Local Politics · Santa Barbara County
The U.S. Department of Justice sent letters to 57 of California's 58 elected elections officers, including Santa Barbara County Registrar Joe Holland, demanding they purge allegedly noncitizen voters within 48 hours. Holland, who has been absent from the county Elections offices for over two years due to health challenges, did not respond to contact attempts by county supervisors or CEO Jana Petersen before the deadline passed. A Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected the DOJ's emergency filing, with judges questioning both the reliability of the alleged noncitizen-voter numbers and federal authority over state election jurisdiction. The letter listed 180 specific names for Santa Barbara County, though those figures remain unverified.
Housing & Development · Orcutt, CA
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors designated a new library in Orcutt as a priority project in its next five-year plan, voting 4-0 with Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann abstaining. The proposed library would be located along Clark Avenue near the eastern edge of Old Town, adjacent to the OASIS Senior Center. The board chose the larger design option (19,700 square feet, estimated $44.2 million) over a smaller alternative (14,300 square feet, $28.5 million), while directing staff to retain the smaller plan as a fallback. Approximately $6 million in funding has been secured, leaving an estimated $23 million to $38 million unfunded.
Local Politics · Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County has selected Maria Gardner as the next director of its Department of Social Services, with a start date of Nov. 10 pending formal approval by the Board of Supervisors. Gardner brings approximately 30 years of experience with the department, having advanced from a frontline Child Welfare Services social worker to assistant director and most recently chief financial and administrative officer. She succeeds Daniel Nielson, who announced his retirement earlier this year after 13 years leading the county's largest public service agency through events including the Montecito Debris Flow and the COVID-19 response.
