Dear Friends & Neighbors, North County has about two-thirds of the private wells and small water systems that serve residents in Monterey County. It is now the focal point of a state effort to know every well within the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency boundaries (SVBGSA). Not all of North County is in the SVBGSA boundaries. The northern parts of Pajaro, Aromas, Las Lomas and much, but not all of Moss Landing and Royal Oaks are in the Pajaro Valley Water Management...

Elkhorn Slough, Photo Credit: Kathy McKenzie Dear Friends & Neighbors, Looking back on 2025 and ahead to 2026, some key issues have been resolved, but many significant challenges remain. It is impossible to reflect on 2025 without addressing the Moss Landing Battery fire. Cleanup efforts continue and will do so for some time, while both Vistra and PG&E remain shut down by their own choice. Last summer, Monterey County began developing an ordinance to address battery energy storage facilities....

Dear Friends & Neighbors, A year ago, voters in unincorporated Monterey County approved Measure AA. Measure AA increased the unincorporated sales tax from 7.75% to 8.75%. This one percent increase will generate approximately $25 million annually, which will only be spent for services and infrastructure in unincorporated Monterey County.  Since it has been a year since its passage, I want to provide an update on its status. A Board of Supervisors committee has been formed to meet quarterly to...