you continue to support surrounding water districts like North Yuba? Explain why or why not this support is important.

Fletcher said that North Yuba Water District is critical to the community’s safety in the upper foothills and watershed. He has been supportive to an elective body that strives to do the best it can in carrying out the district’s mission. He believes that both groups have similar goals and support is crucial in bringing about change.

Schrader said that North Yuba Water is critical to the foothills and finding common ground in fixing their unique issues has been a long-standing problem. He is in full support of the district as long as the district continues to work together.

Mathews believes that North Yuba Water’s previous board was a “travesty” due to their lack of transparency. He said that he played a key role in transitioning members of the new board, which he believes is making substantial progress.

Q: What is your stance on water transfers?

Schrader referenced his role on the Yuba River Accord in allowing Yuba County to transfer surplus water to other areas. He helped negotiate with area farmers to allow for water transfers in his previous role.

Mathews has also helped facilitate transferring fixed supplies of groundwater in order to protect area water rights. He said that any water that the Accord loses goes to the state delta, which is then freely available to the state.

Fletcher acknowledged the Yuba River Endowment’s support to the community in recent years. He believes that support for similar causes is necessary when water is a valued commodity.

Q: Marysville is putting a lot of focus on Ellis Lake and is getting help from the Yuba Water Agency. Will you continue to help Marysville improve Ellis Lake with its circulation and water quality, among other issues?

Mathews said that he has fought hard in recent years to improve the lake’s conditions, which residents are now starting to see the effects of. He believes that residents will be able to enjoy a more pristine Ellis Lake by this summer.

Schrader believes that improving Ellis Lake is crucial to the health of Marysville. He said that removing weeds and improving water quality are among the lake’s biggest issues, and he would find ways to resolve them if elected.

Fletcher said that Ellis Lake is a huge opportunity for the city to benefit from tourism, and ensuring the lake remains in good condition could help the city reap these benefits.

Q: Is there any decision by the water board that you believe should have been done differently?

Fletcher believes that board members should engage with the public more often and “cross pollinate” with other water boards throughout the state. He said that networking will open the Agency to more opportunities and possible benefits at the state and federal level.

Schrader said that the Agency is currently run under great leadership, and believes that it’s the board’s role to maintain their viability.

Mathews believes that the board needs to remain united in order to further current leadership and carry out the Agency’s goals.

Q: With the amount of money Yuba Water Agency is able to generate, where should that money go?

Schrader said that Yuba Water Agency is restrained by the Agency Act, which limits funding uses to water and flood control related projects. Of these projects, he believes that releasing water from New Bullards Bar is crucial as a flood control method. He also thinks that the Agency needs to remain critical about how it allocates funds.

Fletcher also acknowledged limitations set by the Agency Act, but believes that efforts should be directed toward leveraging funds for flood control and water related projects.

“There are grants from the state of California and federal. If we can take a small amount from the agency and leverage it against a grant, we could take $10 million and turn it into $100 million. That is smart work,” Fletcher said.

Mathew said that as a member of the Agency’s audit committee, he believes that the board has an obligation to spend funds responsibly rather than letting surplus funds go untouched.

Sutter County Board of Supervisors

Candidates include incumbent Nick Micheli and Jeff Boone running for District 1 along with incumbent Mat Conant, Jeff Stephens and Sarb Thiara running for District 5.

Q: Why do you believe voters rejected Measure A, a one cent general sales tax measure that would have contributed toward county roads and critical services such as public safety? Would you support another measure?

Conant said he would support another tax measure. The county’s revenue sources sit around 1% per year while expenses are around 3%. He believes that Sutter County could have done a better job marketing Measure A to voters. He said the measure failed to pass by 800 votes, but Conant is confident that Sutter County can surpass that threshold in future efforts.

Thiara said that the county did not do a good enough job marketing Measure A and believes that there were questionable methods in the board’s undertaking of a revenue measure. He believes that infrastructure should be the county’s primary concern rather than imposing a tax.

Stephens believes that trust and transparency are crucial values to uphold when addressing a revenue measure. He is not in support of another measure until Sutter County addresses existing issues identified by the Sutter County Grand Jury.

Micheli said that Measure A passed in his district and he would be in favor of another measure. He said that Yuba City and Sutter County will work together in a city-wide tax measure which will appear on the November ballot.

Boone said that he is not a proponent of tax increases given current economic conditions. Instead of a tax measure, he suggested a 10% cut to all county programs and departments.

“I think possibly if we sharpen our pencils, maybe we could make it happen. There’s a couple different ideas like going across the board and cutting everything. Maybe everyone takes a 10% cut in all the programs to really get a hold of the budget,” Boone said.

Q: How would you help prevent homelessness in Sutter County and how would you allocate funds to achieve that goal?

Thiara believes that current approaches to homelessness have not worked and the county needs to pursue different avenues. He suggested transferring the homeless population to different cities or areas outside the county because the size of the homeless population does not justify the cost to operate current systems.

