The Santa Maria Valley lost a true dedicated public servant last month when former Fifth District County Supervisor Tom Urbanske passed away after a lifetime of service at age 88.
It was and remains a privilege to have been a colleague of Supervisor Urbanske during the four years (1994-1998) that our time on the Board of Supervisors coincided.
He was one of the most courteous, kind, and respectful elected officials I have ever worked with. He combined an optimistic attitude toward almost everything and everyone with enthusiastic advocacy for important causes that he held dear — such as funding services for those suffering from mental and physical disabilities and support for the Santa Barbara County Probation Department.