Imperial County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Imperial County, California public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Storm response and deferred facility maintenance
With a very strong El Niño expected to peak in December, the board declared a local emergency so fire and OES can pre-position flood-fight materials and run regional briefings.
Quechan tribal representation and Picacho Road Bridge
The 100-year-old Picacho Road Bridge over the Yuma Main Canal is closed, cutting off vital services and emergency response east of the county. Speakers demanded faster repairs and an apology for Supervisor Hawk's remarks to the Quechan tribe; Public Works says replacement is at least a year out with two federal grant applications pending.
Duplicate mail ballots ahead of November 3 election
The registrar mailed 160 duplicate ballots by mistake, and is scrambling with FAQs, PSAs and vote centers. Also, a new state law (SB 884) could delay results past 8 p.m. if any polling place in California stays open late.
New Chief Public Defender appointed
Daniel Rosenberg was introduced as the county's new public defender, taking over from Ben Solorio, who won election as a judge — one of only 32 chief public defenders statewide.
Property tax levy certification dispute
Auditor-Controller Karina Alvarez refuses to certify the 2026-27 tax levy rates, saying a consultant made unverified adjustments and she was shut out of the process. The board took no vote and instead told counsel to explore legal options to force her compliance.
Hudson Ranch Power assessment appeal procedure
The Board of Equalization won't let Hudson Ranch's New York-based corporate witness testify by video at the Nov. 9 appeal — the witness must appear in person so the county can cross-examine him live.
SMARA mining oversight and abandoned Picacho mine
The county has 30+ mine sites; consultants track reclamation bonds and inspections. The abandoned Picacho gold mine is entering a bond forfeiture process with roughly $85,000 available for partial cleanup.
Border Traffic and Healthcare
Calexico leaders didn’t tackle the brutal border traffic at their latest meeting, even though it’s a daily headache for commuters and cross-border workers. Meanwhile, a major ECRMC healthcare acquisition is moving ahead to improve local medical access. So healthcare is getting attention, but the border gridlock still isn’t.
Border Traffic Congestion
Calexico residents are fed up with brutal border traffic, but the city council put off a decision again as members argued over circulation plans. That means the gridlock—and the time and money it costs locals—isn’t going anywhere yet.
SB 1329 solar property tax valuation
Assessor Robert Menville warned that SB 1402 would slash appeal timelines to six months, drop fees, and shift the burden of proof to the assessor, while SB 1329 would restrict how solar farms are valued — both could burden the county.
Closed session litigation and property negotiations
The board met behind closed doors on one matter with significant exposure to litigation and labor negotiations covering fourteen county bargaining units. Direction was given to staff, but no final action was announced.
Employee health premiums for Plan Year 2027
Healthcare costs jumped over 12%, but the county is picking up the entire $6.1 million increase, so employees and retirees pay the same premiums next year.
Data center controversy
Residents are upset the county seems to be coordinating with the developer of a proposed hyperscale AI data center in Imperial before public review, and that a county-hosted town hall looked like a sales pitch. The Board responded by converting the town hall into a special evening informational meeting on March 26 where the public can comment but supervisors can't take positions.
Lithium Valley funding and expenditures
Eric Reyes said outreach groups are struggling to educate the public about Lithium Valley and asked the county for help and for movement on a community benefits agreement.
Supervisorial term limits ballot measure
Escobar and Cardenas-Singh wanted voters to decide in March 2028 whether to cap supervisors at three terms (12 years). Hawk, Price, and Kelley balked at the timing days before an election, and the motion failed 2-3. Several residents pushed for a stricter two-term, eight-year limit.
Tropical Storm Rachel emergency response
Flash floods triggered swiftwater rescues, stranded travelers, a 100-foot canal breach, and roughly 1,500 flooded acres. The board made the emergency official so state recovery funding can flow.
Bowker Road shoulder safety fix
A $797,897 contract will rehab about a mile of Bowker Road between Jasper and Fawcett roads — part of the county's ongoing push to fix its road network.
Red Earth intersection safety
Supervisor Kelley urged the county's transportation commission to act on the deadly Red Earth intersection, citing roughly six fatalities; a Caltrans roundabout proposal drew skepticism.
450 W. Aten Road warehouse lease
The only qualifying bid to lease the county's 65,000-square-foot warehouse was $1,000 a month — about 1.5 cents per square foot. Supervisors rejected it as far below market and will re-solicit bids.
Data center moratorium and regulation
Speaker after speaker urged the Board to reject or pause the proposed AI data center, citing air quality, water, lawsuits, and doubts about the developer's experience and the promised $10 billion investment. One speaker asked for a moratorium on new data centers; no board action was taken.
Data center ballot measure
The board approved the lot merger and road vacation that unlock the proposed largest AI data center in California, next to homes and schools near Imperial. Opponents demand a full CEQA environmental review and warn of noise, dust, water use and health impacts; supporters, largely union construction workers, point to jobs under a newly signed project labor agreement. A ballot initiative to ban data centers and a recall effort against the chairwoman were announced.