Joni Gray announced Thursday that she will seek re-election to a four-year term as the 4th District representative on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.
Former Santa Maria Police Chief John Sterling of Lompoc also has picked up papers, and said he intends to challenge Gray.
Gray, an Orcutt resident and veteran of 10 years on the board, said she will file Wednesday at the county clerk's office
in Lompoc.
The 4th district extends from Guadalupe to Lompoc, and includes Orcutt. It runs just south of Santa Maria.
The deadline for filing is Friday, March 7. If the incumbent does not file, that deadline will be extended to Friday, March 14.
In a press release, Gray described herself as proponent of property rights and a fiscal conservative who, despite the economic crisis facing county government, wants to “protect funding for public safety, a healthy environment and basic education.”
She said she there must be a balance of jobs and housing in the area. She also said she will continue to fight “to maintain equal services for the residents of North County.”
Gray was recently named Woman of the Year for the 33rd Assembly District.
Sterling, a popular police chief, was ousted in May 2003 after conflicts with Santa Maria's city manager. He had held the position since 1999. He reached a settlement with the city for $123,501 - the equivalent of 10ð months of salary, plus compensation for his remaining holiday and sick pay.
“I want to continue serving the community that I grew up in and live in, so I am going to file and run to serve on the Board of Supervisors,” Sterling said, adding that his children attended school in Lompoc and his mother still lives there.
“I've become aware of some very important 4th District issues that will affect the future of the 4th District, and I was approached by some people who want me to run,” Sterling said, adding that he is meeting with supporters to study the issues.
Gray's assistant, Susan Warnstrom, took out papers so that her boss could qualify by petition, but those papers were never filed. Gray now will have to pay the $844.89 filing fee.
February 29, 2008
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