Santa Clara County supervisor candidates respond to reader questions

Four politicians vying for two open seats on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in June received dozens of questions from attendees of San José Spotlight’s flagship all-day political festival, PolitiBeat .

With a limited time for the candidate forum — one of eight live discussions at the Hammer Theater in downtown San Jose — only a handful of reader questions were selected. So, we decided to get the answers to the rest in an exclusive Q&A with District 2 candidates Betty Duong and Madison Nguyen , and District 5 hopefuls Margaret Abe-Koga and Sally Lieber .

The high-stakes contests in November will guarantee two of these four women a seat on the powerful five-member board, replacing two termed out supervisors — Cindy Chavez in District 2 and Joe Simitian in District 5. The election will make history as voters will elect the county’s first Vietnamese American supervisor in the District 2 race.

From government transparency to supporting aging seniors, here are the questions from our audience. The candidates’ answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: Have you supported government transparency in the past and how will you increase transparency in the future?

Duong: Transparency and open government are essential to democracy. I am so deeply committed to this principle that one of my first actions as a county supervisor will be to call for a county charter review commission. The top priority of that commission will be to include strong requirements for transparency in government operations in the charter.

I have long demonstrated my support for transparency and accountability throughout my career in public service, including creating specific offices that promote accountability such as the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement and supporting the development of the county’s current whistleblower program. Regarding transparency in overall county government, I recognize the value of the independent management auditor’s office that reports to the board of supervisors instead of to the administration. I have used the management auditor’s reports to advance policy and budgetary recommendations throughout my work at the county.

An important part of providing transparency is making the public aware of the audits that are already taking place, which residents may wish to review. For example, a very strong auditing function is already managed by the oversight committee for the 2016 Measure A housing bond, chaired by County Assessor Larry Stone. This committee has its own contract with an audit firm that produces independent and objective audits of the county’s expenditures, and the county’s civil grand jury has recognized the strength of this auditing. I will commit to maintaining this standard of oversight for all audits and do more to publicize the public meetings of this committee and highlight the audit reports on the county’s website and communications to let people know the funds are producing housing as promised.

Nguyen: Far too often, we see headlines about lack of transparency within the county of Santa Clara. We’ve seen significant wrongdoings: a $1 million plagiarized book deal, an undisclosed state investigation into the Department of Family and Children’s Services, and Santa Clara County running an illegal network of group homes for highly-troubled children.

Our county government is falling short and residents and businesses deserve more. I believe that starts with true transparency and accountability.

It’s not enough to talk about doing better next time. We clearly need to put safeguards in place and implement policies that will catch and prevent these serious problems. For our county to run well, and have people who are motivated and proud of their work, I will foster an environment based on trust and practical guidelines.

When I was on the San Jose City Council, we passed local ordinances to increase transparency. They provided for disclosure of elected officials’ text messages and emails received during public meetings, and designated all messages regarding city businesses received on personally-owned devices subject to public records requests. In addition, we took action to implement more stringent guidelines for public meetings, public records, information regarding lobbyists and online appointment calendars.

As supervisor, I will hold public town halls to discuss strategy and key initiatives on an ongoing basis — because our residents know what’s best for their communities.

Also, I will push for external audits of major programs, and create concrete metrics for county departments and partners, to ensure we’re working to meet the shared goals of our residents. I will prioritize the online posting of meaningful, easy to understand results for our residents, and make all contracts directly accessible online — because transparency is the path to accountability.

Abe-Koga: Yes, as mayor during the Great Recession, I led the city to close a budget deficit.

A major component of the effort and my role was to bring people together to address these issues by conducting extensive outreach to stakeholders such as employee groups and to the community at large. We conducted a number of budget 101 sessions, included information on our website and conducted surveys. I would work to implement similar measures at the county. In particular, I have noticed the budget needs to be more detailed.

I have always had an open door and will meet with anyone who wants to meet with me. I have conducted “Chat with MAK” sessions while I was mayor — conducting office hours at neighborhood coffee shops. I am currently holding neighborhood meetings across Santa Clara County District 5 to meet constituents and identify unique issues in each neighborhood through my campaign’s “Meet MAK” program. I plan to hold similar outreach activities in addition to regular town hall style meetings, being at farmers markets and having regular check-ins with leaders of the cities that make up District 5 and other stakeholder groups.

Lieber: I am a lifelong supporter of government transparency and a fighter for clean elections, campaign finance and disclosure reforms and the open meeting laws that protect the public’s right to know how decisions are made. Transparency — over data, budgets, communication with lobbyists and interest groups and performance — is essential to making decisions in the public’s best interest.

