InAWorldBy an edhat reader
On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to allow County employees the ability to continue working from home after the Covid-19 pandemic subsides, using a “Distributed Teams Hybrid Work Model.”
While Supervisor Williams briefly raised the question of employee accountability, the proposal generated relatively little discussion.
Opponents of the initiative note the fact that there are current County of Santa Barbara employees earning six figure salaries, who have relocated and have been living full time out of the tri-county area and even out-of-state since Covid.
Maria Elena De Guevara, Human Resources Director, did not mention in her presentation how many current County of Santa Barbara employees have chosen to relocate since March 2020, either out of the tri-county area or out of state.
Opponents also question the local economic impacts if those sizable incomes permanently take their discretionary spending to other locales, noting that the proposal smacks of “anti-stimulus,” at a time when local businesses can least afford it.
Also of concern is how county government officials will take on the challenge of affordable housing, among other pressing matters, if they redeem their paychecks in out-of-area locations where housing is actually more affordable. “Officials with ZERO skin in the game have no incentive to solve our community’s difficult challenges,” one local resident noted. “That’s not how government is supposed to work. Local government must be filled by stakeholders.”
Opponents also question whether salaries will be downward-adjusted for those who have chosen or who will choose to relocate outside the tri-county area under this work-from-home proposal, as well as who will absorb the cost if employees who have chosen to relocate out of state or have relocated outside the tri-county area have to appear at a government activity in which in-person attendance is required.
Wow! Having been born and raised here, I can’t believe that there are only 2 comments on this thread? All the commenters must work for The City or County. How could there not be any arm chair commenters? I’ve been here since 1969, where’s my backups?
This is absolutely an Egregious affair. Where is all the local commentary? Or maybe you live in Telluride Colorado now? This does not set well with me. If you have no idea where Fedmart use to be or what Costco is now, use to look like? Don’t bother making a comment.
Yep… this is BS!!! What the hell are our local officials smoking lately???? Every decision just seems to be a combination of clueless and idiotic!
This is a bunch of BS right here. County employees should reside within the county, period. Paychecks and benefits are hefty, and they should stay local. Who do we take this up with?