Before the Vote Is Called
The Moment We’re In
Ballots have arrived.
In a few short weeks, this election will be decided. For many people, it will feel like just another local race. Another name on a ballot. Another box to check.
But if you’re in District 3 and you’ve been paying attention, you know that is not what this is.
This moment feels different. Because this is not just about a seat. It is about how decisions will be made, how voices will or won’t be heard, and whether leadership reflects the people of our county.
How Things Start to Slip
Communities do not lose trust all at once. It does not happen in a dramatic moment where everything suddenly breaks. It happens slowly.
It happens when decisions stop being worked through in public. It happens when questions go unanswered. It happens when people feel like their voice no longer matters. It happens when fear is the climate. And at first, it is subtle. Easy to dismiss. Easy to say, “That’s just how things work.”, “They already made up their minds.” or “No one listens anyway.”
But over time, it’ll beat us down and something changes. People stop showing up. People stop believing they can make a difference. And decisions begin to feel distant from the people they affect. But each decision affects us all!
We Have Seen This Before
This is not unique to Tuolumne County.
The Flint water crisis was a public health crisis from 2014 to 2025 which involved the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan, being contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria.
In Flint, Michigan, residents raised concerns about their water for months and were repeatedly dismissed before the crisis became impossible to ignore. The lesson from Flint is simple. When people are telling government something is wrong, leadership needs to listen before damage becomes permanent.
The 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California's Butte County was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in Californian history.
In Paradise, California, warnings about wildfire danger, evacuation routes, and infrastructure existed long before the fire. After the fire, those concerns were no longer theoretical and Paradise was one of the deadliest disasters in California history.
At least 97 people were confirmed dead in and around Lahaina during the after fire.
In Lahaina, Maui, the fire was only part of the tragedy. County officials did not activate the emergency sirens, power and cell service failed, and many residents had little or no warning before evacuation became chaos. Lahaina is a painful reminder that emergency systems cannot just exist on paper. They have to work in real time, under pressure, when lives depend on them. Preparedness is not paperwork. It is leadership before the crisis arrives.
These are not exactly same as what we are facing here, of course. But they all point to the same truth. When systems drift away from the people, the consequences are not abstract. They are real.
Closer to Home
Station 56 Mono Vista, scheduled to close July 1st.
Here in our own county, the conversations are about public safety, emergency response, and long term planning. These are not small issues.
They determine how quickly help arrives. They determine how prepared we are when something goes wrong. They determine whether we can respond to a crisis without creating an economic one.
And when decisions like these feel disconnected from the people they affect, it creates something deeper than disagreement. It begins to create real fear.
Why This Election Matters
You have probably heard it already. “This race may be one of the most important on the ballot”. I heard it for the first time on Sunday. It landed with me because that’s not just campaign language. That is a reflection of what people are feeling. Because this is about so much more than policy. It is about trust. Trust in our leadership.
Do we feel heard? Do we feel represented? Do we believe decisions are being made with our safety in mind, with real attention, and full understanding of the impact? Or are these decisions being made regardless of that.
I begin to think… What is the real motivation? Why rush things through? Why put our lives in danger? Why push back on real concerns of the public? Why the smoke and mirrors?
Leadership Is Not Passive
Leadership is doing the work before the vote ever happens. It is making the time to ask hard questions, digging into the details, listening to the people who actually understand the work, and staying engaged when it would be easier to coast.
Because the cost of poor leadership is not measured in headlines. It is measured in outcomes. Real outcomes for real people, often shaped by the hard work of county staff, first responders, road crews, department heads, volunteers, and residents who keep showing up whether anyone gives them credit or not.
The Board’s votes either support that work, or they undermine it. The Board’s votes should represent the people’s voice.
What I Believe
The role of Supervisor deserves full time focus. Full time means a minimum of 40 hours a week. Not 40 hours a month. Not a few hours here and there. We all know what full time means. It means full time.
I believe decisions should be worked through in public, not decided behind closed doors. When people are repeatedly told, “I can’t talk about that right now, but things are happening,” the public deserves to know what those things are. And if they cannot be discussed yet, then wait until they can. Government should not operate on hints, vague promises, or political power moves.
I believe people deserve to be heard, not just acknowledged. And I believe that when something is identified as a priority, it should be treated as one, especially when it becomes difficult.
The Choice in Front of Us
This election is not about noise. It is about what kind of leadership we want moving forward.
Do we want leadership that is engaged and present? Leadership that listens, responds, and treats this role with the weight it deserves? Do we want someone who listens to the people, all the people, and brings those voices forward?
Of course we do.
The Final Stretch
Ballots are arriving. The window to make a decision is opening right now. Don’t let this moment pass by thinking things will change on their own. Change does not happen by accident. It happens when people decide it matters enough to act.
Every community reaches moments like this. Moments where the direction is not guaranteed.
Moments where the outcome depends entirely on whether people show up. This is one of those moments.
Please take this moment seriously and stay engaged. Now more than ever… make your voice count! Vote for something more.
Because We Deserve More!
