Trying to work its way out of the red, Santa Barbara County is considering almost $71 million in reductions for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Multiple departments are facing layoffs and program reductions if the board approves the budget in June. On April 13, the Public Health and Social Services departments presented financial plans to the […]
Board of Supervisors
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County Planning Commission sends ban on future oil drilling to supervisors
Most of the oil produced in and around the Santa Maria Valley is considered “heavy.” It’s not refined into gasoline or jet fuel. Rather, it’s often used to make products like asphalt—but maybe not for very much longer. “That’s what we specialize in, as most of the oil production onshore in Northern Santa Barbara county […]
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County declines tax exchange offer tied to proposed Orcutt annexation
Going against an independent arbitrator’s opinion, Santa Barbara County recently rejected a property tax exchange offer from the city of Santa Maria after a year of negotiations. Mediation between the county and the city over the agreement—necessary for the Richards Ranch development project in Orcutt to move forward with a 44-acre annexation application—began during the […]
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Empty seat: Board of Supervisors’ 5th District candidates race toward June’s primary election
With 2026 marking Santa Barbara County Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s last year in the role, his chief of staff, Cory Bantilan, threw his hat into the ring to take the soon-to-be vacant 5th District seat, along with two others: Santa Maria City Councilmember Maribel Aguilera and Santa Maria-Bonita School District board member Ricardo Valencia. All three […]
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Santa Barbara County adopts first environmental justice element
Water quality, air pollution, and safe open spaces are concerns shared by all county residents. However, the county’s unincorporated, rural towns need help making policies to protect residents from environmental risks. With an addition to the county’s general plan, the Board of Supervisors seeks to shield seven vulnerable regions. On March 10, supervisors unanimously approved […]
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Maribel Aguilera leads campaign contributions in 5th District supervisor race
Without holding a single fundraiser, Maribel Aguilera’s campaign for Santa Barbara County 5th District supervisor has raised $98,000 as of mid-February. Local farms, restaurants, nonprofits, law firms, and private individuals were among the contributors who clicked the green “donate” button on the candidate’s website. Her campaign filings show she raised about $86,000 in 2025. She […]
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County orders monthly audits of Sheriff’s Office overtime use
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will continue tracking overtime use at the Sheriff’s Office after a recent review showed that a few employees more than doubled their pay. “The current system really rewards overspending,” 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said during the Feb. 10 board hearing. According to county staff, during the fiscal […]
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Three candidates vie for Santa Barbara County’s 5th District seat
The race to fill the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ 5th District seat in 2027 is on, as 2026 marks the end of longtime Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s time on the dais. Lavagnino’s Chief of Staff Cory Bantilan is among the three candidates who have formally commenced their campaigns so far, along with Santa Maria-Bonita […]
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Why are we still running over plovers?
On March 18, 2021, the California Coastal Commission made the historic decision that off-road vehicles must be removed from Oceano Dunes because off-road vehicle use jeopardizes one of the world’s rarest coastal ecosystems and endangered wildlife (not to mention harming local public health and air quality). Four years later, the court struck down the Coastal […]
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See ya: A look back at 2025’s headlines in northern Santa Barbara County
This past year was full of headlines about the Trump administration, federal job cuts, and increased immigration enforcement. But through all of that national news, northern Santa Barbara County was still humming along, impacted by the new federal polices and national politics and continuing with business as usual. The biggest, most consistent headlines were about […]
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Department of Transportation classifies Las Flores pipeline under new regulatory oversight
Within 24 hours of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ Dec. 16 vote to deny Sable Offshore the permit transfers it needs to revive the Las Flores pipeline, a separate governing body responded to the Texas-based oil producer’s appeal to a higher power. On Dec. 17, the U.S. Department of Transportation granted Sable’s request […]
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Finding fugitives: Santa Barbara County tackles arrest warrants with focus on most violent felonies
Robbery. Carjacking. Assault with a deadly weapon. Brandishing a firearm. Several outstanding felony warrants were stacked against Victor Manuel Ayala Sanchez on the day of his arrest in Santa Maria Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies took the 30-year-old into custody in mid-August after a four-hour standoff outside of Sanchez’s residence on East Sunset Avenue. […]