ISSUES

Tom Schwedhelm is committed to addressing the most important issues facing Northern Sonoma County today

Caring for Our Residents

Tom wants to ensure Sonoma County residents – regardless of race, background, or immigration status – feel safe and secure in their homes, workplaces, and out and about in our community. Tom respects people of all backgrounds and walks of life, wants everyone to be treated equally regardless of their family’s origins, and just as important, keep Sonoma County as a safe place to live and work, recognizing that immigrant communities contribute positively to agriculture, our local workforce, and community fabric.

As a former Police Chief with more than 30 years in public safety serving our local community, Tom has been devastated by the unlawful arrests and detention of people who pose no legitimate danger to the public – especially children – and will work with local law enforcement to continue to protect and care for law-abiding residents throughout Sonoma County while putting safeguards in place to protect locals from federal law enforcement operations.

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Housing

As the Mayor of Santa Rosa from 2018-2020, Tom led efforts to start what became the biggest home rebuilding effort in county history. Eight years after the devastating Tubbs and Pocket Fires, affected communities have largely rebuilt and recovered, thanks in part to Tom’s leadership to break down barriers to speed home rebuilding processes. As 4th District Supervisor, Tom will build on this legacy by:

Encouraging additional housing at appropriately sited locations, particularly affordable housing and housing for the ‘missing middle’ … keeping in mind the important balance between the need for more housing and adequate infrastructure to support it.

Exploring opportunities to expand the Sonoma County Housing Authority’s first-time homebuyer program to include young couples and working families, an expansion of the current program tailored to Section 8 recipients.

Focusing new housing development in properly zoned infill areas, to protect our greenbelts and open space areas from sprawl, congestion, and other development-related impacts.

Homelessness

Tom Schwedhelm has championed efforts to reduce chronic homelessness, becoming one of the county’s premier leaders on this critical quality-of-life issue. As the Chair of the Continuum of Care (now known as the Sonoma County Homeless Coalition), Tom spearheaded the ‘housing first’ model that connects homeless residents to services, and pushes for mental health and social services for some of our most vulnerable residents. This model, among the first in Sonoma County, is now a framework other cities in the county have adopted in recent years. As Supervisor, Tom will continue to advance progress on homelessness by:

Taking a regional approach to addressing homelessness, with an aspirational goal of ending homelessness instead of just trying to manage homeless residents.

Supporting policies that restrict the proliferation of homeless encampments, particularly near homes and in public places such as schools, sidewalks, and bike paths.

Compelling homeless residents or their families to seek services through programs like Community Assistance Recovery Empowerment (CARE) Court, a structured plan to connect homeless residents to wraparound services under the direct supervision of the Sonoma County Superior Court.

Collaborating with North County communities on homeless issues, in the hopes of preventing a rise in homeless residents in smaller towns with limited services and capacity to address homelessness. While this goal is very important to Tom, he wants to balance this objective with cohesive policies that reduce homelessness regionally, instead of working through a patchwork of piecemealed policies that ultimately shift homeless individuals from one neighborhood or community to another.

Behavioral Health

As a longtime peace officer, including detective work tied to cases regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse, Tom knows there are many in our community who either feel unsafe, or are facing behavioral health challenges – not just amongst homeless populations, but among individuals young and old who struggle with mental health issues. Tom has seen this from the perspective of a first responder (patrol officer), investigator (detective) and as a supervisor (sergeant), and knows that comprehensive behavioral health care services in our school system and broader social safety net are critical to creating a stronger, healthier future for our communities. Tom wants to ensure all our residents feel safe first and foremost, and for those struggling in silence, to know that they have resources available to them, and that such services, provided by governmental and nonprofit partners, are available to anyone in need or who are otherwise struggling with behavioral and mental health issues. On the Board of Supervisors, Tom will be an advocate for improving behavioral health services, while pushing for a results-oriented approach when it comes behavioral health spending from county investments as well as Measure O, a dedicated sales tax passed by voters that generates more than $30 million annually, and has helped strengthen funding for behavioral health and homelessness services.

