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In the general election held on Nov. 8, 2022, Maria Orozco was one of three Watsonville City Council candidates to face no opposition. Orozco is no stranger to public office, having served on the board of trustees in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District for almost a decade. She got a taste for city government during her eight years on Watsonville’s Parks and Recreation Commission. And she also served on county advisory bodies, including the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission.
Sworn in December of 2022, Orozco is the representative for District 3, which includes northwest Watsonville: west of Green Valley Road and north of Main Street and Highway 1.
Orozco told the news website Santa Cruz Local that job creation and economic development are her priorities: “With the rising cost of food, fuel and housing, Watsonville residents do need access to those types of opportunities.” Orozco supports the development of programs that offer access to career pathways, and she says there is a need for more housing across all income levels.
First elected: Nov. 8, 2022
Day job: Special programs and communications manager at UC Santa Cruz’s Financial Aid and Scholarship Department
Alma maters: California School Board Association (master’s degree in governance); Santa Clara University (bachelor’s degree, pre-law political science and communications)
Notable quote: “The district I’m representing is the only district within the entire city of Watsonville that doesn’t have access to their own park. I would definitely explore the feasibility of bringing a park to this side of the community. If that’s not feasible for land use limitations or so forth, I would definitely like to expand the (Watsonville) pilot program that we currently have with (Pajaro Valley Unified School District), where we keep some of our schools open so that families can access a safe place to play, to exercise and so forth. I will want to continue to move forward with, possibly at Freedom Elementary School, which is one of the schools that could provide a play structure in addition to a field that families can access. —Santa Cruz Local’s Nov. 2022 Election Guide
The Watsonville City Council and the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday both unanimously passed resolutions to support the immigrant community, days before reelected President Donald Trump prepares to retake the office on Jan. 20.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will present details of a pesticide proposal and accept public comments at two more hearings this month.
A group of city workers and volunteers spent the afternoon cleaning massive amounts of trash from a wooded hillside in Watsonville one sunny day in early December, hauling away several full dumpsters.