I have worked hard as a board member at the Clean Money Campaign to increase disclosures on political mailers and ads, and to reinforce campaign spending limits, both at the state and local levels. I have seen during my tenure in the state Legislature, and in local government, how special interest money shapes public policies and determines which issues even get discussed.

Transparency also includes making government data available on an open data basis and in ways that can benefit quality of life for the community. Examples include for use in transit and traffic apps, the health and shade cover of trees in the community and for wait times at public agencies.

Open data policies also aid policy advocates in the community in determining the effectiveness of government programs and gauging needs in the community. The public benefits from the policy evaluation work done by charitable nonprofits and advocacy organizations.

Transparency is especially vital at the county level, where decisions that affect criminal justice, emergency response, public health, safe and adequate transit and the effectiveness of our responses to homelessness are at stake. As a county supervisor, I will fight to release more data on outcomes and expenditures than ever before and ensure that real-time data is used to improve our quality of life.

People who are 50+ are the fastest growing demographic in Santa Clara County. It’s estimated that they’ll account for over 40% of the county’s population by 2030. Can you share one or two policy initiatives that you plan to champion that’ll make life better for the county’s older adult population?

Duong: People who are 50+ are also the fastest-growing demographic among the unhoused population. The well-being of this population is dependent on our policies around homelessness, affordable housing, behavioral health, and health services that will allow seniors to age in place with dignity.

Many of our elders have numerous needs that the county can help with – including food and nutrition, geriatric health care, and senior housing.

Two specific policy initiatives that I plan to champion are:

Assistance to caregivers: With more seniors requiring complex forms of assistance, caregivers increasingly require training, back-up services, and respite time. They need career paths and decent pay if they are caregiver workers, as opposed to family caregivers. In our country today, the annual turnover rate for staff at senior facilities is over 100%. This shouldn’t be allowed to continue. I will support and build on the caregiver initiative created under President Ellenberg’s leadership and promote its application to support and maintain family members and our In-Home Support Services (IHSS) workforce.

Housing — helping seniors age in place: As people experience greater difficulty with activities of daily living, it becomes challenging for them to continue to reside in their current homes. But they often do not want to move to a facility that is an unfamiliar environment. I propose that the county become an innovator in developing pilot programs that help seniors age in place where they are comfortable as long as feasible. One way we can help do this is by better equipping our In Home Support Services (IHSS) workers with training, equipment and ancillary services.

I also believe we can promote the health of seniors living at home by improving programs at our county and city parks such as Tai Chi, group walks and hikes to promote exercise and socialization, and increased volunteer opportunities for seniors throughout our parks and public spaces.

Nguyen: While the County’s Department of Aging and Adult Services provide programs such as in-home support, transportation, meals, and other vital services, I will make it a priority to create a policy initiative that focuses on providing rental assistance for seniors.

Alarming new industry data released this week shows that Silicon Valley is the most competitive rental market in California, and the sixth most competitive nationwide. The average rent in Santa Clara County is $3,085 a month, with an average size rental of only 892 square feet. The occupancy rate is 95%, so there is little inventory available, driving up the competition for available units. In Silicon Valley, 12 potential renters compete for each available unit. The rental market in this area has been bad for years, but it has become much worse with the tech rebound of the past several months. Silicon Valley tech jobholders may be able to afford these inflated rents, but a lot of seniors cannot afford them. Most seniors are on fixed incomes, and many have only Social Security for income.

The County must collaborate with our cities, the Housing Authority, and nonprofits in a new rental assistance initiative to meet the pressing needs of seniors before they lose their housing and become at risk for homelessness.

The older population among the unhoused is also alarming.  The 2022 Santa Clara County Point-In-Time Report on Homelessness shows that 40% of the unhoused in Santa Clara County are over the age of 50.  It’s a top priority of mine to get them into a safe, dignified living environment with access to services.   Whether it’s interim housing or permanent housing, we can’t wait any longer to take care of them.

Abe-Koga: Housing opportunities including Assisted Living options. Affordable housing is a challenge for seniors living on a fixed income.  I am proud of leading Mountain View in providing a wide spectrum of housing options and being a leader in building affordable housing units.  As a care provider for my parents in their twilight years, I understand firsthand, the challenges of finding assistance in care for the elderly if they want to age in place, and the limited opportunities for assisted living.  Transportation is also a major challenge for seniors and limits their mobility and increases isolation.  I have worked in transportation during my sixteen years on the Mountain View City Council, representing the City on the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and Santa Clara County on regional bodies such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Caltrain, working to improve public transit and promote alternative modes of transportation.  I would like to continue my work on these regional bodies to make transit more accessible and convenient.    Another growing issue is providing opportunities for younger seniors who still want to work and/or need to work to stay productive.  I will partner with community organizations, educational institutions and businesses to foster opportunities for seniors to further educational endeavors or stay in the workforce.