Roads and Infrastructure

Tom has lived in Sonoma County for decades, and like many county residents, has witnessed crumbling pavement conditions in several unincorporated areas. As an avid cyclist who has spent numerous hours riding on North County roadways, Tom recognizes that failing roads are both a safety and quality-of-life issue, and knows more needs to be done to make a lasting difference in the condition of our county roads and infrastructure. Despite the many roads that still need to be repaired and repaved, Tom has been impressed by the early results of the county’s Long-Term Road Plan adopted in 2014, and will continue to work to sustain investments in better roads and streets by:

Investing resources from the new Measure DD transportation sales tax to repair and repave more of our rural roads and streets, while encouraging municipal partners to do the same.

Maintaining Sonoma County’s leading role as a ‘self-help’ county, with both a dedicated transportation sales tax and the largest share of discretionary dollars going to road repairs of any California county.

Working with SMART and the Great Redwood Trail Agency to finish the SMART line build-out to Cloverdale, while closing gaps in the adjacent bicycle and pedestrian pathway, to create connectivity from Healdsburg and Windsor to Santa Rosa and from Santa Rosa down to Petaluma and eventually, the entire 70-mile pathway.

Public Safety

Following a 31-year local public safety career, including close collaboration with the Santa Rosa Fire Department and Sonoma County Fire District following the largest wildfire in county history, Tom has unparalleled experience in county public safety issues. As our 4th District Supervisor, Tom will take a comprehensive look at community safety by:

Applying his background as a peace officer and Police Chief to keep our communities safe through neighborhood and community-oriented policing programs.

Leveraging his background in wildfire response, recovery, and resiliency to do everything possible to reduce the threat of future wildfires – policies including continued vegetation management, partnerships with CAL FIRE and land management organizations, and others to reduce fuel loads on public and private lands.

Ensuring that emergency response systems continue to provide a clear line of communication during emergencies and natural disasters, to avoid the notification lapses during the 2017 fires.

Water

Tom recognizes that water is the foundation of Sonoma County’s economic, agricultural, and environmental future. Ensuring an adequate supply of water for residents, businesses, and agricultural users alike is paramount for every community’s survival. As the Chair of the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency, Tom laid the early framework for a comprehensive policy to preserve and recharge our precious groundwater resources. He is also fully supportive of new Army Corps practices that provide more flexibility on water releases from our two largest surface water reservoirs at Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino. As our Supervisor, Tom will advocate for our water supplies and conservation by:

Working with North County communities most affected by the Potter Valley dam removal project to ensure their continued access to water supplies – doing anything feasibly possible to make those most affected whole.
- As part of this, Tom does not believe that the removal of Scott Dam (“Lake Pillsbury”) and the Van Arsdale Dam (“Potter Valley Project”) is in the best long-term interest of our communities, farmers, or regional ecosystem, and that removing these dams without a comprehensive replacement plan risks destabilizing our regional water reliability – undermining agriculture, and creating downstream economic and environmental challenges.

Advocating for the siting and permitting of above-ground water storage projects, especially if dam removal projects come to fruition. Storage projects – such as off-stream holding ponds on lands already owned by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District in North County, could help get ahead of this issue and mitigate the impacts of dam removal efforts already underway.

Supporting preliminary efforts currently underway to raise the dam and surface water capacity at Lake Mendocino.

Collaborating with Cloverdale, Geyserville, and Healdsburg on comprehensive surface and groundwater protection policies.

The Environment

The incredible natural environment of Sonoma County was one of the key drivers in Tom’s decision to relocate to Sonoma County more than 40 years ago. Despite growth and change over those years, Tom has always advocated for the protection of our natural resources, including open space and agricultural land protections. As Supervisor, Tom will protect our environment by:

Working with the Ag community to keep working agricultural lands in agriculture for generations to come.

Sustaining policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions and address the threats posed by climate change, while maintaining a balance that prevents surging electricity prices as a result of these policies.

Discouraging development outside of developed areas and municipalities, so that greenbelt and open space areas are both preserved and maintain the incredible natural beauty found throughout Sonoma County, from northern Santa Rosa all the way to Cloverdale.

Tom recognizes there are additional issues facing our community today. He will expand upon these issues through his conversations with community members, and ensure that his priorities reflect the needs of the communities he hopes to serve as our next 4th District Supervisor.