24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 1-7, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com has since expanded to include more communities in Monterey County, and has become a recognizable player in local policymaking. “We haven’t solved every problem, but we have shifted power,” says BHC spokesperson Tinisha Dunn. “We have redefined what community-led change looks like, in Salinas and Seaside. People once ignored are now leading campaigns, and conversations around race and equity and systemic change that used to be whispered are now happening in council chambers.” BHC works alongside other groups like Center for Community Advocacy, Reinvest 831 and Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño to empower regular people to understand how local government operates, and how to pull the levers of power to advance their goals. The underlying premise gets at Church’s concern about a professional class of stakeholders—anyone can be a stakeholder, they just need some guidance on how. Schools teach students about the three branches of the federal government, but less about local government. “A lot of folks don’t realize that their city council has more direct impact on their daily life than the president does,” Dunn says. “But nobody teaches us how to organize on our block, or how to make comments at city council. That’s what BHC does, and part of our work is unlearning the lie that we don’t have power.” In Salinas, BHC, CCA and its coalition partners successfully advanced a rent stabilization policy approved by City Council last year. Organizers were relentless, showing up at town hall meetings and city council meetings, bringing dozens of renters with heartfelt stories out to tell their local decisionmakers what they wanted them to do. The bottom-up advocacy led the City of Salinas to hire an economic consultant to produce a report, and eventually, in September 2024, to approve three renter protection ordinances, including a 2.75-percent annual rent increase cap. “Today is a historic moment for our city,” said then-councilmember Anthony Rocha, who had championed the package of three ordinances plus a 2023 rental registry ordinance. “It’s a positive change driven by the community.” A broad segment of the community—with guidance from BHC, CCA and others on how and when to participate—had shown up and notched a major policy victory for tenants. But even a victory that is years in the making can be undone overnight. Where renters in Salinas felt victorious, landlords felt ignored. They also organized. Every seat up for election in November was contested, and opposition candidates campaigned against rent stabilization. All of them won at the polls, and a new Salinas City Council was sworn in. And just a few months later, on Tuesday, April 22, the new council voted 5-2 to take steps to rescind all four renter protection ordinances passed by their predecessors. That came after more than two hours of public testimony, with impassioned comments from dozens of renters urging council to keep the policies, and from property owners encouraging a repeal. Renter Maria Gomez said in Spanish that she received a notice earlier that day of an 8.8-percent rent increase. “It is really hard to be able to make ends meet,” she said. “Please listen to us. Thank you.” Councilmember after councilmember thanked people for speaking up. “We heard you loud and clear,” said Margaret D’Arrigo. “CCA is known to help tenants, and CRLA—they need to hear our residents,” said Gloria De La Rosa. Someone in the audience shouted to interject: “You should hear our residents!” After the vote, about 50 people led by BHC and CCA members gathered outside to grieve and to begin to plan their next steps, with about 10 people delivering remarks in Spanish. “I have hope—you are all dedicated, all together,” said BHC organizer Luis “Xago” Juarez. “We are going to keep fighting,” said Sabino Lopez of CCA. One man, Miguel Pelayo—“just a community member”—proposed organizing a big protest in East Salinas, and asked people to call him to help plan it. Arreola observes that for decisionmakers on the dais, it’s a balancing act. “We hear from the public, ‘why aren’t you listening to the public?’ Well, which public? There are strong voices on both sides,” he says. “What I love about local government is you have the opportunity to have your voice directly heard by the policymaker and look them in the eye. For people who feel discouraged because when they’ve gotten engaged it hasn’t gone their way, there’s always another decision to be made.” FIND OUT WHICH ELECTED OFFICIALS REPRESENT YOU. To get a list of which districts you live in—for offices like county supervisor, school board, airport board and water board, etc.—contact the Monterey County Elections Department at 796-1499 or elections@countyofmonterey.gov. Stay tuned later this year for an interactive map launching online at countyofmonterey.gov to search by address; it’s a tool currently in development. (“Even with online enhancements, the Monterey County Elections Office remains committed to serving our community in-person, by phone or via email,” Registrar of Voters Gina Martinez notes.) TELL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHAT YOU THINK. Attend town hall meetings, complete surveys, or send letters or emails about issues that matter to you. You can also attend public meetings and speak during the public comment period. Listen in once or twice to learn the order of operations. Expect an opportunity to comment on every item on the agenda, as well as an opportunity to comment on other items not included on the agenda—note that comments are usually limited to one, two or three minutes. “It’s important to go to meetings,” County Supervisor Glenn Church says. “People don’t realize the importance.” KEEP YOUR COMMENTS ON-TOPIC. That includes addressing issues that the governing body has control over; for example, local government does not set policy about tariffs, abortion or other high-profile federal issues. City councils do not have jurisdiction over health care (but some appointed or elected boards do) or public education (that’s up to school boards). THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. If you know others in your neighborhood share your perspective, encourage them to write letters or attend a public meeting to speak out. Maybe there’s an existing group you can join; if not, start your own. “For busy working people to be plugged in all the time is not realistic,” Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson says. “But if you are part of a group that helps share the load—maybe the group commits to getting one member to show up once a month at council and share your group’s comments— that’s the power of organizing.” WEIGH IN ON THE ISSUES EARLY. Check local newspapers (including the Weekly) for public notices about upcoming public hearings. At the state level, bills are hashed out in detail at the committee level before they go to a floor vote. At the local level, various advisory bodies (such as architectural review boards) and committees weigh in on projects and policies well before they go up for final approval. SIGN UP TO RECEIVE NOTICES WITH THE AGENDAS FOR UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS. Check with various local agency clerks about signing up to receive notifications of upcoming meetings. To sign up for email notifications from the County of Monterey, visit monterey.legistar.com. APPLY TO SERVE IN AN APPOINTED ROLE. Many elected officials make appointments to decisionmaking or advisory boards such as police advisory committees, planning commissions and bond oversight committees. Check with your elected representatives or clerks to various agencies for available roles. CONSIDER RUNNING FOR LOCAL OFFICE. You can find out about filing dates for upcoming elections by contacting Monterey County Elections (see above), visiting in person (at 1441 Schilling Place, Salinas) or visiting their website at montereycountyelections.us. REGISTER TO VOTE—and then show up at the polls, even for local elections where your vote can make a difference. Visit registertovote.ca.gov. LOCAL CIVICS 101 Tips for getting involved at the local level. “MY GOAL IS TO BRING YOU ALL TOGETHER, TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. YOUR VOICE ABSOLUTELY MATTERS.”
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