Many people don’t really know what the County of San Diego does and how it’s different from a city government like the City of San Diego. If you are a business person who ever tried to get a food handler’s permit or a doggy day care license, you probably have some idea because the County handles both of these things. If you’ve ever applied for a marriage license or wanted to adopt a puppy, the County handles these things too.

Of course I’m most interested in what the County CAN do, and in what we can do together to make San Diego thrive, making it safer and more affordable for everyone.

But first let’s start with what the County does now:

• Social Safety Net/Health. The County administers most social programs like food stamps, cash assistance like welfare, health care for the poor, educational support for some children, and other safety net programs;
• Land Use/Building Outside Cities. The County reviews and approves permits for buildings and business, much like what city governments do within their borders;
• Regional Issues. The County takes leadership positions and provides money for regional issues like economic growth, transportation needs, air quality, and the quality and safety of our beaches and bays;
• Public Safety/Justice System. The County runs the court system, the probation system, and prosecutes and defends people involved in the criminal justice system for serious crimes. It also is largely responsible for regional responses to major emergencies like wildfires and earthquakes, and regional security.

That’s a broad scope – the way that County government works affects our lives every day.  I’m running for Supervisor because we need real local leaders working for us, not Sacramento insiders.

But even more important than what San Diego County does is what it could do.  More on that soon…

-Omar