San Joaquin County weathered the Great Recession better than many local governments because of sound fiscal policies, adequate reserves and a commitment to increasing efficiencies to preserve services.  However, to prepare for the inevitable rainy day, reserves must be restored, delayed maintenance accomplished and smart investments made to maintain the ability to deliver top-quality services to our residents.

When I became Chair of the Board in 2015, the prevailing attitude of the Supervisors was that a commitment to fiscal responsibility “goes without saying”.  As the County’s Budget Watchdog, I convinced the Board that the Fiscal Health of the County organization must be stated as the organization’s #1 Strategic Priority.  Addressing this priority must drive every department’s budget requests, guide all labor negotiations and support the Board’s efforts to maintain a structurally balanced budget.  For the past three years we have done that, while meeting our reserve goals and carefully moving forward with capital projects.  The County Hospital is posting strong net income, which is being re-invested in 21^st century technology and equipment, as well as replacement of the 1932 hospital tower.  These improvements will provide a much higher level of care to our residents, enable our hospital to continue in its critical role as our County Trauma Center and ensure the long-term viability of this essential community resource.  We must continue to closely monitor any changes to the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), which has been a key element to the hospital’s turn-around.  Thousands of newly insured individuals have meant increased reimbursement to SJ General Hospital for treatment and any roll-back or reductions in the ACA could have serious repercussions to the hospital and our residents.

In 2014, as I walked precincts across District 2, the number one issue was Homelessness and its impacts on our quality of life.  Residents were alarmed by the trash and waste in their neighborhoods.  The encampments, visible throughout Stockton, left them feeling disturbed and there was a sense that the problem was growing and “out of control”.  In 2015, I began convening a Homelessness Task Force (HTF) of service providers, law enforcement and subject matter experts from throughout San Joaquin County to develop an accurate picture of the problem, what was currently being done to address it and what would be the most effective strategies to make a positive impact, going forward.  We made a commitment that our recommendations would be fact-based and data-driven and would consider any possible funding sources to pay for them.

We learned that there were many dedicated and expert organizations providing essential services to homeless individuals in our County, and working hard to address negative impacts to their communities.  But we also learned that many of these excellent organizations and individuals were working in “silos”, without knowledge of what others were doing, if they were duplicating efforts or, even worse, if their efforts were hampering the work of others.  It became quickly apparent that one of the primary benefits of the HTF was the monthly sharing of information and opportunities for partnering with others.

Some of the HTF’s recommendations concerned policies, such as maximizing federal dollars by adopting a Housing First model throughout our County.  This model is based on data which shows that by providing stable housing to homeless individuals before requiring completion of counseling, health assessment or other programs, there was a significantly higher success rate and less likelihood of these individuals returning to the streets.  Adoption of diversion strategies by law enforcement agencies, rather than just enforcement, has shown strong results in some of our communities.  Uniform discharge policies from all medical facilities to prevent vulnerable individuals from returning to the streets provides another opportunity for successful interventions.

Partnerships formed through the HTF have led to expansion of grant applications with a focus on homelessness, resulting in awards of new funding of more than $60 million.  These innovative programs are just now enrolling individuals who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and will be strictly measured to gauge their effectiveness in reducing overutilization of our Emergency Rooms, providing medically supervised detoxification and sobering centers, more accessibility to mental health assessment and treatment, and more types of housing with wrap-around supportive services to reduce the number of homeless individuals on the streets.

To ensure that these efforts are sustained, the HTF recommended that it be incorporated into an expanded, county-wide Continuum of Care with an Administrator of Homeless Initiatives to support the development and implementation of a Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness in San Joaquin County.  I am so pleased that Adam Cheshire, former Director of Stockton Shelter for the Homeless, has accepted the position and will begin in April.  Adam brings a big heart, along with specific knowledge of our local issues to this position and I’m confident he will be able to hit the ground running.

For the past 18 months, I have made a series of short, communication videos to keep the Public, but especially my District 2 residents, informed of these efforts.  I’m proud of the work we’ve done, partnerships developed, funding secured and, most importantly, fostering the belief that we’re stronger together and that we CAN make a difference.  When I talk about this amazing group of individuals and organizations and the challenging work many of them have been doing for decades, I say “We do collaboration really well in San Joaquin County and it’s making a difference.”

