District 1 Santa Cruz County supervisor
The District 1 Santa Cruz County supervisor seat is up for election. District 1 includes Live Oak, Soquel and parts of Capitola.
District 1 voters will choose between Lani Faulkner and incumbent Manu Koenig. Read our guide for each candidate:
Key differences in District 1 candidates’ positions
How and where to add new affordable housing
Lani Faulkner:
- Build homes on major roads like Soquel Avenue and Capitola Road.
- Build homes in Aptos and Live Oak.
- Discourage new homes far from urban centers.
Manu Koenig:
- Build more homes on Soquel Avenue and Capitola Road.
- Facilitate affordable housing developments on county land.
- Streamline approval of workforce housing.
How to address homelessness
Lani Faulkner:
- Create more transitional housing.
- Support programs like Project Homekey.
- Have wraparound services for people with mental health problems.
Manu Koenig:
- Create more shelter and housing projects similar to Veterans Village that provide community.
- Build temporary supportive housing for people with mental illness or addiction with state money.
How to reduce traffic and make roads safer for walking and biking
Lani Faulkner:
- Redesign streets with features like bulb outs to slow drivers.
- Install traffic signals for cyclists.
Manu Koenig:
- Restripe roads to be safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Create new bike lanes.
- Support the expansion of Santa Cruz Metro.
Views on creating a passenger rail system on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line
Lani Faulkner:
- Has advocated for passenger rail alongside the coastal rail trail.
Manu Koenig:
- Voted to start environmental review for passenger rail.
- Is “skeptical” of plans for rail, “but willing to be proven wrong.”
- Supported Measure D in 2022, which would have removed references to passenger rail from the county’s General Plan.
| Lani Faulkner | Manu Koenig |
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| How and where to add new affordable housing: | |
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| How to address homelessness: | |
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| How to reduce traffic and make roads safer for walking and biking: | |
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| Views on creating a passenger rail system on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line: | |
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What we heard from Santa Cruz County Supervisor District 1 voters
Santa Cruz Local interviewed District 1 residents and collected responses through an online survey to better understand their top priorities for supervisor candidates in the March 5 election. The survey was not intended to be scientific, but rather a straw poll of issues important to voters.
District 1 residents’ priorities below are listed in order of frequency:
- Affordable housing.
- Help with rent.
- Solutions to homelessness.
- Safety.
- Traffic relief.
