San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones delivered her inaugural State of the City Address on Tuesday, Feb. 26 to an audience of more than 400 as part of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce’s Business Awards.
“After serving for more than a decade on the San Marcos City Council, it is with tremendous pride that I and your city council have the opportunity to reflect back on our community’s progress, and to set the tone for the coming year,”
Presented at California State University San Marcos to an audience packed with leaders, entrepreneurs, non-profits, local businesses, residents and others devoted to San Marcos, Mayor Jones’ address outlined progress in the areas of public safety, economic and community development, traffic and transportation, and other quality of life issues.
“By embracing the hometown qualities that attract young families, celebrating education, welcoming business and partnering with our community, our city is transitioning from a “drive-through” community to a “drive –to” destination,” said Jones. “The priorities of the city are safety, economic development, and ensuring future generations experience the same quality of life or better that residents enjoy today.”
Recent achievements included a crime rate drop by 19 percent, above average San Marcos Fire Department response times, maintaining and improving city infrastructure, a balanced budget of nearly $70 million, and an increase in number of local businesses.
In 2019, the City has plans to break ground on the highly anticipated Creek Infrastructure Improvement Project, launch a citizen reporting mobile app and improve overall traffic flow.
Mayor Jones also applauded the city’s economic achievements and commitment to fiscal restraint. She also praised San Marcos as North County’s education hub and noted that the new City Council will be participating in a March strategic goals workshop to outline our vision for the coming years.
Jones said, “As the City’s star continues to rise, your city is committed to meeting new challenges that a growing community experiences.”
With more than 95,000 residents, San Marcos is also home to an award-winning school district, the state’s largest community college, Palomar College, and California State University San Marcos, along with several private education institutions.
In her address, the Mayor stressed the importance of the community partnerships to tackle the various issues facing the city—issues such as economic and population changes, state laws that threaten local control, traffic and school capacity.
“Together, your City Council is focused on getting to work so that residents now and future generations can discover life’s possibilities right here in San Marcos,” said Jones.
To review a text copy of the speech, visit www.san-marcos.net/SOTC2019. The 2019 State of the City Address will be rebroadcast on San Marcos TV during the month of March on Cox Communications Channel 19, Spectrum Cable Channel 24, AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 or on demand at www.san-marcos.net/SOTC2019.
