Candidates present their positions
b"May 10, 2022 \\u2014 Incumbent Ted Williams and challenger John Redding are vying for the Fifth District Supervisor\\u2019s seat in next month\\u2019s election. They presented their positions at a League of Women voters event last week, fielding questions about healthcare, fire preparation, drought, and economic development.\\nA major issue on the coast is the uncertain future of the Mendocino Coast Healthcare District, and whether or not to dissolve it. Redding, who is Treasurer of the district board, fears that the county, which is struggling to balance its budget and has failed to collect millions of dollars in cannabis tax revenue, could take charge of healthcare on the coast. At stake is what he believes is local control over the decision to bring the existing hospital into compliance with seismic codes, build a new hospital, or rely on clinics.\\n\\u201cWhat I\\u2019m not in favor of is dissolving the Healthcare District,\\u201d he said. \\u201cThat would mean the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) would, without a vote of the people, dissolve the Healthcare District, and the successor agent would be the county. And they would seize our money, our taxes, our land, and there would be no representatives anywhere close to the coast to provide governance,\\u201d\\nWilliams countered that local control involves a lot of dysfunction on the district board, and doubled Redding\\u2019s estimate of $50 million to build a new hospital. \\u201cI tune in to those meetings,\\u201d he said. \\u201cI see a lot of bickering. I don\\u2019t see much progress. There's complaints going to the Grand Jury and FPPC (Fair Political Practices Commission) and questions about was an attorney hired\\u2026and I think it\\u2019s casting a shadow over the real discussion that needs to happen. A new hospital could cost $100 million, plus. Might only generate $2 million revenue\\u2026 It\\u2019s really a challenge for the segment of our population that can\\u2019t afford to go to Ukiah or Santa Rosa for regular healthcare.\\u201d\\nWhen it comes to abortion rights, Williams is a staunch supporter, saying restrictions on abortion limit a woman\\u2019s right to participate in society. Redding said that, while he is pro-life, he does support the right to choose. He said that when the Healthcare District board was presented with a proposal to allow the clinic to perform chemical abortions, he voted in favor of it. \\u201cI would not in any way limit a woman\\u2019s access to abortion, and I think I\\u2019ve proven that with my vote,\\u201d he said.\\nFire and drought are region wide issues that are top of mind as summer approaches. Though he is dubious about relying on the state, Redding thinks huge wildfires are largely the state\\u2019s responsibility. He cited the state\\u2019s years\\u2019-long policy of preventing wildfires by clearing and logging, saying, \\u201cThis is really a state problem that affects us\\u2026we really need to put pressure on the State of California to follow through on its commitments.\\u201d\\nWilliams, a volunteer firefighter, invoked historical factors as well. But he also advocates a local response, saying, \\u201c\\u201dIt\\u2019s our problem, because we live here, and fire may be in our backyard.\\u201d He highlighted defensible space and chipper programs, adding, \\u201cThere are also opportunities to coordinate the funds that are available to get local workforce out, putting people to work, who desperately need work.\\u201d\\nBoth candidates support the idea of water storage, which is emphasized in the governor\\u2019s drought strategy. But while Williams touted the county\\u2019s success at winning a $5 million state grant to build water storage in the town of Mendocino, Redding tied storage into his emphasis, which is encouraging private economic development. \\u201cTo rely on government grants makes me uncomfortable,\\u201d he said, recalling a former boss who told him, \\u201chope is not a business plan. And when you\\u2019re hoping that you\\u2019re going to get a grant from the State of California or the federal government, that\\u2019s not a business plan.\\u201d\\nRedding suggested hiring an economic development coordinator and supports funding West Business Development Center, which the Board of Supervisors agreed to continue doing last week. Williams agreed that economic development is a glaring need, but opined that, \\u201cthe county\\u2019s role in that needs to be to provide infrastructure where businesses want to exist, where people want to live.\\u201d He added that he is reluctant to shift financial resources away from core services like road maintenance, public safety and social services, \\u201call of the services that the most vulnerable people rely on, and the services that would attract businesses to our area.\\u201d \\nThe candidates differed on the nature of the board\\u2019s relationship with the sheriff\\u2019s office, with Redding associating Williams, and an attempt at a system-wide audit of the sheriff\\u2019s department, with efforts to defund the police. Sheriff Matt Kendall has since endorsed Williams. \\n\\n\\nKZYX will have more election coverage this month. \\nThis Thursday, May 12, from 3-4 pm, we\\u2019ll hear from Assessor/Clerk/Recorder Katrina Barolomie and Pat Dunbar, from the League of Women Voters.\\nOn Monday, May 16, from 6:30-8pm, we\\u2019ll host a debate with Fifth District candidates Ted Williams and John Redding. \\nAnd on Monday, May 23, frome 6:30-8pm, we\\u2019ll host a debate with Third District candidates, incumbent John Haschak and challenger Clay Romero."