Anthony Botelho, Don Marcus and Jaime De La Cruz took their
seats on the San Benito County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. We
welcome them to what is sure to be a difficult job.
After the tumult of 2004, the county is in need of a fresh
start. Here are a few things the new supervisors should work on
right away:
Anthony Botelho, Don Marcus and Jaime De La Cruz took their seats on the San Benito County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. We welcome them to what is sure to be a difficult job.
After the tumult of 2004, the county is in need of a fresh start. Here are a few things the new supervisors should work on right away:
Settle the District 5 mess. It’s a shame that the political battles of the past are spilling over into the new board’s term, but Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz is facing jail time because he signed a piece of paper stating he gathered three signatures in the March campaign that he did not collect – hardly major voter fraud intended to manipulate the results of an election. The supervisors have been quiet on this matter for far too long. Use the bully pulpit and the purse strings if necessary to make sure this goes to trial quickly. Or, try to negotiate some sort of compromise between De La Cruz and District Attorney John Sarsfield. This taint on local politics has been dragging on for nearly a year and it needs to come to an end.
Earn the trust of the county’s residents. The county’s reputation was damaged by the battle over Measure G, lawsuits against top county officials, the spending of millions of taxpayer dollars on outside attorneys, fights between the board and other elected officials and allegations of political corruption. Earning the trust of the residents may seem difficult after all that turmoil, but it actually should be easy. Listen to your constituents, say what you mean and do what you say you’re going to do.
Look to the future. The county has never done a comprehensive update of its General Plan and it’s time to start the process. A new General Plan, which is a blueprint for growth and economic development, can go a long way toward solving the land use battles that have been vexing the county recently. A new plan, developed with public input, will provide a vision for what we want to be in the future and a roadmap to get us there.
Create stability at the top. The county board burned through County Administrative Officers at an alarming rate last year – three in eight months. Make sure you’re happy with whoever you hire to take the job permanently. Involve community members in the hiring process by creating a formal hiring panel and do a thorough background check. Leading San Benito County is a demanding job, and it’s even harder with the ax hanging over the CAO’s head.
While the rough and tumble politics of this county are not likely to disappear, hopefully, by taking the steps above, they will diminish so the new board can get on with doing the people’s business.
