LAKEPORT — District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott and challenger Chris Almind responded to questions from an audience Monday evening at the first of several 2020 election debate forums organized by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce held at the Board of Supervisors’ chambers.
Both candidates emphasized their desire to improve the economy of Lake County, with incumbent Scott also highlighting poverty and homelessness, and Almind focusing on infrastructure, including water and sewer systems.
In her opening comments, Scott, who was elected in 2016, said she has centered her first term work on improving living conditions for the “vulnerable living among us.” Voted into a second term on the board, Scott noted she would look toward generating more revenues and improving the economic sustainability of the county.
“We must look at ways we can meet the needs of today without compromising the needs of tomorrow,” Scott said.
Almind introduced himself as a retired water systems and sanitation expert with state government experience and conservative values. “I am a conservative, a conservationist, and I will promote strong family values and abide by our constitution. We cannot be prosperous by growing government,” he said. Prosperity, a central theme of his opening remarks, was linked in his ensuing comments to infrastructure projects and business development.
Questions from the audience read by LCCC President Melissa Fulton queried Scott and Almind about their approaches to issues like tax defaulted properties, a lack of new businesses, homelessness, the pending updates to Lake County’s area plan, the possible relocation of the Lake County Courthouse, sanctuary cities, gun rights, and more.
On topics like attracting new businesses, improving infrastructure, and providing services to the homeless, the two candidates appeared to agree on many points. Both highlighted improving “infrastructure” as a key economic driver, and stressed the delivery of government services to ameliorate homelessness.
Almind said that if he were elected, he would work to complete a looped sewer system around Clear Lake and deliver that sewage to nearby geothermal plants to “create energy from it.”
Scott noted that her “number one priority right now for the board of supervisors is making sure that we are giving our employees the wages they deserve,” and that a classification and compensation study of all County of Lake employee positions would be completed in the next month.
Almind said his number one priority, if elected, would be to “manage our economy. We need to get our businesses thriving so that we can have more revenue to pay for the infrastructure and all of the programs that we do need.”
Asked whether Lake County could be declared exempt from a law enacted in 2017 by Senate Bill 54, which prevents law enforcement agencies from using resources on behalf of the federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency to assist in deportations, Almind said he opposes the bill. “I definitely disagree with the whole aspect of SB 54,” Almind said. “I believe it’s anti-ICE, and it actually allows immigrants to come to this country with issues, and once they commit a crime our (law enforcement agencies) are not allowed to use any resources…to remove them or actually turn them over to the authorities.”
Scott said she is “satisfied” with the measures Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin has put into place regarding ICE and immigrants. “He has decided that his job is not to enforce federal law, but to make sure that he is protecting the citizens here,” she said.
“I am worried that we do have undocumented citizens living in our community, and they’re scared to go to our law enforcement for assistance,” Scott said, adding that immigrant children are too often not attending school due to the same kind of fear.
Another question, citing what recent “attacks” on gun rights in Virginia—a probable reference to the recent state of emergency declared by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam that banned guns on capitol grounds during a January rally—asked the candidates whether they would “be willing to introduce, pass and implement a 2nd Amendment sanctuary resolution.”
Almind, saying that the governor’s actions in Virginia were “attacks” on the “constitutional rights” of citizens, added he would “always support the citizens, especially when (the issue) is so dear to the constitution,” nevertheless said he would “not immediately” introduce such a measure. “Our constitution is first and foremost,” he said.
Scott replied: “Simply, I do not believe this is a policy that needs to be brought up at a county level.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated incorrectly that Tina Scott said Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin has expressed support for California Senate Bill 54. In fact, she said Martin “has decided that his job is not to enforce federal law, but to make sure that he is protecting the citizens here. I’ve heard him on many, many times reach out to all of our citizens and let them know he’s here to make sure that they are safe.”
