A Healthier and Stronger Community

I believe that building a healthy and strong community with equity is the foundation for my work as your County Supervisor.

Opening new innovative youth centers, expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare, increasing library hours, supporting our school families, establishing an urban educational farm for young people are all ways to create a healthier and stronger community. That’s why I helped lead initiatives to achieve these things.

I worked to expand urgent care medical services to West County residents and expand healthcare to immigrant families, regardless of their immigration status, which improves the public health of all county residents.

I supported our County Health Department’s strong efforts to test and vaccinate our residents, with 80% of county residents now fully vaccinated. These responsive efforts helped keep our hospitals from becoming overcrowded and saved lives.

A More Sustainable and Environmentally Healthier Bay Area

Growing up and raising my family near industry, I know first-hand the importance of making our air and environment healthier, and fighting for environmental justice and climate equity. I don’t’ just talk about these things, I act!

I started a coastal cleanup day on the Richmond shoreline over 30 years ago and continue to co-sponsor it every year where hundreds of volunteers clean up our environment.

As a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board (appointed by Governor Brown in 2013), I’ve led efforts to pass the most health-protective air regulations and greenhouse gas reduction measures in the country, and increase the use of cleaner fuels and vehicles.

Serving on the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), I’ve helped lead Bay Area-wide efforts to make San Francisco Bay cleaner and healthier, expand public access and recreational opportunities near the Bay, protect our shoreline from development, increase wetlands and protect our shorelines from sea-level rise.

I led efforts to establish a resident led County Sustainability Commission and a County Sustainability Officer position. This has resulted in stronger County sustainability practices and policies.

A Safer Community

I understand that residents want to feel safe in their community. That’s why I successfully advocated to re-open fire stations, and enhance fire services and wildfire prevention efforts.

We improved medical outcomes for 911 emergency care patients by making ambulance response times faster. This was personal to me since my father died of cardiac arrest at age 58 because he did not get emergency medical care quick enough.

I also know that helping formerly incarcerated individuals successfully move back into their communities and get job training, employment, and stable housing reduces recidivism, decreases violence and makes our neighborhoods safer. That’s why I helped establish our County’s Office of Reentry & Justice to provide support services to those who’ve served their time.

I’ve supported equitable and effective public safety that involves community policing and is responsive to our neighborhoods.

I successfully advocated for a new 24/7 mental health non-police crisis response team to provide effective behavioral health and psychiatric services in a safe culturally-competent way.

Equity and Justice for All

I believe all my work revolves around the common goal of attaining health and equity for all residents.

Achieving equity is about reducing health disparities and air pollution in our lower income and communities of color, expanding opportunities for the neediest children and youth, ending juvenile and adult criminal justice fees, and providing high quality culturally sensitive healthcare to LGBTQ patients. I have strongly supported these strategies and more to achieve equity for all.

I co-sponsored a proposal to the Board of Supervisors to establish an Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice in our county in order to strengthen and expand Contra Costa County’s existing work on equity and better partner with the community.

Protecting the Taxpayer

County government is the safety net for our most vulnerable residents. My record proves that we can effectively provide vital services to our communities in a way that is fiscally responsible.

We saved taxpayers money by passing a structurally balanced budget for the 11th year in a row, and increasing the County’s reserves. Our strong fiscal management helped us maintain a AAA bond rating, which is the highest possible rating.

For more about my work on behalf of West County, please visit my County Supervisor website.