San Diego County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer gave the State of the County address during an evening presentation on Wednesday, April 16.
Vice Chair Lawson-Remer focused her address challenges at the federal level and how they affect programs that impact San Diegans.
She outlined proposals on how to support the County’s health, behavioral health and homelessness programs, the environment, consumer protections and more.
Vice Chair Lawson-Remer told the audience she wants the County to start a Medicaid plan of its own, a managed health care plan that could come to fruition in four years.
She said a local revenue measure could leverage $1 billion a year to support the health program and other needs, like public safety, essential services, childcare for working families and expand in-home supportive services for the older adults.
The vice chair called for reform of the County’s reserves policy to staff and equip the new public health lab.
She supports a bill that would use border toll revenues to clean up the Tijuana River Valley and proposes using freed up County reserves to create a $10 million matching fund to match state grants or philanthropic donations.
The vice chair would like to create a new County Consumer Financial Protection Division to protect San Diegans and she’s exploring the possibility of creating a public bank that could finance affordable housing.
She closed by recognizing the efforts of County employees who serve the people in the region.
The live address took place at the San Diego Natural History Museum at Balboa Park and was available in American Sign Language at the venue, on social media channels and television. The broadcast offered live interpretation in Spanish via Zoom.
For details and information on additional proposals, watch the entire address above.
