March 5 election: Kim De Serpa, District 2 county supervisor candidate

County
Supervisors
District 1
Live Oak, Soquel, Pleasure Point, Summit, part of Capitola and Santa Cruz

District 2
Aptos, Corralitos, Freedom, La Selva Beach, part of Capitola and Watsonville

District 5
San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, part of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz
City Council
District 1
Upper Ocean, DeLaveaga, Prospect Heights

District 2
Lower Ocean, Seabright, Santa Cruz Harbor

District 3
Lower Westside by Neary Lagoon, Upper Westside by Bay Drive

District 5
UC Santa Cruz, Harvey West
Ballot
Measures
Election
results

Election Guide

Kim De Serpa, candidate for District 2

Kim De Serpa is one of five candidates running for the District 2 Santa Cruz County supervisor seat in the March 5, 2024 election. The district includes Aptos, Freedom, Corralitos and parts of Watsonville and Capitola. Read our guides on all the candidates running for District 2.

Kim De Serpa is a candidate for District 2 Santa Cruz County supervisor.

Kim De Serpa (Indra Lyons — Contributed)

Meet Kim De Serpa

Age: 56.

Residence: Trout Gulch in the Aptos hills.

Occupation: Social services manager for Salinas Valley Health Medical Center. De Serpa is “a licensed clinical social worker, chair of the For Kids Foundation Monterey Bay, and member of the Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance Board.

Experience: De Serpa has been a trustee of the Pajaro Valley Unified School Board for 14 years. “I have first-hand knowledge of how county systems work, or are difficult to access, for patients and families,” De Serpa said. “The (county) supervisor seat represents people who may need assistance with issues or problems in their local county government. My career in social work lends itself to solving complex problems and improving people’s lives.”

Read about Kim De Serpa’s positions:

De Serpa on improving county roads

Many District 2 residents said county road conditions are bad. How can you get more money for road improvements in District 2? What county roads are your top priorities to fix during your four-year term?

“I can tell you my road is in horrible disrepair,” De Serpa said. “What I’m going to focus on is trying to bring more actual revenue that the county supervisors can use to make these projects come into fruition,” she said. She supports pursuing FEMA reimbursement and requesting a state bond to pay for road repairs.

De Serpa on reducing traffic and improving alternative transportation

Many District 2 residents told us they want traffic relief. What can the county supervisors do to reduce traffic and facilitate cycling and walking for District 2 residents?

The Coastal Rail Trail should be completed “as quickly as we can get built so that our residents can get out there safely and move around our county,” De Serpa said. She also supports electric passenger rail. Increased bus service and a planned redevelopment of a county services hub in Watsonville will also reduce car traffic, she said.

De Serpa on producing more affordable housing

How can the county supervisors help fund and facilitate more affordable housing? Where in your district would you support more density?

De Serpa supports:

Building dense housing, including workforce housing, on county-owned properties on Emeline Avenue, Ocean Street and other locations.
Concentrating new homes in urbanized areas. “I would not like to see more housing go in our wildland areas, and anywhere near our forests or wetlands,” she said.
Increasing staffing in the county’s planning department and speeding up the permitting process.
Pursuing block grants to fund affordable housing initiatives.

De Serpa on helping residents with rent

Should the county supervisors help current residents with rent stabilization or rent help? If so, how?

“The housing situation has gotten so tight and expensive,” De Serpa said. “It’s due to lack of supply.”

De Serpa said the county should increase the supply of housing for:

Teachers, Sheriff’s deputies, doctors and other professionals the country struggles to hire and retain. “I’m concerned about our workforce needs in this county, and I look forward as a supervisor on the board to helping build the housing that we need for our workforce,” she said.
Disabled people who require homes with specific accessibility requirements. “I would work really hard to make sure that our county is offering more disabled access units,” she said.

De Serpa on improving addiction services

Some District 2 residents said people should have better access to addiction services. How could the county improve its response to people struggling with addiction?

As a licensed clinical social worker, De Serpa worked with Safe Rx Santa Cruz County, which provides drugs to reverse overdoses and medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. “As a county supervisor, I would understand the reports that are being made to me, and I would be able to comment appropriately and advocate for the best interest of vulnerable people in our community,” she said.

The county must address difficulties in recruiting social workers, therapists and other mental health professionals, she said.

“I have two people in my hospital right now that have been there for close to 10 days, and I cannot find a psychiatric bed that will accept them,” she said. “This is a major problem, not just here, but nationwide.”

Read about why Kim De Serpa is running for county supervisor

What local issues affect you that make you want to run for this office?

“A big issue is that no women have been sitting on the board of supervisors for 12 years. I care about housing and affordability, transportation issues, public safety issues, climate change and disaster preparedness, mental health, substance use disorders, access to health care, excellence in education and services to vulnerable people. It is frustrating for District 2 to feel overlooked and underfunded for basic needs and services.”

What is your dream for your district?

“A dream would be for services that people could actually use to improve their lives. A dream would be that our Pajaro River would be safe from spilling its banks. A dream would be that Mid and South County residents wouldn’t be stuck in horrible traffic for hours. A dream would be that people, including young people and families, could afford to purchase their first home. A dream would be enough affordable housing for all who need it, including seniors and people with disabilities. A dream would be that anyone needing help with mental health or addiction gets access to high-quality care when they need it.”