New county supervisors take oath, will have first meeting next week

Three new supervisors took the oath of office on Tuesday to begin their terms on the Merced County Board of Supervisors, marking the first time in 30 years the board has seen such a major change.

Rodrigo Espinoza will represent District 1, which stretches from Le Grand to Livingston; Lee Lor will represent District 2, which essentially encompasses the city of Merced, except for the most northern and southern parts; and Lloyd Pareira will represent District 4, from Snelling to Gustine, including many unincorporated communities such as Winton and Delhi.

Family members, county employees, public officials and community members packed the board chambers Tuesday morning as County Clerk Barbara Levey administered the oath to Espinoza and Lor and Sheriff Vern Warnke administered the oath to Pareira.

Before taking her oath, Lor spoke to the audience, saying that by taking the oath, she is standing with voters and residents.

All three new supervisors are focused on increasing economic development in Merced County.

In an interview with the Sun-Star, Lor said in the beginning of her term she hopes to change the perception and attitude toward Merced. She hopes to invest in residents, particularly women and children, through programs that will help increase the level of skills in the area to attract better-paying jobs. She also hopes to close the gap of socioeconomic factors dividing north and south Merced.

“I want to break the barriers that keep folks from advancing,” she said.

Pareira said he wants to look at the county’s permitting process to see how it’s working. It may be that the process is working well, he said.

“If you’re not evaluating something, it’s hard to know if it’s getting worse or better,” he said.

Espinoza, who farms peaches and almonds, said the board must balance preserving agriculture land while attracting businesses to the county. He pointed to Stanislaus County, which also has its base in agriculture, and said cities such as Turlock and Patterson are more progressive in seeking out industries with higher-paying jobs.

“I’m a farmer, too. I don’t want to lose private farm land,” he said. “But our kids don’t want to stay in Merced. … Ag doesn’t pay for everything.”

Espinoza said he hopes to add deputies to the Merced County Sheriff’s Office in an effort to lower crime rates. He pointed to his time as mayor of Livingston and the low crime rate there.

The three new supervisors will join District 3 Supervisor Daron McDaniel and District 5 Supervisor Jerry O’Banion on the dais at the Jan. 12 board meeting.

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 5:11 PM with the headline "New county supervisors take oath, will have first meeting next week."