Building a brighter Placer: Board of Supervisors' top wins in 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, I've taken time to reflect on what has been a truly rewarding year for Placer County. Working alongside my fellow supervisors and our dedicated staff, we've made meaningful investments in conservation, public safety, healthcare, transparency and infrastructure, areas that directly touch the lives of the residents we serve. These accomplishments reinforce my belief in our shared commitment to balanced growth and preserving what makes Placer special while building for tomorrow. One achievement I'm especially proud of is the permanent conservation of Raccoon Creek Ranch, the 4,245-acre property north of Lincoln. Residents value protecting our open spaces as our county grows, and through the Placer County Conservation Program, we helped the Placer Conservation Authority secure easements that protect this vital farmland and open space forever from development or mining. With its vernal pools, riparian corridors and streams supporting salmon and steelhead, the ranch strengthens our reserve system and supports ongoing restoration of Raccoon Creek and Doty Ravine. Seeing this come together is incredibly encouraging, and I look forward to continuing this impactful work. On public safety, I'm pleased we moved forward decisively with the Bickford Ranch fire station. By aligning funding within our countywide fire program, we've cleared the way for construction in a rapidly expanding part of west Placer. A memorial incorporating a World Trade Center beam will be installed at that fire station. The CAL FIRE/Placer County Fire Department was awarded the beam for demonstrating leadership, courage and professionalism, and we are so proud to have this memorial honoring the service and sacrifice of our first responders. We also committed $2.5 million toward designing a modern forensics lab in partnership with Sacramento State, a critical step that will help clear evidence backlogs and strengthen justice for victims and families. In healthcare, I personally advocated for expanding Medi-Cal coverage to urgent care centers, an idea that started with a conversation in our community. I'm grateful to Dr. Eric Ellis of Lincoln Urgent Care for bringing this forward to reduce pressure on emergency rooms, to Assemblyman Joe Patterson for his key support in making it happen, and to Partnership HealthPlan of California for embracing the proposal. This change means more timely, affordable care for lower-income residents, something that can truly make a difference in people's lives. Fiscal stewardship has remained a core focus. We adopted a balanced $1.37 billion budget for FY 2025-26 while advancing greater transparency. I'm excited that we're nearing the launch of an interactive budget platform that will let residents easily review how their tax dollars are spent, building even more trust between county government and the people we serve. Finally, securing funding and approvals for the first phase of Placer Parkway feels like a long-overdue win! Starting construction in 2026 will help ease congestion on Highway 65 and improve connectivity across our region. These milestones from 2025 fill me with optimism, and they reflect the collaborative spirit of our board, staff, partners and community. From your county supervisor, Merry Christmas and happy holidays. May your 2026 be filled with joy, good health, cherished moments with loved ones and the continued prosperity and beauty that make Placer County such a wonderful place to call home! Shanti Landon is the Placer County District 2 Supervisor.