Hundreds of veterans urge board to reinstate county veteran service officer; supervisors ask HR for review

Dozens of veterans and veterans’ advocates filled the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors chambers to demand reinstatement of Xavier Bianchi, the county’s former Veterans Service Officer, after he was removed from the role earlier this year.

Speakers at the March 25 meeting called Bianchi “a pillar in our veteran community,” described him as an effective advocate for veterans’ benefits, and urged the board to reinstate him. Several speakers, including staff and volunteers from veterans organizations, said they had personal experience with the office’s work and with Bianchi’s efforts to connect veterans with services.

The speakers included veterans and community members who described repeated attempts to work with county staff on veteran cases and praised Bianchi’s responsiveness. “Xavier goes above and beyond,” said multiple speakers, including Robert Shippen, a former army medic, and Dean Kaufman, a long‑time veterans service provider. Bianchi also spoke briefly in the chambers, saying the issue was “not about my pride, my anger, or loss of a job. This is what I do. I serve veterans in this community, and I gladly do it for free.”

The Board did not take a formal vote or action on personnel during the public hearing — county staff and supervisors said that personnel matters are confidential and cannot be discussed in open session. A Human Resources representative explained that confidentiality prevents a full public accounting of the reasons for an employee’s removal. Human Services Director Randy Morris — who oversees the department that now houses veteran services — then addressed the board and explained that most California counties embed veterans services in human services for administrative support, but that whether the Veterans Service Office is a standalone department or part of Human Services is ultimately a board decision.

Supervisor John Cummings, who represents parts of Watsonville and other South County communities, asked for follow‑up and invited departmental leaders to meet with veterans and the board to discuss possible options. Several supervisors thanked the veterans for turning out and urged HR and department leadership to report back with additional context. No supervisor motioned to reinstate Bianchi on the floor; multiple supervisors said they were sympathetic and wanted more information before making a personnel decision.

Community groups that spoke included the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and the Veterans Surf Alliance, among others. Several speakers also requested that the board consider restoring the Veterans Service Office to a standalone department or providing additional administrative support, arguing that veterans’ needs require specialized, veteran‑centered operations.

The board agreed to follow up. HR staff reiterated that they cannot disclose personnel details in open session but said they would respond to board inquiries and that the Human Services director, Randy Morris, would be a point of contact for operational questions. The supervisors asked staff to return with options for how the Veteran Services Office is structured and what additional administrative support would look like.

The matter remains under review; no public vote or administrative reinstatement occurred at the meeting.