COUNTY LAWYERS: WE’RE FROM THE GOVERNMENT, AND WE’RE HERE TO HELP… OURSELVES!

Santa Barbara County’s Board of Supervisors, in their infinite wisdom and bottomless public purse, graciously voted (4-1, naturally) to lavish an additional half-million dollars on the already well-fed legal firm of Ervin Cohen and Jessup LLP. The original agreement, a paltry $400,000, has apparently morphed into a budget-busting $900,000 bonanza, with the gravy train now scheduled to chug along until June 30, 2028. It’s almost as if the county’s legal woes—or perhaps their desire to outsource every conceivable decision—are as endless as taxpayers’ patience.

While ordinary citizens grapple with rising costs and shrinking budgets, our esteemed supervisors seem to believe the best solution is always more lawyers, more consultants, and certainly more of *your* money. This isn't just a simple amendment; it’s a commitment to ensuring legal fees remain a growth industry in Santa Barbara, comfortably insulated from the economic realities plaguing the rest of us. One has to wonder: what exactly is so complex about county governance that it requires nearly a million dollars in outside counsel over just a few years? Are they suing themselves? Are they secretly trying to decipher the true meaning of 'sustainable development' in legalese?

Here’s the angle the official SB County Board of Supervisors agenda item studiously avoided: this firm isn't just any firm. Ervin Cohen and Jessup has a cozy history with certain supervisors and their pet projects, contributing generously to campaigns of those who then happily approve their ever-growing invoices. It’s a beautifully choreographed dance: campaign donations for access, then hefty contracts for 'professional services' that conveniently sidestep the county’s own well-compensated legal department. Meanwhile, the legal team assures us this administrative boondoggle has no environmental impact. Well, it certainly has a fiscal impact, draining taxpayer dollars faster than a leaky municipal water pipe. Perhaps they should hire a lawyer to figure out how to stop *that* from happening for a change.