MENDOCINO CO., 5/14/26 — Ukiah business owner Todd Lyly will be on the primary election ballot for Mendocino County’s Board of Supervisors for the 5th district. Lyly was a late entry into the race, tossing in his hat just three months before the election on June 2.
Lyly will be challenging incumbent Ted Williams and Gualala Municipal Advisory councilmember Kevin Evans.
A Mendocino native who grew up in Fort Bragg before moving to Potter Valley and finally the unincorporated part of Ukiah, which is represented by the 5th District, Lyly said he was inspired to run for supervisor after listening to the needs of customers and fellow business owners who would come into his auto repair shop.
Lyly is mainly focused on reforming the construction permitting process in Mendocino County.
“The permitting process, it takes so long. I’ve seen a lot of people move out of the county or out of the state, not wanting to build a house or start their business here because of that.” said Lyly in a candidate forum held by the Independent Coast Observer.
He believes arduous building approval processes and exorbitant fees have hindered the county’s business development, and thereby its economy.
“If we have more houses, and more people building houses, not just low-income stuff, you’ve got more people paying back into the system through taxes, through purchases, property taxes… If they’re attracted here for a decent paying job and we had them here, that’s the basis of everything we’ve got…we need to bring back the industry.”
Additionally, Lyly believes that reinvestment into the timber industry could bring more money into the county and grow Mendocino’s tax base.
On his website, Lyly also highlights the need for road repair and increasing wildfire preparedness funding. He argues that Ukiah has taken a disproportionate share of transportation spending, and calls for a transparent “Road Fix Tracker” website that displays every road project, along with its budget and completion date.
He also stresses his disapproval of the Ukiah annexation, writing in a campaign pamphlet that he “strongly oppose[s] Ukiah annexation that drains tax revenue from rural services.”
More information about Lyly’s campaign is available at lylyfordistrict5.com.
“we need to bring back the industry.” – Last time someone said we need to bring back XYZ industry our economy tanked and the cost of living sky rocketed… If I were a betting man, he is the one candidate who will make sure Mendocino County gets a Data center that chugs thousands of gallons of water daily under the guise of simplifying permits in the county.
it costs about $700/sq ft to build a modest home these days
who are all these people libed up to build a house?
they dont exist
it doesn’t take long to get a permit if you have at least 1 year to wait to do soils engineering
all new construction needs to be sprinkled too
even off grid
what a joke
noone is lined up out the door at the bldg and planning dept trying to get a building permit
the county has rot at the center of its public sector, entitlement and nepotism
put the county into recievership from the state