By TR Robertson
District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond highlighted the accomplishments of his time as District 5 Supervisor in the North County on a very warm Thursday at the outside patio area of Frontwave Arena. Communications Director Miles Himmel encouraged people to join the people on the patio area outside of the Starlight Lounge, but a number of people stayed just inside the entrance area by the Lounge to avoid the hot weather. A welcome and thank you to everyone at the event and those watching the YouTube presentation followed the welcome. Food was provided by Ranch 45 from Solana Beach and Tanners from Oceanside. Jordan Dietze from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes gave an invocation followed by the presentation of Colors by the San Diego Regional Honor Guard with representatives from the Oceanside Fire Department and the Oceanside Police Department.
Governmental officials in attendance were recognized including Mayor Rebecca Jones from San Marcos, Mayor John Franklin from Vista, Deputy Mayor Mike Sannella from San Marcos, Councilmember Jeff Fox from Vista, Councilmember Ed Musgrove from San Marcos, Councilmember Rick Robinson from Oceanside and County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Jordan Marks. The sponsors for the event were pointed out – AT&T, Oceanside Police Officers Association and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Supervisor Jim Desmond was introduced, and he brought up his staff that has assisted him while supervisor. His staff included Chief of Staff Darren Greter, Adrienne Cisneros-Selekman, Megan Ewart, Hunter McDonald, Patty Carranza, Chase O’Farrell, Marisol Edrozo, Candyce Yee, Miles Himmel, and Alyssa Fermolo. Before his address, the Supervisor presented some Community Awards that included the Oceanside Fire Department Honoree to David Parsons who is retiring; the Unsung Heroes Award to Shelby Froelich; the Legacy Award to Tom Morrisey; the Heroes Award to Andy Valenta of the Melanoma Foundation; and an Unsung Heroes Award to Elks Lodge 1561.
A coatless Supervisor Desmond then began his final address for the State of the County by saying the theme of the presentation was “It is the Governments job to provide people with tools to reach your dreams”. He thanked his wife of 42 years, Terri, for putting up with him. He once again thanked his staff and said he had empowered them to “fix things”. The Supervisor said North County is the land of opportunity, but many families are struggling and having trouble getting ahead when government should get out the way and assist them instead of making things harder. He listed the various cities in District 5 pointing out a specific thing that makes them stand out. He said the district has small cities and large cities and each is unique. This also includes tribal lands in unincorporated areas. Some of the many accomplishments the Supervisor and his staff helped initiate included a Save the Sand program for Oceanside, the Stoke for Life Foundation bringing in needed wheelchairs, a bus for the Boys & Girls Club of Vista, AED’s for the Fallbrook Youth Baseball fields, a refurbishing of the playfields for Ron Ortega Park and assistance for the RBV Music Boosters and the Mission Hills Marching Band.
Referring to the rise of educational facilities in North County, the Supervisor alluded to the growth of Cal State San Marcos campus and the success of Mira Costa College and Palomar College and their many programs. He said North County is about education. Looking at a major problem for North County, Housing, the Supervisor said housing cost is driving people out of North County. They simply can’t afford to stay here. The average medium price of a home in North County is $1 million. He said government can’t be the bottle neck on housing as 45% of the cost of a home here is governmental issues. The Supervisor pointed out that at the next Supervisors meeting he will be introducing a First Time New Buyer Program focusing on down payment assistance. He also said he is fighting to get rid of the Property Gains Tax.
“Why should government benefit from you selling your house.”
Looking at the continuing Homeless Issues in North County the Supervisor said those in need or struggling with addictions need to be off the streets and in treatment. The Supervisor listed many of the projects he has supported and been a part of including the Three Crisis Stabilization Units now operating; the Mobile Crisis Response system to help deal with issues without law enforcement; the 16 bed Psychiatric Hospital now operating at Tri City Medical Center and programs like the Student Wellness Center at El Camino High School. Looking at the Fentanyl overdose explosion he has helped institute mandatory Fentanyl Education in schools (1 pill can kill); County awareness programs about the danger of Fentanyl use; and partnering with San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephens in dealing with the rise of Fentanyl use. He also listed agencies like One Safe Place in San Marcos, Casa de Amparo, Veterans Moving Forward, North County Stand Down and Wounded Warriors as programs and agencies willing to step up and assist in combating the problem. The Supervisor also said he has rejected calls to defund the police and voted to purchase 2 new helicopters, hiring additional firefighters and bringing in programs for better bush management for better fire prevention.
Looking at dealing with Sacramento, the Supervisor opposed gas and mileage taxes, income-based electricity bills, hidden utility surcharges and SAN DAG’s $160 billion dollar plan for road improvements until they meet all promises and funding on previous programs that remain incomplete. He said the Tijuana River sewage crisis remains a huge problem that doesn’t need any further studying, it needs fixing. The Supervisor said we must hold Mexico accountable and establish consequences for their inaction. Since 1944 an agreement has existed and 82 years is enough time to fix the problem. Over 1 million gallons of sewage is discharged every day.
Where do we go from here? We still need to fight inadequate infrastructure, need to stand up for working families, and make government accountable. The Supervisor finished by saying the future of North County is something we are going to build together. Now Supervisor Jim Desmond will move on into a new challenge for his political career.
