San Benito County Deserves Better
KOLLIN KOSMICKI & IGNACIO VELAZQUEZ HAVE FAILED US
These Supervisors promised leadership — but delivered political agendas, backroom deals, and a dangerous disregard for community input and public safety.
This recall is about integrity, accountability, and protecting our community.
IT STARTED WITH THE FIRE CONTRACT.
Supervisors Velazquez and Kosmicki did not show leadership or unity resolving this issue. Instead, they:
- Ignored urgent calls to fund public safety — Dragging talks out for a year.
- Held secret meetings — Excluding the Fire Chief and city officials.
- Attacked fellow officials — Choosing division over collaboration.
- Disrespected first responders — Belittling firefighters & distorting facts.
- Pushed unsafe policies — Forcing reduction to 2 firefighters per engine.
- Underfunded fire protection — Using 40% of Fire Services but only paying for 16%
- Silenced the public — Dismissing community concerns as “misinformation.”
They claimed the County couldn’t afford to pay their share of fire funding, offering only $1.1 million additional — then tried to spend $6.5 million to create their own fire department, which would have provided less protection at a higher cost. They used this threat of a new county fire department to force the cities to agree to their terms. That’s not collaboration, that’s coercion!
The result? A bad fire deal that forces Hollister taxpayers to continue to subsidize the County’s fire service by over $15 million over the next 5 years, draining the city’s general fund to pay county obligations!
This wasn’t about public safety — it was about power.
AND THE DAMAGE DOESN'T STOP THERE.
Since then, Supervisors Kosmicki and Velazquez have doubled down on cutting essential services, silencing oversight, and ignoring the people they serve.
- Defunding the Sheriff’s Department — Despite being critically understaffed (as confirmed by the San Benito County Grand Jury), they cut funding and staff, delayed equipment upgrades for over 8 months, and forced the deputies to rely on hand-me-down vehicles from other counties.
- Eliminating the Public Information Officer — Reducing transparency and cutting off a vital source of community updates.
- Gutting the Civil Grand Jury — Slashing its budget from $70,000 to $17,000, they are crippling one of the last public means of holding government accountable.
- Trying to change agricultural zoning — without telling the AG community. No Town Hall discussions, just attempted to move forward to approve sweeping changes that would hurt farmers, ranchers, and devalue AG land—affecting their ability to obtain loans and threatening livelihoods. Only after a packed meeting with the heads of the Farm Bureau, Cattlemen’s Association, as well as farmers, ranchers, realtors, and bankers, who came to fight for their rights did they backpedal and postpone their plans. Even now, they haven’t taken these changes off the table.
- Failed completely to finish the State Housing Element report on time, triggering Builder’s Remedy laws — This has allowed developers to bypass local rules and move housing projects forward that will be almost impossible to stop! Already, seven major projects have already been submitted—including one for 1,000 new homes!
They don’t listen. They don’t collaborate. And they don’t put the community first.
THEY CLAIM TO BE SLOW-GROWTH. BUT ARE THEY?
These two Supervisors have branded themselves as “slow-growth” leaders to stay in power — yet their incompetence in not getting the State Housing Element done has triggered Builder's Remedy laws — there are already seven Builder's Remedy housing projects (so far) that the County won't be able to stop. This is a huge failure in leadership that has opened the floodgates for massive development and unchecked sprawl.
And while the State only required planning for 800 housing units, these Supervisors just approved zoning for 4,000 new homes!!
Their actions don’t match their words.
This isn’t slow-growth.
It’s reckless, unplanned growth caused by failed leadership.
THEIR PRIORITIES ARE CLEAR- PUBLIC SAFETY ISN'T ONE OF THEM
They’ve pulled money from essential services like public safety to fund pet political projects and waste millions on consultant contracts — while ignoring the real needs of the people.
San Benito County deserves leaders who:
✅ Listen to their community
✅ Protect and prioritize public safety
✅ Respect transparency and oversight
✅ Serve the people, not themselves
THIS RECALL IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST THE FIRE CONTRACT.
It’s about restoring leadership that works for everyone —first responders and families, farmers and ranchers, residents and business owners alike.
It’s about holding failed leaders accountable.
It’s about putting people before politics.
IT'S TIME FOR THESE OFFICIALS TO UNDERSTAND THEY WORK FOR US.
Not for themselves.
LET'S TAKE BACK OUR COMMUNITY
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Paid for by Public Safety First: Committee to Recall Supervisors Velazquez & Kosmicki, FPPC #1482879
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