WILLITS, CA., 4/21/26 — Late Sunday afternoon, more than 100 Mendocino County community members packed into the Little Lake Grange in Willits to listen to candidates running for the District 3 Board of Supervisors seat address local issues and their proposed solutions.
Candidates Buffey Wright Bourassa, Russell Green, Eric Hart and Clay Romero are running to take the place of current District 3 Supervisor John Haschak. The candidates took turns giving opening statements, then answering questions on local dilemmas like the Potter Valley Project, Jackson Demonstration State Forest and the county’s budget and spending, as well as a range of topics from the economy to housing to cannabis to natural resource conservation. The forum finished with closing statements from the candidates.
Approving hums and nods as well as murmurs of disagreement with shaking heads were common among the crowd in response to many statements made by the candidates. The range of reactions demonstrated the variety of beliefs Mendocino County voters hold.
In the opening remarks, each candidate described his or her beliefs and commitment to the office. Crowd members clapped after each candidate’s statement, but the applause after Green’s remarks also came with a loud boo from someone in the back, who then shouted “Predator.” The MC, Sherrie Ebyam, said that the comment crossed the line. The commenter taunted back, “I crossed the line? What about him?”
Ebyam, who serves District 3, is one of five people on the Mendocino County Civil Service Commission. The commission is appointed by the Board of Supervisors, with each of the five serving a supervisorial district.
According to the Mendocino County Superior Court, a civil lawsuit was filed against Green’s business, Kure Wellness, Inc., by a former employee on March 24. The suit accuses Green of sexual harassment and whistleblower retaliation in his company’s workplace as well as defamation. The public documents allege that Green harassed and degraded the employee by sending her text messages, “many with overt sexual content or sexual overtones.”
Some of the questions for the candidates were from the organizers and some from the audience as they were able to submit questions on index cards. Because of time limitations, few of the audience-submitted questions were addressed.
Hart and Wright Bourassa shared similar sentiments about the Potter Valley Project when asked whether they support the removal of the dams. In February, the board approved a resolution supporting dam removal as well as $500,000 slated to two agencies governing water security for unanticipated costs related to the dismantling of the dams, which could occur as early as 2028.
“We have no other viable presentations of options other than taking down the dam,” Hart said, referring to Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury. “The question is, ‘What are we going to do about that to minimize and mitigate the impact for our residents?’ The economy of those downstream is very important. It’s a significant part of our economy.”
Hart mentioned that there are other possible solutions that need to be explored, but ultimately, water storage and consistent availability for communities should be a priority, he said.
Wright Bourassa also noted that water access is vital to communities and should be prioritized in the decision-making process for the Potter Valley Project but added that PG&E, which surrendered its license to the dams, needs to be held accountable for funding a solution.
Wright Bourassa mentioned the role of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in her response.
“We need to get hold of FERC and start holding PG&E accountable, because they’re a public utility system. They came in here; they created that. Now they’re leaving, and they’re going to leave us with this mess. I don’t think so.” PG&E has stated that it is committed to cooperating with the federal agency.
In the cover letter for the final application for surrender of license for the Potter Valley Project, PG&E detailed its plan to decommission and remove the Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam, then allow the Eel-Russian Project Authority to construct the proposed New Eel-Russian Facility for the purpose of future water diversion from the Eel River through the project’s existing water diversion system to the Russian River Watershed.
Wright Bourassa noted that the diversion idea was in the decommissioning documents to the regulatory commission. “The reason why we have a diversion plan right now is because it was put into the FERC. If we’re not going to hold PG&E accountable, then we need to come up with the money to figure out how to have storage.”
Romero said that as communities and agriculture depend on the water they get from the project, refurbishing the dams is the best option
“Anything about moving forward with not just decommissioning but destroying the dam is probably not going to happen,” he said. “I think it would be very wise to take this dam and refurbish it as is required… Just the whole concept of destroying such a valuable piece of infrastructure, it grates on my sensibilities. I just don’t see how this is going to get us to where we want to go.”
Green said that decommissioning the dams would be a bad idea, and those who want to see them removed should make it happen themselves.
“I don’t think we can let those dams be decommissioned, period. Have you been up there to see them? They’re magnificent,” Green said. “I understand the argument about returning 100 miles of river, but humans are part of nature too. The dams are there now. Removing them at this point is stupid, expensive and possibly even ecologically harmful. If the people who want to remove the dams feel that strongly about it, let them come up with the money. Don’t make Mendocino County taxpayers fund someone else’s environmental project while our roads fall apart.”
As he answered the question, Green stared down at his phone while holding the microphone. He did this throughout the forum, except on questions he had to answer first. Whispers emerged from the crowd, asking if Green was using artificial intelligence to craft his responses.
When asked by The Mendocino Voice after the forum, Green said he has a bulleted list for his campaign platform that uses an AI system to filter the information. He said he didn’t use AI for his responses.
Certainly AI would not know this answer to the question about his stance on the future of logging and tribal co-management of Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Green described a madrone tree on his property that blocks sunlight. He decided not to cut it down because it was older than he is and “had a right to be there.”
“If a tree reaches a certain age, I don’t know if that’s 500 years or what exactly that would be, but I feel like if a tree reaches a certain age, it has more right to be there,” he said.
