Restore Shasta County Voters' Trust By Defending Measure B

Aug 01, 2026, 12:07 AM

Letter to the Supervisors,

Honorable Supervisors,

Every member of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors holds office

because voters placed their trust in them. The people of Shasta County voted,

and the results of those elections determined who would sit on the board and

represent our communities.

Imagine, however, if the voters elected a supervisor, but another level of

government simply refused to recognize the result. Imagine if Sacramento

decided that the voters’ choice did not matter and prevented the elected

supervisor from taking office. Every member of the board would rightly call

that an attack on representative government and the will of the people.

That is why the Board of Supervisors’ June 16, 2026, decision not to defend

Measure B is so disappointing.

Measure B was approved by 55.6% of Shasta County voters. The people

participated in the democratic process, considered the arguments from both

sides, and made their decision. Yet the Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 not to

provide a legal defense of the measure when it was challenged by California

state officials.

We, the people of Shasta County, elected our supervisors to represent us,

advocate for our interests, and defend our right to govern our own community.

We did not elect them to surrender our voice whenever Sacramento

disagreed with us.

When the state challenges a measure approved by local voters, who will

defend those voters if their own elected representatives refuse to do so?

This is not only about the individual provisions of Measure B. It is about

whether elections and local representation still mean something. If voters

organize, gather signatures, campaign, persuade their neighbors, and win at

the ballot box, their decision should not be abandoned without a fight.

Some may believe that refusing to defend Measure B is a practical

compromise that will avoid conflict with the state. But surrendering the voters’

voice will not protect Shasta County from future state interference.

Compromise does not guarantee that Sacramento will respect our local

government the next time an important disagreement arises.

Many Shasta County residents supported Measure B because they want

elections that are transparent, understandable, observable, and secure. They

want confidence that every lawful vote is counted accurately and that election

procedures can be verified by the public.

Trust in the government is already fragile. The board’s refusal to defend

Measure B risks making that problem worse. It tells voters that they may

participate in the process, but their elected officials may still refuse to stand

behind the result.

There is still time for the Board of Supervisors to change course, reconsider its

position, or take meaningful action to ensure that the voters’ decision is

defended.

This should not be about personalities, political parties, or personal grudges.

It should be about the responsibility of elected officials to the citizens who

placed them in office.

Let us work together to restore confidence in our elections and trust in local

government. Let us create a Shasta County where citizens know their voices

matter, their votes are respected, and their elected representatives are willing

to stand for them.

Respectfully,

Sanny Ong

My Bio: I'm a Redding small business owner. I want to see election

integrity in Shasta County.