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The Santa Cruz Business Beat is a monthly roundup of the most relevant local news stories, trends, and issues affecting Santa Cruz County. Each edition highlights topics important to business and community leaders, including education, workforce development, housing, transportation, climate, health, and local government updates. Our goal is to keep you informed, connected, and ahead of the curve on the issues shaping our community and economy. On The Move Murray Street Bridge Updates: The Murray Street Bridge will close fully for about three months this summer as part of ongoing seismic retrofit work, with the shutdown expected to begin around mid-June and last into September. During that period, all vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic will be detoured while crews focus on major structural upgrades on the harbor side of the bridge, including utility relocation and foundation work. The closure is scheduled within a narrow environmental construction window and is one phase of a longer, multi-year project aimed at strengthening the bridge for earthquake safety and improving long-term access. Learn more in this Santa Cruz Local article. Living Local Public Comment Open for Santa Cruz Draft Prohousing Application: The City of Santa Cruz is inviting community feedback through June 20 on its draft application for the state’s 2026 Prohousing Designation Program, which evaluates and rewards local governments for policies that encourage housing development and affordability. Receiving this designation can improve a city’s chances of securing competitive funding for projects like affordable housing, infrastructure, transportation, climate resilience, and planning efforts. Santa Cruz’s existing designation has already helped secure $500,000 in funding that is currently being used to support rent assistance for residents facing potential eviction. Learn more on the City’s website. Eco Update County Ballot Measure Seeks to Prevent Offshore Drilling: Santa Cruz County voters are being asked to consider a November ballot measure that would strengthen local restrictions tied to offshore oil and gas development, primarily by requiring voter approval for new onshore infrastructure that could support drilling or related industrial activity. The proposal is framed as a way to reinforce existing coastal protections amid renewed federal interest in expanding offshore leasing along the California coast. Supporters say it would help safeguard the region’s environment, tourism economy, and marine ecosystems by making it harder for supporting facilities to be built locally, even though direct offshore drilling decisions remain under federal control. Learn more in this Santa Cruz Sentinel article. Policy Pulse Coonerty, Chen Mills Headed to November Runoff: As of Wednesday, June 17, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty continues to lead the city’s mayoral race with 47.89% of the vote, followed by Amy Chen Mills with 20.44%. With no candidate receiving more than 50% of the total votes needed to win outright, the race appears headed for a November runoff between the top two finishers. With only approximately 365 votes remaining to be counted countywide, the current results are unlikely to change the outcome of the top two candidates advancing. Follow the vote count on the County Clerk’s website. Nuñez Leads in District 4 Supervisors Race: Current election results show incumbent District 4 County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez significantly behind challenger Tony Nuñez, who is holding a strong lead and a potential to win outright, receiving 50.1% of the total votes counted to date. Hernandez trails by a wide margin, while the third candidate, Elias Gonzales, remains far back in the field. Learn more on the County Clerk's website. Santa Cruz Council Adopts City Budget: The Santa Cruz City Council has approved a roughly $495 million citywide budget for the upcoming fiscal year, outlining how the city will allocate funding across core services, staffing, infrastructure, and capital projects. The spending plan reflects continued pressure on operating costs while prioritizing essential public services such as public safety, homelessness response, transportation, and community programs. City officials describe the budget as balanced but note that it relies on careful financial management to address long-term structural challenges, including rising expenses and limited revenue growth. Learn more at this Santa Cruz Sentinel article. County Supervisors Review Strategic Plan: The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is reviewing its long-term strategic plan, which is intended to guide county priorities, goals, and resource allocation over the coming years. The discussion focuses on aligning major policy areas such as housing, public safety, infrastructure, fiscal stability, and climate resilience with anticipated community needs and financial realities. County leaders are using the update process to assess progress on existing objectives while identifying new or evolving challenges that should shape future planning and decision-making. Learn more in this TPG Online Article. The Business Beat Richard Martin Named as Lookout’s New Executive Editor: Lookout Local has named veteran journalist Richard Martin as its new executive editor, bringing in a leader with extensive experience in newsroom management and local reporting. In this role, he will help guide the organization’s editorial direction as it continues expanding its digital-first journalism model in Santa Cruz and beyond. The appointment is part of Lookout’s broader effort to strengthen leadership, grow its audience, and further develop its approach to community-focused news coverage. Learn more in this Lookout article. Tiffany Crawlle Named New La Bahia Hotel Manager: Following Dan Smart’s move to General Manager at Dream Inn, Tiffany Crawlle has been appointed Hotel Manager at La Bahia Hotel & Spa in Santa Cruz, where she will oversee daily operations, guest experience, and team leadership at the luxury coastal property. She brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience, including senior roles with major hotel brands such as Hilton, Signia by Hilton San Jose, and Four Seasons, as well as leading the opening of RH Guesthouse in New York. Learn More Here. Santa Cruz Business Growth Continues: Santa Cruz saw strong business formation activity in April 2026, with two dozen new business licenses issued—one of the highest monthly totals in more than two years and largely driven by non-home-based enterprises. Downtown Santa Cruz is also continuing to expand, with a dozen new or upcoming businesses so far this year putting the district on track to exceed last year’s total openings. At the same time, pedestrian activity is rising, with increases in both resident and visitor traffic, signaling growing economic energy and investment in the downtown area.
