The joy of walking in the Children’s Fiesta Parade perfectly captured my feelings about Santa Barbara’s annual Fiesta celebration. Surrounded by the squeals and giggles of costumed children throwing confetti, blowing bubbles, and waving to families on the sidelines, the entire experience put everything into perspective. Walking alongside the children of our firefighters reminded me how vital it is for those of us in government to protect those who protect us and their families 365 days a year. Our police officers, including the Chief, maintained their festive demeanor despite working late nights and overtime shifts, maintaining a constant vigil over all in attendance. They waved back at the crowd, handed out little stick-on badges to children, and embodied the community spirit that makes events like these possible.
While the drama of recent weeks still lingers, it didn’t dampen this event that brings our entire community together annually. Fiesta, with its demanding coordination, volunteer participation and parental dedication, serves as a powerful reminder of what truly matters: our youth and their future. These celebrations represent the essence of living in Santa Barbara — our time to honor everything and everyone who makes this community special.
On City Council, our leadership requires clarity of purpose and principled action, even when unpopular. My recent op-ed criticized not federal immigration law enforcement itself, but the dangerous manner and fear generated by how it was carried out. For years, immigration services fulfilled their mission without military-style operations and anonymous agents. Judicial warrants can be served without racial profiling and without undermining the community trust police have worked so hard to rebuild since the George Floyd tragedy. Our officers must be perceived as protectors, not threats to law-abiding residents. While not everyone appreciated my written opinion, I stand by those words.
Effective leadership also requires fiscal responsibility and evidence-based decision-making. Too often, governments measure program success by dollars spent rather than measurable outcomes. The recent proposal of $500,000 to help those affected by ICE raids exemplifies this problem — an arbitrary figure without accompanying distribution plans or anticipated results. This approach mirrors our recent budget crisis, where disaster reserve funds were hastily moved to undefined housing programs, thereby unbalancing our proposed balanced budget and having it pass on a split 4/3 vote. While we on Council share common goals, it is our ethical responsibility to provide pathways to achieve those goals. Tax dollars represent voter intent, not discretionary funds for well-meaning but unplanned initiatives. Santa Barbara is wonderfully philanthropic and the seven organizations, listed in my published op-ed, provide immigrant services that are worthy of your consideration.
Our community has entrusted us with their priorities through ballot measures. Measure C was designed to bolster infrastructure and service the Police Station Bond — it’s not a discretionary slush fund. Measure I provides essential funding for public safety and services like library hours at both our main branch and Eastside location, as well as affordable housing. With recent decisions, library services could now be in jeopardy. Recent major disasters such as wildfires, debris flows, and the pandemic triggered the use of budget reserves in very recent times to keep our core services functioning. Council policy is to build reserves back as quickly as possible.
We must balance compassion with fiscal discipline, community celebration with difficult decisions, and historical awareness with forward-thinking leadership. Revenue comes from facilitating the success of our business community, not the next tax measure. Balancing our budget should not include cutting back Eastside library hours or after school programs. It definitely cannot constrain our public safety mission. The budget is the council’s tool to protect those who protect us.
