Contra Costa supervisors sworn in; chair sets priorities on safety, housing and warning system

Candace Anderson, Diane Burgess and Chanel Scales Preston were sworn in at the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meeting, and Anderson, serving as chair, outlined a year of priorities focused on public safety, homelessness and infrastructure.

Anderson was sworn in to a fourth term as chair by Presiding Judge Christopher Bowen, with a vocal performance of the Star-Spangled Banner by January Karbowski preceding the ceremony. Diane Burgess was sworn in as vice chair for a third term, and Chanel Scales Preston took the oath as the board’s new District 5 supervisor.

The swearing-in returned some ceremonial elements to the dais: Anderson invited family members and staff to join her; Bowen administered the oath to each supervisor; and Karbowski, a sixth grader at Stone Valley Middle School in Alamo, sang twice during the ceremonial portion.

Why it matters: leadership roles and stated priorities shape the board’s agenda and committee appointments for the year. Chair Anderson described initiatives she said would receive attention from the chair’s office, including strategies to help “our most vulnerable” amid homelessness, mental-health and substance-use challenges; improving communications and an updated community warning system; more housing; transportation and infrastructure projects including work to add a second lane on part of the Iron Horse Trail; and fiscal stewardship ahead of an urban limit line renewal she flagged for 2026.

Anderson said public safety would be a top priority and referenced new implementation issues tied to Proposition 36 and care-court models to expand treatment options. She also said the board would “lean in” on improving the county’s community warning system so the public receives timely emergency information.

Vice Chair Diane Burgess said fire protection, economic development and environmental protection would also be priorities. Burgess urged residents to prepare homes against fire risk and said prevention is a key focus; she cited a briefing from the state Office of Emergency Services indicating insured recovery after a catastrophe can cover about 57% of losses, a figure she said residents should understand when setting expectations.

Newly sworn Supervisor Chanel Scales Preston spoke about a personal background in public service, public-safety concerns in District 5 and her focus on youth programming, economic development and community empowerment. In remarks during the meeting she said, “I’m the first woman to serve in a District 5 seat” and later described being the first African American woman to hold that seat; those comments were made in her introductory remarks during the ceremony.

The meeting moved after the ceremonial portion to a business agenda, including a consent calendar and board appointments. Chair Anderson said she would introduce longer remarks at a separate board reorganization luncheon scheduled after the meeting.

Ending: The board adjourned the ceremonial portion and proceeded into regular business; Anderson invited the public back for the board’s reorganization luncheon and scheduled a follow-up discussion on priorities and committee work.