In San Joaquin County, about 1 in 4 children live in poverty.  The results of this statistic are lower health and literacy rates, lower performing schools, higher truancy and drop-out rates, lack of job skills, higher under or unemployment rates, and the cycle begins again.

Our families, children and youth need our help.  Not just for their success, but for our region’s economic success.  Companies providing higher-wage jobs are reluctant to relocate to our County for several reasons, but one of them is because of under-performing school districts and the lack of a skilled workforce. 

We know that pre-natal care, early family intervention to teach strong parenting skills and establish reading-friendly homes, opportunities for quality childcare and pre-school, tutoring and mentoring programs, job skills training and summer employment programs for youth are all cost-effective and deliver results.  However, funding for these proven strategies continues to shrink.

For the past four years I have worked with the San Joaquin Children’s Alliance, educational leaders, child care and family support providers to identify and develop new and sustainable funding streams for these critical services.  In November, the voters of San Joaquin County will have the opportunity to create the first San Joaquin Children’s Fund, by dedicating 50% of the taxes on the commercial cannabis industry legalized by California voters with Prop. 64.  This will ensure that an industry with known negative impacts on children pays its fair share to address those impacts, much as we have done with tobacco.  The remaining 50% of the taxes will be dedicated to enforcing strong industry regulations and addressing Public Health issues.

Regardless of how you feel and voted on the legalization of marijuana, the fact remains that it IS legal in California and as of January 2018 every adult has the right to grow up to six plants for personal use.  There is no way to effectively enforce a continued ban on cannabis in San Joaquin County without a huge and growing drain on our General Fund, resulting in a significant reduction in services to all residents.  This newly legalized industry must be made to pay its fair share to keep our neighborhoods safe and our children healthy. 

I am proud that for the past three years we have passed a structurally balanced County budget, while supporting our Criminal Justice system through increased numbers of deputies AND prosecutors.  The County’s Pretrial Assessment program is a model for the state and has successfully prevented early releases from our jail, due to overcrowding.  Our Probation Department’s innovative oversight of AB 109/Realignment has resulted in reduced recidivism through funding a variety of counseling, behavior modification, job skills and educational programs through partnerships with community-based organizations. 

Through operation of the jail, San Joaquin County Correctional Services and the Sheriff’s Department interact and provide services to law enforcement agencies in all our cities.  Mutually respectful and professional relationships are crucial to making this system work effectively.  I strongly support the County’s practice of regular informational meetings with all agencies to share issues and foster this teamwork approach to serving the Public.

I was an early and vocal proponent of a top-to-bottom audit of the Coroner's Office and it's operations.  There is always room for improvements and efficiencies and this thorough review by an independent, outside consultant produced excellent strategies for better delivery of services.  I strongly support our decision to move to an independent Medical Examiner to provide top-quality services to our residents and restore their confidence in our criminal justice system.

Protecting our water supply and providing effective flood control are critical to business, industry, agriculture and residents.  I have been involved in local, regional and statewide water issues for the past eight years and am recognized as a knowledgeable leader in this area.  I spearheaded the effort to expand the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency (SJAFCA) to include the cities of Lathrop and Manteca, which will provide increased flood protection to critical infrastructure and more than 46,000 residents.  I have served County residents as a member of the Delta Counties Coalition, fighting against the Twin Tunnels and advocating for a portfolio of regional projects which would increase our state’s water supply, as well as provide local jobs AND local control of project operations.  Restoring, protecting and preserving our precious Delta guides my chairmanship of the San Joaquin Delta Conservancy.  Responsible for administering millions of dollars in Prop. 1 Water Bond funding, this agency is supporting environmental restoration, the sustainability of agriculture and protection of the Delta as a unique and historic place.  Agriculture is our largest economic engine in San Joaquin County and we must support and protect it.  We worked closely with the Farm Bureau, and the wine industry to fine-tune the winery ordinance, passing revisions in 2016 and 2017 in an effort to be responsive to all interests.  I strongly support continuing the County’s policies to concentrate development in existing urban areas to prevent excessive conversion of agricultural land.