The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors announced that County Executive Officer Carlos J. Palacios will step down in December after more than 30 years in local government leadership. He was sworn in as county administrative officer in 2017, becoming the county’s first Latino leader following 20 years as the city manager of Watsonville.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Santa Cruz County,” Palacios said. “I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made together—from responding to crises to building a stronger, healthier and more equitable community. None of it would have been possible without the tireless work of county staff, the partnership of community organizations, and the leadership of the Board of Supervisors. I look forward to supporting a smooth transition and seeing what the future holds for this remarkable county.”
Board of Supervisors Chair Felipe Hernandez added, “Carlos was Watsonville’s city manager when I served my first term as councilmember. He has been one of the most consequential public servants in the history of Santa Cruz County. He led us through some of the toughest times our community has ever faced—from wildfires to a pandemic to historic flooding—with grace, resolve and a deep sense of compassion.”
One of Palacios’ signature accomplishments was the creation of Santa Cruz County’s first Strategic Plan, a community-informed roadmap to guide operations and policy priorities, said Jason Hoppin, public information officer for Santa Cruz County.
The plan was complemented by an Operational Plan and a public-facing dashboard to track progress, earning a 2021 California State Association of Counties Merit Award for innovation in government operations.
Hoppin said that Palacios played a key role in the acquisition and renovation of 500 Westridge Drive in Watsonville, the new South County Government Center in the Pajaro Valley at the former West Marine facility.
Other accomplishments by Palcios:
- Establishing the Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience (OR3), which improved disaster preparedness and groundwork for improving community resilience to the impacts of climate change.
- Helped establish the Public Defender’s Office, transitioning from a decades-long contract model, and worked with the Sheriff’s Office to reopen the Sobering Center to provide care-first alternatives to incarceration.
- Helped lead a successful unification of the Planning and Public Works departments into the Community Development and Infrastructure Department, streamlining permitting processes and customer service and creating the Unified Permit Center.
- Launched the county’s Housing for Health Division, aligning homelessness response with behavioral health and supportive housing and the Children’s Crisis Stabilization Center, and launched the Focused Intervention Teams and mobile crisis response units.
- Spearheaded the transformation of Watsonville Community Hospital into a public entity.
Photo
Palacios file
