By Union-Tribune Editorial Board
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is about to eliminate nearly 600 jobs in areas ranging from health care to land use to libraries to public safety in order to cope with a recession-related drop in tax revenue.
At the same time, a new study shows that the region needs at least 14 more fire stations at a cost of $92 million to close gaps in basic fire protection.
These are daunting challenges, and would be for any elected officials, whether veterans or rookies.
But in this case, experience and a solid track record take precedence. That’s why Ron Roberts should be re-elected to a fifth term on the Board of Supervisors.
Even in these tough budgetary times for governments at all levels, San Diego County retains a strong credit rating. Standard & Poor’s has noted the county’s “consistently strong financial management.”
Roberts, who served two terms on the San Diego City Council back when it was considered a model of well-run government and before slipshod management by elected officials and bureaucrats nearly bankrupted it, has rung up a long list of accomplishments on the Board of Supervisors. Notable among them, most recently, has been his leadership in obtaining firefighting aircraft for the region. In addition, his character and good judgment were very publicly on display just a couple months ago when he called for a revote on the 2,700-home Merriam Mountains development proposed for a semirural area north of Escondido. Roberts’ colleagues had deadlocked 2-2 on the matter in a previous vote when he was attending a meeting in Sacramento. He need not have thrown himself into the issue, which evoked strong feelings on both sides, but chose to do so and ultimately cast the deciding vote against the huge, leapfrog development far from mass transit and existing urban centers.
Roberts’ District 4, which includes most of central San Diego, and the county as a whole, will be well-served by giving him another four-year term.
