The strength of a community lies not only in its prosperity but in its ability to work together harmoniously. Recent events have raised concerns about the democratic process in San Diego County. Both the city of San Diego and politicians in Sacramento have been making power plays that threaten the system of checks and balances.
Supervisor Jim Desmond, who represents San Diego County District 5, has consistently spoken out about these worrying trends. He has pointed out the bold move by the state to change the voting system of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). This decision was made without input from San Diego County voters and has disrupted the balance in the SANDAG voting process, causing problems in the region.
Desmond’s message about the importance of making decisions together is crystal clear. In a fair system that values fairness and agreement, recent legislation from Sacramento has given the city of San Diego more power than is appropriate. This has created a chain reaction of mistrust and an ineffective board, leaving smaller groups feeling left out.
Consider the San Diego County Water Authority, for instance. Its voting system has similar issues to those seen in SANDAG. Smaller water agencies are finding it challenging to have a say when the city of San Diego holds so much voting power. Trust has eroded to the point that places like Fallbrook and Rainbow are actively trying to separate from the Water Authority and find other sources of water. However, the city of San Diego strongly opposes this separation, making regional relationships even more strained.
Desmond’s understanding of these problems is crucial. The manipulation of voting systems is a symptom of a larger issue: a shift away from working together as a region. This focus on ‘control over collaboration’ becomes even more evident with a new statewide bill proposed by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner. This bill aims to change the San Diego County voting system to benefit the city of San Diego, but it does not take into account the unique needs of the region. This approach from Sacramento, making decisions without considering the specific situation, only pushes communities further apart.
Desmond’s call is for the whole of San Diego County to come together, ensuring that every voice and city has an equal role in shaping the region’s future. The city of San Diego’s attempts to dominate discussions about taxes, fees, transportation, and infrastructure will only cause more problems if left unchecked.
If we truly believe that working together is vital for our community’s well-being, San Diego County is currently facing a critical situation. Desmond’s message is straightforward and urgent: San Diego County must stand united against the encroachments of the city of San Diego and distant politicians in Sacramento. More elected officials need to support Desmond’s efforts and recognize the seriousness of the situation, pushing back against these imbalances of power.
Power Grabs Through Voting 🗳️
Have you read my recent op-ed featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune? The article delves into the pressing issue of smaller cities feeling overshadowed by their larger counterparts within SANDAG and the San Diego Water Authority. This power dynamic has unfortunately given rise to a plethora of dysfunctions that pervade our local political landscape on a daily basis.
Hasan Ikhrata, the departing CEO of the San Diego Association of Governments, inherited a board plagued by dysfunction when he took office in December 2018. Though not solely the fault of its membership, the dysfunction is due to a change in the voting process of the countywide transportation agency. The new process was passed by Sacramento politicians and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017. The new voting process alienated many of SANDAG members and drove a wedge into the agency that still exists today.
Then-Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher led the push for the bill that created the new SANDAG voting system, which weighted each board member’s vote based on the population of the government they represented. The previous system gave each city equal clout. The passage of that bill immediately created a division between the city of San Diego and nearly all of the other 17 cities in the county. The new voting system heavily favored the city of San Diego while diminishing the votes of other smaller cities on the SANDAG board.
Despite the vast majority of state representatives not hailing from San Diego County, Sacramento painlessly passed the bill that bred regional collapse and dysfunction at SANDAG. Gonzalez Fletcher’s influence on the state Appropriations Committee helped push the flawed voting system through. Statewide, Democratic representatives fell in line obediently.
Regional collaboration, reinforced through checks and balances in the previous SANDAG voting system, was removed, and the board became ineffective and dysfunctional.
The San Diego County Water Authority has a similar, if not worse, voting system with its board. Smaller water agencies find themselves powerless against the dominance of the city of San Diego’s massive voting power when it comes to key decisions. Trust has eroded to the point where agencies like those in Fallbrook and Rainbow seek to detach from the Water Authority and turn to a Riverside County agency as a water source.
Unsurprisingly, the city of San Diego opposes the detachment decision of Fallbrook and Rainbow from the Water Authority. Its proven strategy involves bully tactics — enlisting another state Assembly member to introduce a statewide bill to alter the San Diego County voting system to suit its needs, not the region’s.
San Diego County voters were not given a direct say in the new SANDAG voting system. The SANDAG board did not vote to implement this system. And now, with the Water Authority, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, D-Encinitas, is enabling the city of San Diego’s new power grab. The question remains: Who gets to decide on these voting systems? The distant, out-of-touch politicians in Sacramento decide.
We must genuinely act as a region to find the best regional solutions. Collaborative decision-making using balance and common sense has to guide us. However, the largest city, the city of San Diego, should not have the power to override and disregard the voices of the 17 other cities in the county.
Collaboration is paramount; it’s the fundamental principle for a healthy region. With the city of San Diego’s power grabs enabled by state politicians, it is stacking the deck. The city of San Diego’s politicians will dominate decisions looming over tax and fee increases, critical priorities for regional transportation and infrastructure projects, and many agencies feel their input won’t matter and want out.
Ikhrata was right, but the dysfunction extends beyond the SANDAG board. Power grabs from the city of San Diego and Sacramento bureaucrats and politicians prioritize their control over genuine collaboration, perpetuating the problem and fueling the fires of dysfunction.
San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond
https://www.supervisorjimdesmond.com/
Image Credit: Canva
