Latest news with #CountyBoardofSupervisors
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal Judge Dismisses Former Sheriff Villanueva's $25 Million Lawsuit Over 'Do Not Rehire' Designation
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson dismissed former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva's $25 million federal lawsuit against the county. The lawsuit alleged defamation and due process violations related to his placement on a "do not rehire" list. In his 28-page ruling, Judge Wilson stated that Villanueva failed to provide sufficient evidence demonstrating that the "do not rehire" designation negatively affected his employment prospects or caused him the emotional distress that he allegedly felt. The judge noted, "It is hard to imagine how being placed on a Do Not Rehire list could serve as an injury if Plaintiff does not desire to be rehired."Villanueva's lawsuit originated from investigations by the County Equity Oversight Panel, which upheld complaints that he had harassed Inspector General Max Huntsman in a 'racially based attack' by referring to Huntsman by his birth name, Max-Gustaf. Villanueva accused Huntsman of being a Holocaust denier, which Huntsman refuted based on a lack of evidence. Villanueva was also accused in a separate complaint made by Esther Lim, a former justice deputy for county Supervisor Hilda Solis, that Villanueva repeatedly harassed women of color in social media livestream comments. According to Wilson, while the judge has now dismissed the last federal claim, there are still matters that the federal court "declines to exercise jurisdiction over" and are now left to the state court.'We're very pleased that the Sheriff's consequential complaints of defamation and emotional distress will move forward, and that we'll have the opportunity to hold the County of Los Angeles accountable in state court,' Carney Shegerian, Villanueva's attorney, 2022, Villanueva lost his reelection bid and subsequently failed in a primary election for a seat on the County Board of Supervisors.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'You can't just throw out Patty Plumb's address': Shasta elections boss faces new storm
Shasta's new top elections official, Clint Curtis, registered to vote in the county using the address of a member of the controversial advisory Elections Commission. County elections records show Curtis registered as a Republican on May 8. The address on his registration is the same as Patty Plumb, a conservative activist and elections skeptic who was re-appointed to the Shasta County Elections Commission by District 3 Supervisor Corkey Harmon in late January. As of Wednesday, Curtis was also registered in Florida as a Democrat, who gave an address in Titusville, Florida, according to the Brevard County elections website. At least one public speaker at Tuesday's Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting, when Curtis was appointed, questioned his place of residence. 'One has to have a residence in Shasta County. You can't just say, 'Oh, I'm going to throw out Patty Plumb's address, the Shasta County elections commissioner and use hers.' Has anybody checked that?' Shasta County retired Public Defender Jeff Gorder said. Election rules in California say residents get to decide what address they want to use to register to vote, Shasta County Assistant Registrar of Voters Joanna Francescut said Wednesday morning. She said voters sign an affidavit to confirm their place of residence. She said someone registering to vote could report their address as a street corner. The residency question also came up during District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye's campaign in 2022, when he defeated Erin Resner, who currently sits on the Redding City Council. There were allegations Crye did not live in the district. Former county Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen at the time said Crye submitted the appropriate documents and based on that information, his name was approved for the ballot. Supervisors approved Curtis' appointment as the county's new registrar of voters on Tuesday by a 3-2 vote. Crye, Harmon and Chris Kelstrom voted to appoint Curtis. Supervisors Allen Long and Matt Plummer voted no. Long and Plummer wanted Francescut to get the job. Curtis' first day on the job was Wednesday. Francescut said Curtis took a tour of the office and met the staff. Francescut has said that she wants to continue as assistant registrar of voters. She also has announced her intention to run for registrar of voters when the seat comes up in June 2026. Curtis' appointment goes through 2026. David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He's part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Clint Curtis' voter registration in Shasta County mired in controversy
CBS News
24-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
San Joaquin County approves $261 million budget for Be Well Campus
