Are We Spending Your Money the Way You Would Spend It?

Media
6 hours ago
3 min read

Board of Supervisors Meeting | Click on image to enlarge

Thursday was a long day at the County Board of Supervisors, and a lot of it came down to one question. Are we spending your money the way you would spend it?

Here is where I stood on the items that matter most.

The Budget

The Board adopted a $9.1 billion budget. I voted yes.

I want to be straight with you about why. There is a lot in this budget worth supporting. $98 million more for public safety, including sheriff services, jail improvements, and opioid enforcement. More fire protection for our region, with new staffing for water tender trucks and the night-flying helicopter. The LA fires showed us how much mobile water matters when lives and homes are on the line.

We kept funding libraries, parks, and road repairs. We protected swim lessons that prevent kids from drowning. We funded the new defibrillator program for youth sports.

No $9 billion budget is ever perfect. This one prioritizes public safety and the services our families count on, so I voted to approve it.

But I put my objections on the record, and I want you to hear them too.

I do not support spending down our emergency reserves to pay for ongoing programs. We opened up $381 million in reserves. This Board is now spending it down by $95 million a year. What did we actually need this year to respond to the federal changes?

About $24 million.

That gap should have been handled by prioritizing a budget that already grows 5% every single year. Not by draining the savings account we set aside for a real emergency. And to be clear, there is no emergency here. When a true one comes, that money needs to be there.

One more thing I flagged. Our capital improvement budget is just $45.8 million this year. That is the lowest in 16 years, and only half a percent of the whole budget. That is the money that maintains our buildings, roads, and basic infrastructure. The City of San Diego learned the hard way what happens when you stop funding the basics. It led to devastating floods. I asked our staff to course correct before we repeat that mistake.

The County Charter Measure

The Board voted to put a Charter measure on the November ballot. I voted no.

It is being sold to you as transparency, accountability, and independent oversight. Those are good words. But read what is actually inside.

This measure extends term limits for Supervisors from two terms to three. In 2010, you voted to limit Supervisors to two terms. It passed with 68% support. You already spoke.

That effort came from the people. This one comes from the politicians. All five of us ran knowing we would serve two terms. Now, in office, some want to change the rules for themselves and add a third. I believe the sitting Supervisors should be flatly barred from a third term.

The measure also lets the Board reach into the hiring and firing of more than 600 manager positions across the County. That turns merit-based jobs into political ones. You should get a County job because you are qualified, not because you have the right politics.

If we were serious about reform, we would separate the good ideas from the self-serving ones and let you vote on each. Instead they are bundled together. I could not support that.

A Half-Cent Sales Tax Headed for the Ballot

A citizen initiative for a half-cent sales tax qualified for the November ballot. The Board cannot vote it up or down. Our only job Thursday was to confirm the signatures and decide how much information you get before you vote.

I pushed for as much transparency as possible. I supported ordering both an impact report and a fiscal statement for the voter guide, so you can see exactly what this tax would cost before you decide.

Here is my view. We do not need it. Ten years ago the County budget was $5.3 billion. Today it is $9.1 billion. That is a 70% increase in ten years.

This tax would raise the cost of groceries, gas, clothing, and cars. And it has no end date. It is a forever tax. The answer is not charging you more every time you buy milk or fill your tank. The answer is to live within our means, the same way we expect our families to.

Where I Stand

I will always support funding for public safety, fire protection, and the services that keep our families safe. And I will always fight to protect your tax dollars from being spent down faster than we can replace them.