The Santa Cruz Business Beat is a monthly roundup of the most relevant local news stories, trends, and issues affecting Santa Cruz County. Each edition highlights topics important to business and community leaders, including education, workforce development, housing, transportation, climate, health, and local government updates. Our goal is to keep you informed, connected, and ahead of the curve on the issues shaping our community and economy.
On The Move
Murray Street Bridge Updates: The Murray Street Bridge will close fully for about three months this summer as part of ongoing seismic retrofit work, with the shutdown expected to begin around mid-June and last into September. During that period, all vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic will be detoured while crews focus on major structural upgrades on the harbor side of the bridge, including utility relocation and foundation work. The closure is scheduled within a narrow environmental construction window and is one phase of a longer, multi-year project aimed at strengthening the bridge for earthquake safety and improving long-term access. Learn more in this Santa Cruz Local article.
Living Local
Public Comment Open for Santa Cruz Draft Prohousing Application: The City of Santa Cruz is inviting community feedback through June 20 on its draft application for the state’s 2026 Prohousing Designation Program, which evaluates and rewards local governments for policies that encourage housing development and affordability. Receiving this designation can improve a city’s chances of securing competitive funding for projects like affordable housing, infrastructure, transportation, climate resilience, and planning efforts. Santa Cruz’s existing designation has already helped secure $500,000 in funding that is currently being used to support rent assistance for residents facing potential eviction. Learn more on the City’s website.
Eco Update
County Ballot Measure Seeks to Prevent Offshore Drilling: Santa Cruz County voters are being asked to consider a November ballot measure that would strengthen local restrictions tied to offshore oil and gas development, primarily by requiring voter approval for new onshore infrastructure that could support drilling or related industrial activity. The proposal is framed as a way to reinforce existing coastal protections amid renewed federal interest in expanding offshore leasing along the California coast. Supporters say it would help safeguard the region’s environment, tourism economy, and marine ecosystems by making it harder for supporting facilities to be built locally, even though direct offshore drilling decisions remain under federal control. Learn more in this Santa Cruz Sentinel article.
Policy Pulse
Coonerty, Chen Mills Headed to November Runoff: As of Wednesday, June 17, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty continues to lead the city’s mayoral race with 47.89% of the vote, followed by Amy Chen Mills with 20.44%. With no candidate receiving more than 50% of the total votes needed to win outright, the race appears headed for a November runoff between the top two finishers. With only approximately 365 votes remaining to be counted countywide, the current results are unlikely to change the outcome of the top two candidates advancing. Follow the vote count on the County Clerk’s website.
Nuñez Leads in District 4 Supervisors Race: Current election results show incumbent District 4 County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez significantly behind challenger Tony Nuñez, who is holding a strong lead and a potential to win outright, receiving 50.1% of the total votes counted to date. Hernandez trails by a wide margin, while the third candidate, Elias Gonzales, remains far back in the field. Learn more on the County Clerk's website.
Santa Cruz Council Adopts City Budget: The Santa Cruz City Council has approved a roughly $495 million citywide budget for the upcoming fiscal year, outlining how the city will allocate funding across core services, staffing, infrastructure, and capital projects. The spending plan reflects continued pressure on operating costs while prioritizing essential public services such as public safety, homelessness response, transportation, and community programs. City officials describe the budget as balanced but note that it relies on careful financial management to address long-term structural challenges, including rising expenses and limited revenue growth. Learn more at this Santa Cruz Sentinel article.
County Supervisors Review Strategic Plan: The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is reviewing its long-term strategic plan, which is intended to guide county priorities, goals, and resource allocation over the coming years. The discussion focuses on aligning major policy areas such as housing, public safety, infrastructure, fiscal stability, and climate resilience with anticipated community needs and financial realities. County leaders are using the update process to assess progress on existing objectives while identifying new or evolving challenges that should shape future planning and decision-making. Learn more in this TPG Online Article.
The Business Beat
Richard Martin Named as Lookout’s New Executive Editor: Lookout Local has named veteran journalist Richard Martin as its new executive editor, bringing in a leader with extensive experience in newsroom management and local reporting. In this role, he will help guide the organization’s editorial direction as it continues expanding its digital-first journalism model in Santa Cruz and beyond. The appointment is part of Lookout’s broader effort to strengthen leadership, grow its audience, and further develop its approach to community-focused news coverage. Learn more in this Lookout article.
Tiffany Crawlle Named New La Bahia Hotel Manager: Following Dan Smart’s move to General Manager at Dream Inn, Tiffany Crawlle has been appointed Hotel Manager at La Bahia Hotel & Spa in Santa Cruz, where she will oversee daily operations, guest experience, and team leadership at the luxury coastal property. She brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience, including senior roles with major hotel brands such as Hilton, Signia by Hilton San Jose, and Four Seasons, as well as leading the opening of RH Guesthouse in New York. Learn More Here.
Santa Cruz Business Growth Continues: Santa Cruz saw strong business formation activity in April 2026, with two dozen new business licenses issued—one of the highest monthly totals in more than two years and largely driven by non-home-based enterprises. Downtown Santa Cruz is also continuing to expand, with a dozen new or upcoming businesses so far this year putting the district on track to exceed last year’s total openings. At the same time, pedestrian activity is rising, with increases in both resident and visitor traffic, signaling growing economic energy and investment in the downtown area.