Rosamond resident Kelly Carden announces bid for supervisor

Sam Morgen, The Bakersfield Californian
·2 min read

Jan. 18—Rosamond resident Kelly Carden has launched a campaign to take on Zack Scrivner to represent District 2 on the Board of Supervisors.

A former operations supervisor for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Carden said he is running for supervisor so the smaller communities in Kern will be better represented.

"I really believe that the strength of Kern County is found in the hearts of its small communities and District 2 is nothing but smaller towns," he said in a phone interview. "We've never been represented by somebody who is vested into the area."

He lost his job during the pandemic and says he is looking for work. However, his family owns a U-Haul dealership and variety store in Rosamond, where he contributes his services. Carden is the son of a Filipino immigrant who grew up as a child laborer, a fact that inspires him to this day.

"Her greatest achievement was being born into the most poor segment of society to be an American business and homeowner for 20 years," he said of his mother, "which is pretty huge."

Carden said he was inspired to run for supervisor due to an increase in water rates last year. He said supervisors have more control over rates than water resource boards, a topic he hopes to influence if he is elected.

"I would like to see us really improve infrastructure that would allow raindrops to stay where they fall," he said.

In addition, one of the aspects of his campaign platform is revitalizing businesses that have been lost during the coronavirus pandemic. He claims government subsidies and tax rebates that are used to attract businesses to Kern County could be used to bring back local businesses.

"What we should be doing is helping Kern County residents reopen their businesses to drive the economy that way, not just building new industries," he said. "I would like to see us alleviate all county-level fees for businesses to reopen."

You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.