Lieber: The County’s 50+ population have the same needs as everyone else: a safe and clean environment, access to parks, affordable housing, childcare, healthcare, and transit.

They also have the same expectations as other generations: that every level of government will take meaningful action to reverse climate change, that we will prepare our communities for emergencies, provide real public safety, and provide top-notch healthcare, including a range of mental health opportunities.

50+ year olds in our County are also likely to be part of a ‘sandwich generation,’ caring for senior parents, providing for their own children and teens, and/or providing childcare for grandchildren. We must take every step possible in helping them fulfill those responsibilities.

For the good of all generations living in our County we must focus on affordable, quality childcare and eldercare, rapid response to the scams that affect both young people and seniors, and advocating relief on issues including affordable senior housing, student loan relief and access to mental health, dental care and other healthcare.

To meet the needs of our diverse community, we must continue—and increase—our efforts to seek change in Sacramento and Washington D.C. Empowering legislation that helps diverse communities, including immigrant and refugee communities, deserves our support and advocacy.

Homelessness and housing affordability are inextricably connected. Both are impacted by private equity buying up housing for profit. What are your thoughts about regulating private equity in the housing market?

Duong: My parents were able to purchase a home in the East Side of San Jose while working minimum wage jobs. The ability to purchase a home has been destroyed as a possibility for many and it threatens the future of our valley.

The increasing involvement by institutional investors in the housing market is a matter of serious concern. Analysts estimate that as many as 40% of single-family homes may soon be owned by these massive firms.

When housing is owned by these institutions rather than families, decisions about rent levels, maintenance, and management may be made through algorithms focused on profit without regard to neighborhoods.

The County’s role in addressing this issue must focus on its relationship with the federal and state governments. We must direct our energy towards government levels that do have authority. A federal bill, the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act has been introduced. At the state level, bills have been introduced in both the Senate and Assembly. One of them, AB 2584 by Assemblymember Alex Lee, limits the ability of institutional investors to expand their holdings. At the local level, the County should work closely with our cities, state, and federal partners to regulate private equity in the housing market.

As Supervisor, I will lead efforts to keep people in their homes. We can do more to prevent homelessness, and doing so is far more efficient and effective, and cheaper, than helping people after they have become homeless.

I will work closely with my colleagues on the Board as well as Mayor Mahan and the San Jose City Council to implement other policies and programs that respond to homelessness, including producing and delivering shelter services, establishing transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. These are all important and urgent needs.

Nguyen: Housing affordability is a top issue for our residents.  Private equity buying is happening across the country – especially across the south, stretching from Florida to Arizona and across the Rust Belt, in cities like Detroit and Cleveland.  Many houses were purchased by private equity firms during the pandemic and after the 2008 housing crisis. As a result, legislation is being introduced in many states to limit the purchase of single-family homes by corporate owners. These restrictions are aimed at keeping housing more affordable for local residents.

Many properties in California, that might otherwise be obtainable for younger, working- and middle-class households, are being purchased by private equity investors.  The institutional investors have an advantage over the typical buyer because they can get much lower interest rates and pay cash.

In California, several state-level bills were introduced in 2023-2024, which would limit the number of homes that can be purchased by institutional investors.  I think it’s good that the state is taking action to protect the housing stock and not allow Wall Street to take opportunities away from local buyers and renters.  And, I will work to support these efforts.  We need stable housing for our young people, seniors and working families.

Abe-Koga: I support Congress’ efforts such as the “End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act” which would require large funds to divest their portfolios of single-family homes over ten years.  I also support restricting public dollars from investing in private equity funds such as the UC system, or federal loans through programs such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Lieber: Private equity has gobbled up housing in California and elsewhere in the U.S. and has an outsized impact on prices in the Bay Area.

Institutional investors have long had a concentration of ownership of apartments, but now they have turned an eye to single family homes as well. Their approach bundles homes as investments, renting them out with little oversight or holding them empty in neighborhoods where families are priced out of the market.

For quality of life in our communities, we must take meaningful action to preserve housing, for families and individuals, and ensure that it is not treated just as an investment vehicle. For this reason, I favor an approach that would ban the sale of large numbers of ‘bundled’ properties to investors, and instead making them available to individual buyers.

In addition, when planning for housing, we should ensure that housing is targeted to the people that live and work here—especially the essential workers that make our communities run—and not just to investors who can afford more and hope for a windfall profit later.

Going forward, we need all types of housing—especially housing that is affordable for young people, veterans, families and seniors. To avoid recent dysfunctions in shelter space and affordable housing, the County must take steps to increase the number of housing providers, and be more deliberative in seeking the outcomes that we want.

What does each candidate see as the greatest policy difference between them and their opponent?

