Elections are March 5, and the Napa County Board of Supervisors ballot is reminding us of the ubiquitous Barbie movie. Five out of the six candidates running to fill three Napa County Board of Supervisor seats are women.
(For those who did not watch the movie), Barbie is a multi-layered women-centered utopia where women hold all of the positions of power in government – that is the norm – contrary to our real world, where women, for example, only make up a little more than a quarter of all members in Congress. But things are changing in all levels of government and we can see that here in Napa. If Amber Manfree, a geographer, wins against Pete Mott, a former Napa City Council member who lost a reelection bid in 2018, then for the first time ever, the Napa County Board of Supervisors will be composed of all women.
Should this occur, Napa will join the ranks as the second county boasting an entirely female board of supervisors, following Los Angeles County, which achieved this milestone in 2020.
Will Napa County make history next? We will see.
Before we look into who is on the 2024 ballot, let’s break down a few things.
The role of the Board of Supervisors in the county:
- There are five members on the Napa County Board of Supervisors, representing five districts.
- The board is the county’s legislative body and sets policies and priorities for the county.
- The board manages public money that comes from property tax, sales tax, fees, and federal and state grants.
- The board has jurisdiction over unincorporated areas of the county that do not have a local government (usually a city council).
- The board approves county budgets, oversees county departments and passes repeal laws.
- Board members serve four-year terms and can run for re-election an unlimited number of times.
- Candidates running for a seat on the board of supervisors must live in the district they will represent.
Knowing which Napa County District you Live in and the current supervisors:
- District 1, Supervisor Joelle Gallagher: Most of downtown Napa, Browns Valley, Laurel Street, Carneros and Cuttings Wharf.
- District 2, Supervisor Ryan Gregory: Most of the city of Napa west of Highway 29 and north into the unincorporated areas
- District 3, Supervisor Anne Cottrell: Calistoga, Yountville, St. Helena, Angwin, Pope Valley, Lake Berryessa and the north edge of the city of Napa
- District 4, Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza: Much of the eastern part of the city of Napa and the unincorporated communities of Berryessa Highlands and Circle Oaks
- District 5, Supervisor Belia Ramos: American Canyon, Coombsville and the avenues, and the county industrial area.
This is who is running in District 2, 4 and 5:
For District 2, the candidates are Liz Alessio and Doris Gentry.
Liz Alessio has been a city council member since 2018. Alessio has received endorsement from every mayor in Napa County.
In her candidate statement, she writes: “I am running for Supervisor because Napa deserves a voice in county government who will be active and engaged in solving the key issues facing our community — providing shelter and affordable housing for the unhoused and our workforce, improving access to mental health and substance abuse services…”
Doris Gentry, who was the vice mayor of the Napa in 2020, is also running for District 2. When Gentry was the vice mayor in 2019, more than 2,000 people signed a “change.org” petition for her recall from the Napa City Council.
Gentry’s candidate statement states: “Our Awesome Residents – We have community leaders that are fifth generation and more. They must be heard. Listened to and admired for their sage advice. Do not dismiss these generational leaders.”
For District 4, the candidates are Amber Manfree and Pete Mott.
Manfree is a geographer specializing in land use change and natural resource management.
Her candidate statement reads: “As a fifth-generation Napan, I care deeply about our community’s future. I want to preserve what makes Napa a special place to live. As a scientist who has worked in natural resource management for 25 years, I know today’s decisions will have a long-lasting impact.”
Pete Mott is the former Napa City Council member who served for 12 years.
In his candidate statement he writes: “As your Napa County Supervisor, I will focus on the issues that matter most – fire preparedness; roads, traffic and transportation; housing; homelessness; water quality; environmental protection; parks and open space areas; and more.”
District 5 candidates are incumbent Belia Ramos and Mariam J. Aboudamous:
Belia Ramos is an incumbent supervisor running for her third term.
Belia’s candidate statement states: “Preserving the quality of life in Napa County is my top priority. I am committed to supporting our thriving agricultural sector while focusing on sustainability, water supply and combating climate “
Mariam J. Aboudamous is a two-time elected American Canyon City Council member (2016 and 2020).
In her candidate statement, Aboudamous writes: “I care deeply about Napa County, and became an attorney to fight for some of our most vulnerable residents. Practicing immigration law, I represented undocumented community members and refugees. I defended consumers against large corporations seeking to defraud families and pollute our environment.”
Alfredo Pedraza – District 4 Representative – and Ryan Gregory – District 2 representative – are not seeking reelection. Both are expected to complete their terms until December. Elected representatives of the Napa County Board of Supervisors will assume the role in Jan. 2025.
The Napa County Board of Supervisors is set to see a major change, regardless of the outcome with three of the five seats being up for grabs. However, our focus is on the District 4 race between Manfree and Pott. The outcome will decide whether more than half or one hundred percent of women will occupy positions on the Napa County Board of Supervisors—a progressive victory in its own right.
