Karm Bains seeks reelection to District 4 seat

Dec. 4—Sutter County District 4 Supervisor Karm Bains officially announced on Monday his intention to seek reelection in the upcoming March 5, 2024, presidential primary election.

Bains, who has served as chair of the board, is currently running unopposed for the position, according to election records on Monday. Two other Sutter County supervisor positions, however, are poised to be contested. Mat Conant and Jeff Stephens both finished their filing for the District 5 seat and Nick Micheli and Jeff Boone are set to compete in the District 1 race.

Bains, a lifelong resident of District 4, was first elected in 2020 to serve the residents of southwest Yuba City and a portion of Sutter County. The son of the late Didar S. Bains, Karm Bains is a farmer and businessman who in 2020 ran on a platform of supporting public safety, tackling the homeless crisis and economic recovery.

"I genuinely feel that I've delivered on the issues that have mattered most to my constituents," Bains said in a statement. "I have felt the immense weight of my responsibility and the importance behind each decision I have made on behalf of Sutter County residents. I have listened to the residents, sought out opinions, developed solutions and led with integrity, kindness and humility."

Bains, who took office in January 2021, said his top accomplishments as supervisor included the following: — Economic development: Created a new position, director of economic development, to attract new business to increase our tax base and create well-paying jobs. — Developed grant-writing program: Created a comprehensive grant-writing program to leverage greater funding for Sutter County. — Public safety: Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency, the joint powers authority that includes Sutter County, completed the West Feather River Levee project, which is providing 200-year flood protection that allows development to continue in most of the Yuba City region, and 100-year flood protection to most of the rest of the county. We continue to seek funding for repairs to the Sutter Bypass that will provide 100-year level protection to the lower end of the Yuba City basin. — Public safety: Committed more than $3 million from the general fund, CARES Act and ARPA funds to support the special fire district known as CSA-F, which provides 24-hour coverage to the bulk of the Yuba City basin. — Public safety: Started and completed the construction of a new juvenile hall facility in Marysville that is shared by Yuba and Colusa counties. — Homelessness/blight: continued to enforce the no-camping ordinance on county property in compliance with federal court decisions which allowed us to clean up a large encampment of people living in disabled and unlicensed vehicles, tents, and temporary wooden structures that lined Second Street near the Little League field. — Fiscal solvency: The county is on track to increase our reserves to 10%, improving the county's overall financial health.

Bains said that during his next term he is committed to prioritizing roadway improvements, admitting that his district may have some of the "worst roadways in the county." As supervisor, Bains said he supported the adoption of the 2023/24 Roadway Work Plan, which committed almost $15.5 million to roadway improvements in fiscal year 2023/24. Through a regional approach, Bains said he will work to "leverage greater funding for more expansive roadway improvements in both Yuba City and Sutter County."

Another top objective for Bains is the development of infrastructure to attract and support business development.

"Creating an environment that is desirable to businesses will generate greater opportunities for well-paying jobs and an improved tax base for the county," Bains said.

A graduate of Sutter Union High School, Bains attended Yuba Community College and later Fresno State University. He also is an alumni of the California Ag Leadership Program. He serves as a governor-appointed director on the 13th District Agricultural Association (Yuba-Sutter Fair Board), a position he said he held "long before" becoming supervisor.

Bains is married to Harpreet Bains and together they have four children — a son, Barron Bains; and daughters Meaghan, Jaya and Devika.