San Joaquin County approves budget for Be Well campus south of Stockton San Joaquin County approves budget for Be Well campus south of Stockton San Joaquin County approves budget for Be Well campus south of Stockton SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY - The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this week to approve a $261 million budget to move forward with the Be Well Campus project. "We want to increase access to behavioral health in the community, divert people needing this care from jail or going to emergency rooms," said Genevieve Valentine, the director of the county's health care services, in Tuesday afternoon's board meeting. The campus will have sobriety centers, treatment beds, and other mental health resources. County officials are using $1.6 million to outline the process of building the campus and the scope of care. "We want to create the first in-county medical substance abuse residential program, increase treatment bed capacity, allow for an integrated care model between behavioral health, the health clinics and public health," Valentine said. The campus will be built at Hospital Road and Interstate 5. "We have a massive problem here and I think it'll fill a gap that we are missing," said Jessica Velez. Velez is the founder of Red Rabbit Advocacy Programs in San Joaquin County, which helps those struggling with homelessness, drug abuse, and mental issues. She said that there aren't enough beds or treatments to go around for those who need them. "You're homeless, you go there, you're seen, then where? You got to go back to your camp to start taking [medicine]? That doesn't really work," she said. Velez hopes the Be Well Campus can put the county in the right position to help those who want it. "I hope people are willing to give these alternatives a chance because, obviously, what we're doing isn't working," she said. This campus will be built in two phases, starting with the south side of the campus and then the north. The county's goal is to have part of it built and ready in 2026.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Board of Supervisors District 1 special election results
Above: FOX 5 report on voters headed to the polls for the District 1 special election. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The first batch of unofficial results in the crowded race to succeed Nora Vargas on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors are expected to be released by the Registrar of Voters shortly after polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Seven candidates are currently vying for the District 1 seat: Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez, energy consultant Elizabeth Efird, former Imperial County Supervisor Louis Fuentes, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, and marketing firm associate Lincoln Pickard. D1 Special Election: What to know | The Candidates | How to vote | More Stories FOX 5/KUSI will update this page with real-time results as soon as they are made available. The first drop of unofficial returns is anticipated to represent mail-in ballots received prior to election day and those cast early at in-person vote centers. Once all the ballots have been counted, the Registrar of Voters has until May 8 to certify the race results, making it official. In order for a candidate to win outright, they would need to have received 50% of votes in the final tally. Should no candidate meet this mark, a runoff between the two candidates with the most votes will take place on July 1. The race is the second time South Bay residents took to the ballot box to select their representative on the County Board of Supervisors in less than six months, having just re-elected Vargas to a second term in the District 1 seat in the November general. San Diego County loses $40M in funds just before new public health lab opens The former board chair announced she would not be taking the oath of office again abruptly a few weeks after her resounding win, citing 'personal safety and security reasons' — the details of which have still not been disclosed. Her resignation set up another high-stakes contest with the potential to swing partisan control of the technically non-partisan body back into the hands of Republicans after just four years with a Democratic majority. Whoever wins in the special election will serve out the remainder of Vargas' term, running through January 2029. FOX 5/KUSI will be following this race throughout election night. Check back for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Permits issued in Altadena since the fire: zero. L.A. County wants to speed it up
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is trying to speed up home rebuilding in Altadena after the county failed to issue a single permit in the three months since the Eaton fire devastated the town. The supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to create a 'unified permitting authority,' which they said will cut through county bureaucracy to speed up the approval process. 'I'm not satisfied with the pace,' said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena, in a statement. 'No rebuild permits have been issued in Altadena and that's unacceptable. … We don't have time to waste.' The Eaton fire destroyed over 9,000 structures, most of them single-family homes in Altadena, an unincorporated area where the county government has the final say on building permits. The county created a 'one stop' permitting center in March to speed up the approval process, but homeowners say the experience has been disjointed, with various county agencies all required to provide a stamp of approval. The two-week turnaround many were promised didn't materialize. 'These delays significantly impact residents who are already coping with the trauma of displacement and property loss,' said the supervisors' motion establishing the new permitting authority. Supervisors said the new authority, which will be created with the Departments of Public Works, Regional Planning, Fire and Public Health, will have the final, binding say on permitting issues. All the departments will also be asked to assign 'senior-level liaisons' to the 'one stop' center to speed up the process. 'Helping our communities recover swiftly and effectively from this year's devastating fires is Los Angeles County's highest priority,' said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose district includes the Pacific Palisades, in a statement. 'We must ensure the rebuilding process is not only fast and efficient but also equitable and accessible for every resident.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
