Voters have until Tuesday, March 5 to make their decisions for the California primary election. NSPR has been interviewing candidates vying for seats on the Butte County Board of Supervisors. In District 5, Julie Threet is challenging Doug Teeter. Threet has a background in human resources and spoke with NSPR’s Ken Devol about her campaign. She told Devol that she disagreed with many public health mandates related to COVID-19. That drove her to regularly attend board of supervisors meetings and ultimately run for office.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Why are you running for this position?
I've been there [attending Board of Supervisor's meetings] for two years now at the county. Every single board of supervisor meeting, I'm sitting there to give a public comment, three minutes of my pleading with them to not only for the vaccine, because you know the mandates and all that. But now I'd been there watching the mask mandates and the impact on the kids and what they did to those school children in the learning loss.
What do you see as the most pressing issues in Butte County?
I really bucket them into four categories. And obviously, I’ll start with the top for District 5 which is fire safety, and really maintaining a lot of the wonderful work that the Butte Fire Safe Council has been doing. I started going to those meetings. And wow, there's so much that they're doing that I had no clue. So what are the strategies, and we have some great ones. I was up Saturday in Cohasset at a goat ownership 101 class. And again, these goats are predominantly used for fire protection, and it was amazing. So it was really fun to be up there in that community and learn. So, fire safety and survivor support. Man, those fire victims are still not getting their money from PG&E. They're really being railroaded all the way around. So yeah, survivor support, you know, are they getting camping permits, are they being able to rebuild, and in whatever the burn scar. Because Berry Creek’s burn scar [is] just as bad and it's tragic there. They don't get PG&E settlement. So again, those were a lot of the people that I hear at the county
Number two for me, it's public health integrity and medical freedom. So I just want to get public health to come back to a level where we all feel good about their policies, and we understand why decisions were made and what they need to be. And again … people are just not feeling comfortable about things with them. Even with the doctor shortages, nursing shortages, etc.
Number three is housing security, housing stability. It primarily was this whole mobile home [issue], I had no clue. And you know, now I've got a friend that lives over [in] one that I think is Pleasant Valley over there by the Elks Lodge here in Chico. And they’ve, you know, been on a rampage at city council. So I've been digging into that. And there's a lot of communities that offer rent stabilization. So they need to be protected. They’re veterans, they’re seniors, they’re disabled, etc.
And then the last one is election integrity and vote security. And unfortunately in this country, people are not feeling like we've got free and fair elections. On either side, I don't care take a position, but something's off. And it's very divisive. And it is kind of one of those, you know, lightning rods, but unless we really audit it and really say, ‘hey, it is what it is,’ we better prepare for what's going to happen in November. Good, bad or ugly. So I just want to audit. I just want to understand the process flows and do we have free and fair elections in Butte County. So those are the four buckets.
What sets you apart from a Supervisor Teeter?
I think at this moment we're both Republicans. We’re both conservatives and are both big on balanced budgets, you know, we’re business oriented. You know, my background, I know P&L [profit and loss] statements, I know how to read income statements. I've done grant writing. So I know where funding levels can or can't be mixed. I'm a quick learner, and I'm dogged, determined. And I tell everybody, and my kids will tell you, I bleed red, white and blue. If there's something important and something I'm passionate about, I won't stop asking. I think I've got new ideas, new energy, and I will show up.
Read/ listen to NSPR’s other Butte County Board of Supervisor candidate interviews
Further media coverage of the candidates:
- Butte County supervisor candidate Q&A – Chico News & Review
- Meet the candidates: Julia Threet– Chico Enterprise-Record
- Meet the candidates: Doug Teeter – Chico Enterprise-Record
- Meet the candidates: Joanna Warrens – Chico Enterprise-Record
- Meet the candidates: Tod Kimmelshue – Chico Enterprise-Record
Editor’s note: Butte County District 1 Supervisor Bill Connelly did not respond to multiple requests from NSPR for an interview. He is running unopposed.
