Vintner Joyce Black Sears is a supporter of Measure C, as well as the co-owner of Black Sears Vineyards in Angwin. Her reasons for supporting Measure C, she says, runs as deep as her long history in the county and her love for her neighbors, her fellow citizens, her grandchildren and her environment.

"For these agricultural lands to continue to thrive into the future, the watershed must also be preserved. Without a secure water supply, the Ag Preserve is a meaningless designation. We must protect the oak-studded hillsides from encroachment to replenish our groundwater and sustain the quality of the water that flows into the Napa River. Particularly with drought becoming more common in our region, protecting our water supply is essential for Napa Valley’s future."

YES on C Campaign was forced to take opponents to court over misleading arguments presented for taxpayer-funded Voter Information Pamphlet. Napa County Superior Court ordered that five objectively false and misleading statements in Measure C opponents’ official ballot arguments be removed from the ballot pamphlet and replaced with modified language. Ballot arguments appear in Voter Information Pamphlets that are printed and mailed out by the County Registrar of Voters. Because these documents are printed and distributed using taxpayer funds, individuals have the right to challenge ballot arguments that they believe are objectively false. Free speech protects persuasive language, but it does not allow campaigns to present false information to voters. Per state law, the court can only approve changes to ballot arguments that have been shown to be objectively false and misleading

For Dunn and those in favor, Measure C is about fulfilling the legacy of the Ag Preserve: taking a stand to keep Napa bucolic. No one understands this better than Winiarski, the founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, who actively campaigned for the Ag Preserve in 1968 and is now campaigning for Measure C.

"“It was easier in 1968 to think about agriculture as a favorable alternative to housing development,” Winiarski says. “But agriculture at its current rate is unsustainable, because the resources of this valley are not endlessly exploitable.

“Agriculture is the highest and best use,” he continues, “only if it’s qualified.”"

The Napa County Superior Court today ordered that five objectively false and misleading statements in Measure C opponents’ official ballot arguments be removed from the ballot pamphlet and replaced with modified language, and for Measure C opponents to pay legal bills for YES on C.

“Voters deserve to know the truth about Measure C, and I felt I had to take a stand against the misinformation being pushed out by the No on C campaign,” said Napa County resident and grape grower Yeoryios C. Apallas, who filed the lawsuits that led to the court order.  “These misleading ballot arguments were signed by public officials like Supervisors Belia Ramos and Alfredo Pedroza and Planning Commissioner Jeri Gill. Because of the court’s order, taxpayers will not be forced to pay for the distribution of false statements that the Measure C’s opponents were attempting to pass off as factual.”

Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur is named as the respondent in the lawsuit, with the five signers of the ballot argument in question listed as Real Parties in Interest. Belia Ramos, Manuel Rios, David R. Whitmer, Jeri Hansen-Gill and Phillip Blake signed the ballot argument against Measure C, which includes at least four misleading and untrue statements.

"Those of us who have come together now have a name – “Growers/Vintners for Responsible Agriculture” – as we want to communicate to the citizens of Napa County that there are many of us in the grower and vintner community who support this initiative. Our focus is on stewardship of our watershed, and we recognize that Measure C gives the voters of Napa County the opportunity to ensure that our watershed is protected now and into the future."