26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 7-13, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com grow into a position she says is different despite serving 33 years previously as a staff member, absorbing more responsibility. The Office fills multiple functions, including property tax assessments, which means implementing technical state legislation such as Prop. 19, which took effect in 2021 and does a few things. It allows people age 55 or older to buy and sell a home and keep their artificially low Prop. 13 property tax bill. It also allows children who inherit a home to keep that low assessment, but only if they make it their primary residence. This has led to a range of reactions to the Assessor’s Office, Camacho says, including: “I’m not going to be able to keep my property anymore because I can’t afford it.” The result of these changes has been an increase in appeals filed. “We have to defend our position based on the law,” Camacho notes. On the Clerk’s side of the office, which processes marriage certificates, birth certificates and death certificates, Camacho led the implementation of civil ceremonies starting in 2024. That means not just checking the paperwork box, but actually getting married onsite. It’s not just joyful, but a convenience. Glenn Church for Supervisor | District 2 North Monterey County has had a rough few years. From the Pajaro River levee breach in 2023 to the Vistra battery storage fire in Moss Landing in 2025, it’s been catastrophe after catastrophe—on top of more run-ofthe-mill challenges like persistent winter flooding in Bolsa Knolls and regular traffic backups on Highway 156. That is to say, Glenn Church’s first four-year term on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors was a bit of trial by fire. He seemed to do best during the fires (literal and figurative), holding community meetings and advancing the free flow of information to the public. He often serves a role as the middle-of-the-road vote on the board’s most controversial matters, reluctant to give strong opinions on things like a civilian oversight committee to review the sheriff or the sheriff’s relationship with ICE. While we hope he finds more conviction in a second term, he’s likely to remain in a more tepid middle ground. “You find majorities that are changeable,” he says. “This isn’t a 3-2 bloc, this isn’t like the U.S. Congress. Things are very fluid.” (True, and Church found himself recently on the 4-1 losing end of a proposal to put a moratorium on new battery energy storage facilities.) Ramon Gomez is a planning commissioner and North County Fire Protection District board member with a long history of public and community service, including as an athletic coach and volunteer on projects like a pandemic food pantry. But he has struggled to differentiate himself from Church, echoing many of the same policy ideas. We think Church has proven himself up to the job and deserves another four years to finish the projects he started, hopefully with less disasters to respond to. Chris Lopez for Supervisor | District 3 We favor contested elections because they require candidates to defend their policies publicly and it sharpens their positions. Chris Lopez has proven to be an effective leader representing South Monterey County. He is thoughtful, well prepared and when he disagrees with other supervisors, he does so with civility. That combination of attributes— plus a formidable campaign war chest of north of $151,000—make this his second uncontested bid for reelection. His district is where the majority of new housing developments are getting approved and built in the county, and notably also the most low-income and affordable housing units. The county does not control development within the cities, but a can-do attitude permeates the activities from South County. With his appointment to the California Coastal Commission, Lopez recently held a first-of-its kind meeting in Gonzales, an inland farm town, to allow his constituents access to the body, as well as to showcase rural communities to fellow commissioners. LOCAL MEASURES Yes on Measure A (Soledad) Soledad is a growing city, and that means the number of 911 calls is growing, too; the volume of calls has doubled in the past decade. To help cover emergency response costs, city leaders are asking voters to approve a parcel tax—of $233/year for a single-family home and $174 for a multi-unit home— that would generate about $1 million a year exclusively for emergency medical and fire response. Residents expect 911 calls will generate a swift and meaningful response. To get that, we need to agree to tax ourselves to pay for the services we expect. Yes on Measure B (Gonzales) Very similar to Soledad’s needs in a growing, rural city, Gonzales leaders are asking voters to approve an annual parcel tax of $349 for single-family homes and $262 for multi-family homes. The roughly $665,000 per year in revenue would go toward emergency fire and medical responses in a city where the number of 911 calls has risen by 35 percent in the past 20 years, and the population continues growing. Yes on Measure C (Pacific Grove) We are constantly amazed by people who run for local office—these are essentially volunteer positions that come with a lot of scrutiny from the public, take a lot of time and receive just a little stipend. In the case of Pacific Grove City Council, compensation for the mayor is $700/month and for other members of council, $420/ month, numbers that have not changed since 1998. If approved, Measure C would bump those amounts to $1,645/month for mayor and $987 for council, amounts they hope might entice a more diverse slate of candidates to run. “Public service should be open to anyone who wants to contribute to this community, not just those fortunate enough to absorb the financial hit without a second thought,” supporters wrote in their ballot argument. We agree. It would also help make P.G. better aligned with neighboring cities. Marina recently increased council compensation to $2,000/month; Seaside to $2,400; and Sand City to $950. Yes on Measure D (Monterey) The City of Monterey is staring down a $10 million structural deficit and needs to find solutions, fast. The tougher side of that equation is cutting spending, but the mayor, council and city staff are working on that—with more work to do as they seek to minimize the pain. The other side of that equation is raising revenue, something that can be politically challenging because it requires support from a majority of voters. We encourage voters to approve this 0.375-percent sales tax increase, estimated to generate about $4.5 million annually. A sales tax is shared not just by residents but also visitors who shop in the city, and who would pay just an additional $0.38 on a $100 purchase. Chris Lopez was first elected to represent South County's District 3 on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in 2018. He ran unopposed for a second term in 2022, and is headed to a third term with another unopposed campaign this year. DANIEL DREIFUSS
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