MENDOCINO CO., 12/27/24 — Fort Bragg native Bernie Norvell has pledged to uphold the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution several times, but Jan. 7 will mark his first swearing-in as a member of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, representing the 4th District.
Born and raised in Fort Bragg, the former mayor and longtime politician spoke about the community in a tone that felt familiar and informal. Norvell will represent Fort Bragg and the towns of Caspar, Westport and Leggett. Although he served as Fort Bragg’s mayor for the past four years, his government career goes back much further. He was elected to the City Council in 2016, serving as vice mayor before becoming mayor in 2020.
“There are things going on in the county that need to be more efficient,” Norvell said during a phone interview. “I am not someone who sees a lot of problems, I try to see an opportunity for solution. I am excited to help make the county government a well-oiled machine.”
Norvell has lived in Fort Bragg his entire life and has an intense passion for the coastal community. With two children, he participated in school activities and coached school sports. He also started his own business, Norvell’s, which sells paint supplies, rental equipment, garage doors and fishing supplies.
Although Norvell enjoyed his time as mayor, he said that he is enthusiastic to work on the county level. He said that while the jobs are similar, being on the board of supervisors brings you one step closer to the state’s decision-making process.
“You have a lot more influence at the state level being a supervisor,” Norvell said. He added that he wants the county to strengthen its governance and be more transparent with the community to build confidence. “The county’s problems are on a larger scale, so solving them will be a bigger achievement. I’m excited about gaining the public’s support so they feel a bit differently about the county then they do right now.” When asked to elaborate on what he meant, he texted, “There are a lot of different views about the county.”
Norvell has served as a representative on two ad hoc committees: the Homeless Action committee and the Mill Site committee. He also served as the city’s representative on the Fort Bragg Fire Protection Authority, strengthening the city’s relationship with the fire district. During his time as mayor, Norvell demonstrated a strong commitment to working with Fort Bragg’s homeless communities.
Fort Bragg’s police department and councilmembers developed a plan to combat homelessness during Norvell’s tenure that he plans to present to county government: the city’s Care Response Unit (CRU), a two-year-old program that has supported around 300 people experiencing homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges. Norvell added that he wants the board of supervisors to focus more on homelessness services, which he believes will benefit the county socially and economically.
“A lot of times when we say homelessness, a lot of people will talk about how they are working on getting people into permanent housing. That doesn’t necessarily mean you got those people off the street, those could just be people that were in transitional housing,” he explained. “When the public talks about the negative impact of homelessness, they are often talking about street-level homelessness. That’s where my current focus is.”
Norvell has dedicated a lot of his time to developing the city’s CRU. He has reached out to several city councilmembers and county supervisors to discuss Fort Bragg’s new program and its potential to benefit other regions in the county. Additionally, Norvell spent countless hours applying for grants to support the program and spoke with the county’s Mental Health Treatment Act Citizens Oversight Committee and the board of supervisors to commit funds to Fort Bragg’s four-bed crisis center, which opened last year inside the Redwood Community Services building.
Overall, Norvell noted that, because of these efforts—specifically the CRU program—police services dedicated to homelessness were reduced by 44%, and arrests declined by 57% in just one year.
Regarding his new role at the county, he’s eager to continue this vital work of helping people who are struggling. “I’m excited to help the county work on getting people off the street, to the doctor and into rehabilitation centers,” he said. “For the last three and a half years, I’ve been neck-deep in this topic.”
With a can-do attitude, Norvell doesn’t shy away from challenging issues. He presents himself as a solutions-oriented politician, hopeful for the future while also identifying the county’s flaws.
“The county currently faces many difficult issues: a budget shortfall, increasing costs of the jail expansion, cannabis production and programs, as well as housing needs and water resiliency,” he stated in his announcement that he would run for the 4th District supervisor seat. “It is my belief that collectively we cannot solve our problems until we recognize our inadequacies, identify plans that are not working, and start making concrete decisions that result in evident change.”
Norvell said that he wants the board to focus more intently on the budget, believing that doing so will help build greater trust with the public. “There needs to not be so many issues with the budget,” Norvell stated. The board of supervisors recently faced state audits over the county’s lack of financial transparency, including late filings, budget inaccuracies and absent procedures. “The county’s budget is a lot more complex, but it’s still a budget. I think that getting the budget in order so it doesn’t need to be discussed at every meeting will go a long way with trust in the community.”
When addressing cannabis and its role in the future of Mendocino County, Norvell shared a clear opinion on how cannabis policies should be handled. He is open to expanding opportunities for cannabis businesses and wants to rely on the expertise of those experienced in the industry.
“I am not an expert on cannabis, so you have to listen to the experts and the people who have been doing it forever,” he said. “When you have a policy, you need to listen to people who say it’s not going to work. You must lean on other people, and there’s probably a consensus in the community that it didn’t happen as much as it should have.”
Norvell will be sworn in Jan. 7 at the county offices, 501 Low Gap Road, in Ukiah. To learn more about the incoming 4th District supervisor or to send him feedback, you can email him at bnorvell@mcn.org.
I’,m quite happy about Norvell coming aboard, I’m hoping he brings his integrity and competence to a BOS in desperate nee of both! Chris Skyhawk
We are in a severe crisis now, with our immigrant neighbors being on the front line of fire by the Trump/Musk regime. We cannot allow ICE to come in and rip families apart. I urge you to make Fort Bragg a Sanctuary City.