Green also mentioned the balance of managing forest fire risk without harming the forest by overlogging.
Hart’s answer to the question was that we need to refine the language in the Assembly bill that calls for the switch from a logging focus to a restoration focus for state forests such as JDSF. Hart said expertise from tribes and foresters with experience managing the forests would be vital for this.
Wright Bourassa said that her tribe, the Sherwood Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, has long been in discussions with state agencies about shifting JDSF from a logging-first model to a restorative process. Wright Bourassa believes this should happen “because of the long-term health of the forest and wildfire resilience.”
Romero took an economic stance. He said that stopping timber harvesting “is going to create a problem.”
“I think the Jackson Demonstration State Forest is a vital part of our community, and it’s part of our tax base, because it does create a physical product,” he said.
Romero also said that the language in the bill that calls for harvesting younger trees is unwise.
Another question was about public safety measures the candidates would propose with wildfire and disaster resilience grant funding eliminated. Green answered first.
“Back in the day, there was loggers. They used to put out fires. We didn’t have Cal Fire. Or before that, when I was at CDF, it wasn’t really the place of government to come be your nanny and protect you from everything that might come your way,” Green said. “That was the community, that was the landowner that beared that risk. So without grant funding for that, I think that that risk needs to shift back to the people that it impacts, and that’s the landowners.”
The room chattered for a moment before scattered boos and a hiss were heard from the crowd. Then someone started the customary applause.
Hart said that education was a bigger issue than funding, and noted that fire safety is a community effort.
“There’s a lot that people can do on their houses if we just educate them on the right process. That education is something that the county government can support,” Hart said. “It affects us all as a county. If the fire comes through here and our houses get wiped out, then we’re all impacted by it. It’s not just an individual person thing.”
Hart is involved with the county and Ridgewood fire safe councils.
Wright Bourassa mentioned the role of the Board of Supervisors when it comes to lost funding.
“I think it’s important for us to understand that, as a supervisor, it’s our job to talk to the state to make sure that that funding is coming through.”
Wright Bourassa also noted the importance of Measure P, a county sales tax that funds local fire departments and the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council.
Romero commended the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council for its efforts in keeping the community educated and helping to reduce risk. He also emphasized that home-hardening and having an emergency water storage tank are worthwhile efforts for individual homeowners.
The candidates were also asked several questions about wildfire preparedness before the forum by the county fire safe council. Their responses can be viewed here.
Another question asked the candidates to state their favorite or the most valuable natural environmental asset of Mendocino County, and how they would propose to protect it.
Wright Bourassa noted that her membership with the tribe and her ancestors’ history with the land since time immemorial meant she takes a holistic approach.
“The most important part of Mendocino County is all of it,” Wright Bourassa said. “I know most of you have moved here from other areas because you love it so much. So, I just ask, what are we setting forward for our youth? What are we leaving them?”
Wright Bourassa also said local environmental conservation projects should continue and grow.
Romero’s response led to a bigger issue that California faces.
“At the very core of everything we are is water,” Romero said. “The best we can do is ration it on those occasions when we have droughts, but at the end of the day, we’re beholden to weather patterns. We can’t just make it rain.”
Romero also noted the importance of water access across communities.
Green said his favorite natural asset was Lake Mendocino for its recreation options. Green also noted the importance of watersheds, specifically the Eel River watershed.
“It’s economic,” he explained. “Without reliable water, cannabis, wine, agriculture collapse. It’s environmental. The redwoods and the salmon runs depend on stream flow and groundwater. It’s our quality of life. Every resident, rich or poor, depends on the same aquifers and wells. And then there’s justice. Water scarcity hits marginalized communities first.”
Hart said he agreed with Wright Bourassa. The diversity of the environment attracted Hart to the area, he said. He also believes we have a duty to act as good stewards.
“It’s one of the biggest definers of public health, the air we breathe, the water we drink, all of that impacts health. It’s asthma rates, it’s cancer rates, all of that are impacted by how we treat our environment.”
Hart also noted the economic, recreational and agricultural importance of environmental assets.
Candidates were asked about the idea of eliminating the county CEO position.
Hart said that without a CEO, the county would be run directly by the board, which he noted would be difficult, like having several bosses.
Wright Bourassa mentioned that the CEO’s power balance has gone what she called “slightly askew.” But, she added, running everything through the board and having to get five supervisors to agree on something “seems like a nightmare.”
Romero said he wasn’t fond of having a CEO, with a significant amount of power for an unelected official, “even more than the board itself,” he said.
Green said it would depend on what quality of work the CEO is doing. He also echoed that needing five people to agree on something did seem like a nightmare.
The forum ended with brief closing statements from the candidates. The forum was organized through a combined effort of the League of Women Voters of Mendocino County, Little Lake Grange, Mendocino Women’s Political Coalition, Willits Economic Localization, Willits Environmental Center and Willits Indivisible.
Ballots will be mailed to voters on May 4, and Election Day is June 2. If no candidate in the District 3 race receives a majority of votes in June, the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.
A complete California voter guide will be mailed out Thursday. A full candidate list is available on the county website.
The League of Women Voters of Mendocino County livestreamed the forum on Facebook, which can be viewed here.