Who makes decisions for Goleta? Your immediate response is probably the Goleta City Council. But that is only partly true. The council makes decisions about land use, public safety, energy, parks and recreation, and the finances to support these and other functions. But there is a whole network of other bodies whose decisions affect Goleta — the Goleta Sanitary District, Goleta West Sanitary District, and, most importantly in this drought year, the Goleta Water District. These three are largely bound by the resources available — plant capacity for the sanitary districts and water supply for the Water District. They each cover areas that extend beyond the Goleta city boundaries. In many cities, including Santa Barbara, sanitation and water come within the purview of the City Council. For Goleta, it is difficult, if not impossible to consolidate all these functions under the city umbrella. What we have is not neat and tidy, but at the practical level it seems to work.
This coming November, Goletans will be voting on candidates for all these boards. After voting for President, Senator, Representative, State Senate and Assembly, keep going down the ballot and near the end you will find their names. Find out what you can about them and be sure to vote. The Water Board race is particularly important with the seemingly unending drought. The board has already instituted a moratorium on new hook ups, and without a major deluge in the next month, there will for sure be further restrictions on landscape watering. This will affect council decisions on land use, both for now and in the future.
The County Board of Supervisors also still plays a role in Goleta governance. While Goleta became a city to break the connection with the county, there are many services outside the purview of cities for which the county is responsible. They include health-care services for children, seniors and the disabled; the justice system including the DAs Office, Probation, and the jail; tax collection, elections, county parks such as Goleta Beach, and much more.