Duong: I have over ten years of actual experience in developing and implementing County policy and programs. This experience, coupled with being a lifelong resident of District two and someone whose family depended on County services sets me apart as a candidate for Supervisor.

This distinction is clear in my approach to public safety. I recognize that adequate numbers of skilled,experienced law enforcement professionals are necessary to maintain public safety.

Public safety requires prevention, law enforcement, re-entry and rehabilitative detention for those open to it.

1) Prevention – Prevention strategies range from education that leads to good jobs to youth services to truancy abatement and more. County government must emphasize stopping crimes before they happen.

2) Law Enforcement – Despite prevention programs, crimes do happen. The County needs to recruit top personnel, provide training and supervision that includes respect for the diversity of the county population, and retain experienced staff with adequate compensation. I am proud to be endorsed by Santa Clara County Sheriff Jonsen, the SCC Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Correctional Peace Officers Association, Probation Peace Officers Union, the County Firefighters, and the nurses and doctors who staff our emergency rooms who inform and support the County in our work

3) Re-entry – If we release someone from jail with no job, no place to live, no health care, and often no friends, they will have difficulty developing a constructive lifestyle. County Re-entry services will help the former offender and keep the county safe.

4) Carceral Facilities – The county must construct and manage facilities to provide true rehabilitation to those open to it so they become law abiding individuals. That means investing in trauma-informed mental health programs, substance abuse services, and job training.

Nguyen: I’m running for County Supervisor because we can’t continue with the status quo. The County has failed to deliver on homelessness, crime continues to rise, more people are moving away because housing affordability is no longer within their reach, and small businesses continue to suffer.

As a San Jose Councilmember, I worked with the community to bring more jobs, more housing, more parks and trails to our district. I worked with small business owners to get their businesses up and running in the shortest time possible. I’ve been a teacher, Vice Mayor, and worked in the non-profit and private sectors.

My policy-making differs from my opponent because it will be focused on accountability, transparency, and urgency to deliver results for our residents. Having grown up in a large farmworker family, I know the struggles of barely getting by – that’s why I’ll make sure that our County money goes where it can help the most.

I believe in running a County government that: cares about identifiable, quantifiable results, is accountable and acknowledges failure when it happens, and can pivot and make changes in response to what’s happening in the community.

Some of my key policy areas are:

Reducing homelessness by working with San Jose and other cities to build more interim housing, and providing on-site mental health and substance abuse services.

Building more affordable housing for low-income families and seniors.

Standing up for residents and businesses who are affected by crime.  Working collectively with all public safety agencies to improve our approach and response time, and ensuring that we provide a safer County for all residents.

Developing new recreational, educational, and job opportunities for our youth through collaboration with school districts and local businesses to provide vocational, technical and trade programs.

I hear from too many residents who feel their voices aren’t being heard.  Good policy requires listening and providing a path to real, visible change that leads to improvements in the quality of life for our children, seniors, and families.

Abe-Koga: Public Safety. I have the sole endorsement from Sheriff Bob Jonsen, the District Attorney Jeff Rosen, the Deputy Sheriffs, San Jose and Mountain View Police Officers Association, Correctional Peace Officers Association, Probation Officers Association, Santa Clara County, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Milpitas, Santa Clara City and San Jose Professional Firefighters.  I am recognized for my long- standing support and championing proper personnel, training and equipment for our public safety departments.  During my time on the Mountain View City Council, I have increased staffing, ensured best in class equipment and training for our firefighters and police officers, as well as competitive salaries and benefits to recruit and retain the most qualified personnel in a fiscally responsible manner. I will continue similar practices at the county.

Lieber: I served on City Council with my competitor and saw that our greatest difference was our approach to budgeting.

The need to be fiscally responsible is higher now than ever before and we must do a better job at identifying critical needs and meeting those needs first. We can’t count on extra taxpayer funds flowing to counties from the federal government or the state, and we must protect the most vulnerable and pay frontline staff a living wage.

I am committed to spending resources thoughtfully on high quality core services and worthwhile objectives. I favored increasing mental health services for youth, ensuring that our essential, yet lower paid workers received a living wage, and increasing our oversight and enforcement over seismically unsafe buildings.

In contrast, my competitor wanted to give scarce federal resources directed to our city to downtown landlords who had not taken physical care of their buildings over time. This is not a protective choice for our city.

I will always focus on protective and thoughtful policies for my constituents, emphasizing high quality services to meet the core responsibilities of government. I will never postpone dealing with critical needs or take an attitude of ‘we will get more money next year,’ or gamble with not being prepared for emergencies.

I respect taxpayer funds and will always involve community members in my decisions. The need for sound policymaking is my reason for running.

Contact Brandon Pho at brandon@sanjosespotlight.com or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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