Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Cruz Mountains and bordered north and south by agricultural land and open space, Santa Cruz covers 441 square miles and a multitude of microclimates. Its main population centers are Santa Cruz, a tourist town that’s also home to Silicon Valley commuters, and Watsonville, where California’s agricultural roots still run deep.

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Board of Supervisors

The five members of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors act as the executive and legislative governing body of the County of Santa Cruz, responsible for representing and administrating the unincorporated portions of the county and certain special districts.

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Planning Commission

The commission is composed of five members and five alternates—one of each from the five supervisorial districts. Meeting agendas are available online and the public can attend in person or via Zoom.

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Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

01/16/2025
Image for display with article titled As Los Angeles Burns, Santa Cruz County Officials Urge Wildfire Prep — And Not Just in the Mountains

As wildfires rage in Southern California, Santa Cruz County officials are urging residents to prepare for the possibility of a destructive wildfire here — even in urban areas. 

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

01/16/2025
An update on the progress of battling the battery storage facility fire at Moss Landing.

KSQD logo From KSQD...

01/10/2025
Image for display with article titled Santa Cruz County’s Mobile Response Unit Saves Lives

As local governments try to stretch their budgets to accommodate a new wave of mental health cases, a new program is trying to shift the emergency response from uniformed officers to trained mental health counselors.

Press Banner logo From Press Banner...

01/10/2025
Image for display with article titled McPherson Reflects on His Lifetime of Service

Dec. 30, 2024, Bruce McPherson’s last day as supervisor for the Fifth District of Santa Cruz County, dawned bright and blue. After bidding farewell to his team of analysts and taking down the last mementos from his office walls, McPherson traveled to Scotts Valley for his final interview to recount the highs and lows of his career.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

01/02/2025
A CalTrans funded study of climate risk to the 586 miles of county-maintained roads and the 32 miles of rail was released. Read on to learn more of its findings.
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