SAN DIEGO–Board Chairman and Fifth District Supervisor Bill Horn delivered Wednesday evening the annual State of the County Address. Reflecting the current economic climate, Chairman Horn chose to give his address in the Board Chamber of the County Administration Center.
Horn pledged to work with his colleagues and County departments to “ensure that the peoples’ work is done in the most efficient, cost effective way.”
“My goal for this year is to be standing here next January telling you that we were able to maintain our Triple-A bond rating,” Chairman Horn said.
Horn cited the County’s accomplishments in public safety, fire protection, health and human services, parks and recreation, public works, and libraries. He also said services to local Veterans are being expanded through the San Diego Veterans’ Coalition, a collaborative group of providers who address outreach, transition assistance, basic needs, and legal initiatives. Special attention will be given to the families of Veterans.
Chairman Horn called for the County’s Department of Planning and Land Use to review current policies and figure out new ways to help customers.
“Too often our regulations discourage improvements to property. We need to cut the red-tape,” Horn said. He said he will form a commission, made up of building industry and land use experts to work with the County to “clean up our regulations and to find ways to streamline how we do business.”
Horn emphasized his continuing support of Constitutional property rights and his opposition to any efforts to devalue citizens’ land.
The political climate in Washington drew comments from Horn. He said, “the hope and change Americans were promised two years ago have proved to be little more than rhetoric. I hope that our leaders in D.C. will make changes to the way they do business and that the promises of fiscal restraint and reform are implemented and not simply campaign echoes.”
At the State level, Horn said, “We have a new, but familiar, Governor who will ‘promise you the moon’ and a legislature with large majorities that continue to stand in the way of business.” He also said the passage of Prop 25, which allows the State legislature to pass a budget with a simple majority instead of a two-thirds vote, will “only make this worse.”
