Outside Groups Are Back Again, Trying to Control San Benito’s Future

Just two years ago, San Benito voters came together to overwhelmingly REJECT nearly the exact same initiative.

Now dark money outside donors from Arizona and the East Bay have changed the initiative’s name and are spending big money to deceive local voters and gain control over San Benito’s future.

It’s a deceptive abuse of San Benito’s initiative process, and San Benito voters are uniting AGAIN to OPPOSE Measure A.

San Benito is UNITED Against Measure A

We’re Neighbors to Preserve San Benito, a bipartisan coalition of local public safety leaders, farmers, ranchers and other local San Benito residents.

We don’t always agree, but we are UNITED in urging San Benito residents to vote NO AGAIN on these outside groups and their deceptive measure.

"Measure A TOTALLY misrepresents the farming community in San Benito County. Measure A will harm farmers and ranchers; it will harm agriculture in San Benito County. It will put outsiders in charge of what happens to our farms and our farmers. Agriculture can’t survive under Measure A. Independent studies make it clear that Measure A will cut millions of dollars in revenues that our county needs to improve roads, fund public safety, and senior services. Our farmers suffer greatly from inferior roads just like everyone else."

Kay Filice, Filice Farms
"First responders are committed to protecting our community. Measure A cuts critical revenue generating sources. Which is desperately needed to maintain and increase emergency services along with adequate fire protection. Vote No on A."

Vince Grewohl,
San Benito Resident & Firefighter
"The outside interests pushing Measure A won’t have to live with its dangerous impacts. Measure A puts us all at risk by decimating funding streams that support San Benito’s already underfunded public safety. Our departments and vital county services will lose much-needed funding as a result of the passage of Measure A. Cutting law enforcement funding will increase emergency response times. I urge San Benito County residents to Vote No on Measure A. We must put the safety of our communities first. San Benito residents came together with law enforcement in 2022 to defeat this same reckless initiative. I urge San Benito County residents to come together again and Vote No on Measure A."

Eric S. Taylor, San Benito County Sheriff
"Measure A’s power grab slashes millions in critical funding from San Benito schools, meaning far less resources for students and teachers. And the lasting consequences of funding cuts to San Benito schools will be even higher for years to come. In 2022, San Benito came together to protect our schools against this same misleading initiative. Please join me and other educators again in rejecting Measure A."

Casey Powers, Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Trustee
"San Benito County is understaffed in key public services that affect us all, from our public health clinics keeping our families healthy to our public works crews working hard to maintain our roads. Measure A is a dangerous measure that would hurt the County's ability to raise revenues and worsen the staffing crisis for public services."

Denise Quintana,
San Benito SEIU Local 521 President
"Measure A will cost thousands of jobs, forcing more local families into long daily commutes and hours of traffic. It will also lead to devastating cuts to our local roads, public safety, schools, and hospitals. Working families and our Latino community will be hit the hardest. In 2022, Democrats united to defeat a nearly identical measure. Now, tens of thousands of dollars from outside interests, who don’t face our challenges, are backing this destructive initiative instead of understanding and addressing the real needs of our community. We must come together once again and vote NO on Measure A."

Leslie Austin, San Benito County Democratic Central Committee Chairmember
"As a vineyard owner, I can tell you that Measure A's outside sponsors don't understand San Benito County. Measure A will devastate local agritourism because it will deprive San Benito of up to $15 million a year in funding for roads and other services that agritourism depends upon for success. Please protect local San Benito farms, vineyards, and agritourism by voting no on Measure A."

Christian Pillsbury, Eden Rift Vineyards
Measure A will cost thousands of needed local jobs for San Benito’s working families. Labor organizations representing working families are standing together to oppose Measure A.

David Bini, Santa Clara & San Benito Counties Executive Director,
Building & Construction Trades Council Member
"Measure A is a job killing measure pushed by outside interests who won't have to live with its destructive impact on San Benito communities and small merchants. Measure A will push nearly all development into Hollister, further clogging HWY 25 and depriving us of needed funds to improve our roads."

Shawn Herrera,
San Benito County Chamber of Commerce Chairman
"The outside interests pushing Measure A won’t have to live with its damaging impact on local students and education. Measure A will cut critical funding for a second high school, leaving students crammed into overcrowded classrooms."

Chuck Obeso-Bradley, San Benito Educator
By halting potential development, Measure A would disproportionately affect Indigenous populations and low-income communities, exacerbating the very inequalities that environmental justice seeks to address.

Kanyon CoyoteWoman Sayers-Roods,
Tribal Chairwoman of the Indigenous Ohlone-Coastanoan people of Indian Canyon Nation

Measure A: Destructive for San Benito County

INCREASES TRAFFIC

Measure A cuts local road funding, and forces nearly all development into Hollister, allowing unchecked housing development growth and greatly increasing traffic on Highway 25.

PERMANENTLY CUTS VITAL SERVICES

An independent study estimates Measure A will permanently cost San Benito County up to 15 million dollars a year, leading to deep cuts in funding for local roads, public safety, health care and schools.

KILLS NEEDED JOBS

Measure A retroactively cuts off local jobs already in the pipeline, and ends the possibility of future jobs for San Benito youth and working families.

DEVASTATES LOCAL FARMERS & RANCHERS

Measure A will essentially kill San Benito’s agritourism potential, while devastating the livelihoods of local farmers and ranchers.