Ray Nutting biography 
Ray is a fourth generation El Dorado County resident who lives with his wife Jennifer and four sons on the family’s ranch in Somerset. In 1978, at the young age of 18, he assumed responsibility for the Nutting ranch which had been in his family since 1906. He managed to continue his education and was able to graduate from Sacramento State in 1989 with a degree in History and Criminal Justice. He then got his teaching credential in 1990 and in addition to managing the ranch, began his new career. However, within three years he became so acutely aware of the lack of planning which was being evidenced by the actions of the County that he decided to begin the journey which was to take him far from the classroom and his students, to the center of County politics with its intense behind the scenes struggles, political maneuvering, and powerful outside interests.
After careful consideration and a study of the entire situation, Ray entered
the race for Supervisor in 1992 and after a vigorous campaign, was elected.
He determined to do the best job he could for the people who had put their
trust in him so during the next four years he did everything from being instrumental
in fulfilling the State’s requirements for matching funds which then
allowed the Hwy. 50 HOV lane to be built in El Dorado Hills, acquiring the
land for the EDH Library, a grant for the Pioneer Park Community Center, sponsoring
changes in the Charter which prevent new taxes without voter approval, to becoming
Board Chair in 1996 and President of the Regional Council of Rural Counties
in 1999. The complete list of committees, commissions and councils on
which he has participated is too lengthy to mention. In 1996 he was elected
to a second term with more than 60% of the vote and, once again, committed
to delivering a high level of dedication, accomplishment and service to his
thousands of constituents. He supported the formation of the El Dorado Community
Foundation, the continuance of the Wagon Train, saw the first Fire Safe Council
formed, the Cameron Park Library built and voted NOT to give the Supervisors
a huge pay raise. He believes in being a good steward of the County’s
resources, both physical and financial, and worked diligently on the General
Plan and creating a balanced budget. By the time he left office in 2001, the
County had a positive cash position of more than twenty million dollars.
In the years that followed, Ray like most of us, began to see the slow decay which has been occurring in the quality of El Dorado County’s governance and he could not sit idly by and watch this continue. People told him they couldn’t get services, information or concrete answers from county staff, that the system was so broken and dysfunctional that no one knows who is “running the show.” He decided he had to run again.
Because Ray is a dedicated and forthright individual who is known for digging in and working hard, he will endeavor to always make the best decisions for all the people of El Dorado County regardless of the pressures exerted by the area’s many aggressive special interest groups. Ray is independent of these many behind the scenes interests and answers to no one but us. He was, is, and will always be a true servant of the people of El Dorado County.