“We have spent so much government funds, and we still have the river bottoms all full. … We still have to put the homeless people in an area where they understand. Right now, we’re putting them in the middle of the population, and I don’t think it’s working that great. I don’t have the 100% correct answer right now, but I guarantee you the system that they’re put into, the amount of money they have spent, millions of dollars, it hasn’t worked,” Thiara said. “We need to have a different plan, and there’s other things like putting them in different cities or out of areas where they want to stay because all of them are coming into the river bottoms and going back. They’re just going and taking copper wires.”

Stephens believes that homelessness is likely to get worse before it gets better with cost of living increases and other economic hardships. He believes that other solutions are necessary to address various factors to homelessness such as job loss and mental health.

Micheli said that Project Homekey and collaborations with Habitat for Humanity have been instrumental in addressing homelessness in Sutter County. Sutter County is also operating an overnight campsite for homeless individuals.

Boone believes that there is no specific plan that can address all aspects or causes of homelessness. He thinks that it’s important to develop local assistance programs while deterring new homeless individuals from settling in Sutter County.

Conant said a lack of affordable housing greatly contributes to homelessness locally and statewide. Current temporary housing shelters have been able to provide individuals with safe spaces, access to basic necessities and resources toward housing, which Conant believes has contributed toward reducing homelessness.

Q: A common theme among officials is to spend more on law enforcement and public safety. How much more should we spend on law enforcement when roads are desperately needed? What percentage of the county budget should be spent on the sheriff’s office? What other county departments should have their budgets slashed in order to spend more on law enforcement?

Stephens believes that the law enforcement budget should accommodate areas not immediately apparent in discussions surrounding public safety such as the jail and all the resources that keep it afloat. He said that Sutter County should focus on bringing in more revenue to feed the budget for law enforcement.

Micheli said that under his leadership, his district has paved or improved 100 miles of roadways with available funds. However, the costs of operating the Sutter County Jail and funding the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office are increasing. He said that the county will be forced to make cuts for law enforcement if it can’t find alternative revenue sources.

Boone furthered his suggestion of making 10% cuts to most county programs except for public safety.

Conant believes that public safety should be the board’s first priority. Since his election to the board in 2016, he said Sutter County has increased law enforcement’s budget by nearly $14 million, but he worries that there may come a point where the county can no longer sustain that.

Thiara believes that there is too much overlap between the city and county governments that impede on respective budgets.

Q: Nearly 70% of Sutter County is in a floodplain and cannot be developed. With these limitations in its taxbase, how will you help Sutter County grow?

Boone believes that development should be restricted to northern parts of the county. He thinks that there is plenty of room for growth in the surrounding areas of Yuba City and Live Oak which would further economic development.

Conant said that only around 30 houses are built in Sutter County each year. He believes that pursuing industrial development in south Sutter County is crucial to establishing more residential projects and increasing the taxbase through projects like Sutter Pointe.

Thiara said that fixing Sutter County’s levees should be the top priority in promoting more development.

Stephens wants to find solutions to developing the southern half of Yuba County, and believes that more job opportunities are necessary to attract residents.

Micheli said that the federal government’s imposition of the floodplain boundaries put “economic handcuffs” on Sutter County. Once the county obtains grants to work around floodplain restrictions, it will have a project ready for development. Sutter County recently hired an economic development coordinator to further commercial growth.

Q: What are Sutter County’s biggest challenges and how will you address them?

Conant believes that the federal floodplain boundaries pose the biggest challenge to the county and furthering flood control initiatives would help overcome it.

Thiara believes that levees and infrastructure are the biggest challenge. He said that the county’s sewer infrastructure needs to be upgraded to match other jurisdictions.

Stephens thinks that the county’s ongoing revenue issues are its biggest threats. Sutter County is in need of much more funds than what a possible revenue measure could provide, he said.

Micheli believes that fire service for outer areas of the county are crucial to public safety, particularly for County Service Area F. He hopes to structure a resident-based tax that accounts for inflation to ensure that all residents have reliable fire protections.

Boone believes that Sutter County should focus on safety and quality of life. He acknowledged the county’s past struggles to fund public safety and the worsening conditions of county roads.

Q: Sutter Pointe has been in the works for a number of years. How will the project benefit Sutter County as a whole, and what will you do to make that project a reality?

Thiara believes that another 20 years will go by before Sutter Pointe comes to fruition. If the project is primarily funded by developers, then he would welcome Sutter Pointe, but if Sutter County funds the project through taxpayers, then he is against the project.

Stephens believes that Sutter County needs to seize opportunities for industrial development in order to attract further growth and compete with neighboring jurisdictions, but said that Sutter Pointe has been floundering. He wants a dedicated group to ensure that the project comes to light.

Micheli said that on top of the potential for industrial growth, Sutter Pointe has caught the attention of some ag processing companies, which would drive further county-wide development. The issue is that Sutter County does not have the means to bring necessary infrastructure to the area, making the developers responsible unless county funds become available, he said.

Boone was not impressed with the potential development and called to question the county’s ability to build homes in a floodplain. He said that Sutter County should direct its efforts to building more homes in Yuba City and Live Oak.

Conant said that an industrial park in south Sutter County would generate roughly $1 million in taxes each year and stated that developers are primarily responsible for installing infrastructure.