NORTH COUNTY — As 2024 comes to a close, here are the top four regional issues of the year. Many issues came up, but several stood out as the biggest drivers for the region, particularly North County residents. The election was the biggest by far as several new candidates won their races for City Council, school and water boards, along with high-profile races for supervisor and congress.
Also, the arrival of American Airlines exploded into one of the biggest discussions when it was announced the world’s largest airline would come to Carlsbad. McClellan-Palomar Airport has been under fire from residents for years for various reasons, but American Airlines is ready to commence service on Feb. 15, although it still needs county approval.
Other top regional issues include the sagas at the San Diego Association of Governments and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Both made waves for various reasons with the supervisors currently navigating the resignation of Chairwoman Nora Vargas.
While there were individual stories respective to each issue, I lumped many of those into the same category, such as SANDAG, the county and homelessness.
On Sunday, I will break down some of the top stories for each city, along with the fun side of North County with my favorite profiles of individuals, businesses and other stories on Tuesday.
Also, drop a comment here or on social media about these or other issues you see as the most pressing. Let’s get to it.
