Our Town: Placer County Supervisor has a heart for service

Being an Auburn native, Jim Holmes has served the community he calls home in more ways than one. "Auburn is a really unique community," he said. "There are so many opportunities to get involved. And I also always say, if you're not involved in anything in Auburn, you're not breathing." Holmes grew up off Highway 49 where the family had a frosty stand, gas station and 6-acre ranch, and the self-proclaimed "country boy the city came to" learned the value of hard work while working in all three. After graduating from Placer High School, Holmes attended Sierra College, where he obtained an associate of arts degree. Holmes was then accepted at Chico State University, Humboldt State and Sacramento State. He decided to attend Humboldt State because he loved the area around the school and could avoid the temptation of coming home. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in political science, Holmes took a four-month trip to Europe. Holmes shared during his trip he stumbled upon the coronation of the king of Sweden while exploring Stockholm and a demonstration following the assassination of Salvador Allende, the president of Chile, while walking around in Amsterdam. Despite enjoying his exploration of Europe, Auburn was where Holmes' heart remained. "It's my town, it's my community," he said. "I knew everybody, everybody knew me." In March 1975, Holmes opened a gas station and repair business. Throughout the years, Holmes also concurrently served on the board of the Placer Consolidated Fire Protection District from 1987 to 2003 and the Auburn Union Elementary School District Board from 1996 to 2004. During his service on each board, Holmes shared the fire district was able to buy fire trucks and pass a parcel tax, and the school board built a new multipurpose room for E.V. Cain Middle School. "I enjoyed it," he said. "I enjoyed having the ability to get things accomplished." The opportunity to run for the Placer County Board of Supervisors arose, and Holmes decided to sell his business after nearly 30 years to pursue the open District 3 seat. Holmes said people in the community encouraged him to run for the vacancy. "I kind of had to take a leap of faith," Holmes said. "I was probably about a year away from being able to do it, but it was this opportunity. So I put everything in high-speed motion and sold my business and ran for the Board of Supervisors." That leap of faith paid off, as Holmes was re-elected in March for a fifth term on the board, where he will continue to serve from January 2021 to December 2024. Holmes said he enjoys serving on the board and conducts considerable research and outreach to make fully informed decisions. Holmes also said "while a lot of things can happen in the next four years," he plans to run for a sixth term. "I just want the best for Placer County," Holmes said. Outside of his supervisor duties, Holmes enjoys reading, walking and working in his 1.5-acre yard and spending time with his family.