What were the top local topics and issues that made this page what it was, or wasn’t in 2024? And will many of these continue on into 2025?

First, our Editorials. They were dominated by elections in 2024.

Our Editorial Board met starting in January with candidates and ballot measure partisans in advance of the March primary election. Then in August, we started up again, interviewing both for the November general election.

In some cases, our recommendations were echoed by voters. In a number of others they were not.

But overall, in a year when national politics were divisive and rancorous, the elections here were in the usual reasonable community spirit of this county and its four cities.

The results mean that in three cities, city councils are welcoming new members. In Santa Cruz, Susie O’Hara and Gabriela Trigueiro replace departing members Martine Watkins and Sandy Brown. In Capitola, Garry Jensen and Melinda Orbach will be helping decide that city’s future as Kristen Brown and Margaux Morgan step down. And in Scotts Valley, Steve Clark and Krista Jett will replace longtime members Randy Johnson and Jack Dilles.

Watsonville’s council saw only one contested race, which was won by incumbent Jimmy Dutra.

The county Board of Supervisors is losing two veteran and influential members 2nd District Supervisor Zach Friend and 5th District Supervisor Bruce McPherson, both of whom served with distinction and purpose setting policies and making decisions that benefited the entire county, not just their districts.

Their replacements — Kim De Serpa in the 2nd District and Monica Martinez in the 5th — will change the face of what had been an all-male board and will quickly face a number of thorny issues. Perhaps most paramount will be budgetary as the county continues to try and claim emergency federal funding to repair storm-damaged roads and other infrastructure.

The county also has a new sheriff, Chris Clark, who in December took over for retiring Sheriff Jim Hart and will finish out Hart’s remaining four years before facing voters.

That brings us to the issue that never seems to go away, and one that county supervisors will continue to grapple with in 2025. (Not coincidentally, this issue continued to dominate our Letters to the Editor and Guest Commentaries.) That would be, of course, the “rail-trail” — the move to bring electrified commuter rail to the county-owned 26 miles of coastal tracks, while continuing to construct a recreational trail either (mostly) alongside such a train, or in place of a train.

The county Regional Transportation Commission is overseeing these plans and a report is due this month that might put a cost to the train. But projected costs continue to balloon on trail construction through Mid- and South County.

The RTC also continues to work with the state in obtaining enough money to complete ongoing widening of Highway 1, although motorists should see completion of the first stage of this massive project, from Soquel Drive to 41st Avenue, sometime this year (including improvements on busy Soquel Drive). This highway construction eventually will stretch to Freedom Boulevard.

The new year won’t lack for other difficult issues as well. In no particular order, these include (and it’s just a partial list):

The insurance crisis hitting home and property owners in fire-prone areas;

Rising utility bills (a state issue, but one hammering local ratepayers as well);

Continuing to provide shelter for the area’s homeless and working with law enforcement on dismantling encampments;

The future of West Cliff Drive and the Santa Cruz Wharf;

Facing up to how an aging population and the cost of living are shrinking school enrollment, which could mean school closings;

And the towering issue of issues: high-rise housing in the cities and county to meet state demands that mean, after years of slow and no growth, the decision has largely been taken out of local policymakers’ hands.

Happy New Year.