Since taking office in December, I have been appointed to 20
committees, had more than 150 meetings on everything from health
care to parks, and voted to cut $55 million from this year’s budget
to balance it. No one can say the pace at the Santa Clara County is
slow. I was honored to have former Supervisor Don Gage conduct my
public swearing-in ceremony and by the trust that he has placed in
me to look over the interests of South County.
Since taking office in December, I have been appointed to 20 committees, had more than 150 meetings on everything from health care to parks, and voted to cut $55 million from this year’s budget to balance it. No one can say the pace at the Santa Clara County is slow. I was honored to have former Supervisor Don Gage conduct my public swearing-in ceremony and by the trust that he has placed in me to look over the interests of South County.
In fact, South County is a large part of my daily focus because of the many consumers of county services and the vast amount of unincorporated land. There is plenty for my staff and me to do because of the numerous challenges ahead. The biggest challenge will be the county budget and the projected deficit of $230 to $240 million for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1. I am working very hard to find ways that we can minimize the negative impact to residents.
To this end, I recently proposed a Comprehensive Attrition Plan (CAP) to help reduce costs and save jobs by promoting from within. Increasing efficiencies and re-aligning services are possible in some cases, but the budget is so dire that it will require significant cuts to reverse the cycle of deficits that the county has experienced for the last 10 years.
I am an optimist, but also a realist about our budget situation. The reality is that our structural budget deficit will require significant change before we can get back on track. It’s not just the county that is feeling the pinch, but our farmers and ranchers, too. The state Williamson Act program, which is instrumental in providing assistance to agricultural operations, is in danger, which means the county’s program could suffer.
In December, I was successful in encouraging my fellow board members to oppose a change to the Williamson Act contract terms that would have increased property taxes for farmers and ranchers. We are at a crossroads with safeguarding our agricultural heritage, and once farmland is turned into housing, it’s gone. As soon as the state budget is finalized and we know more on the status of Williamson Act funding, the Board will have tough decisions to make in order to find a way to protect our county, farmers and ranchers.
I am also paying close attention to High Speed Rail and its potential impacts on South County. I have organized a community meeting on Tuesday, March 22, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the San Martin Lions Club, 12415 Murphy Ave., to further the dialogue between the California High Speed Rail Authority and local residents. Members of the High Speed Rail team will present the latest information, discuss next steps for South County and answer questions. county staff will also be on hand to talk about how the environmental process works.
I encourage residents to attend and learn more about how this project will work and how it might affect us. Maintaining an open dialogue on these and other county issues is essential, and none of this would be possible without the efforts of my hard working and talented staff.
The newest among them is Elizabeth Sanford, a proud South County resident who is a graduate of Leadership Gilroy, a regular Garlic Festival volunteer and active with South Valley Community Church. Please visit my website at www.supervisorwasserman.org to read about each of my staff members. Feel free to contact me anytime with your comments, questions, or concerns. My phone number is 408-299-5010 and my e-mail is
mi************@bo*.org
.
Guest columnist Mike Wasserman is your Supervisor, representing District One on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Anyone interested in writing a guest column may contact Editor Mark Derry at
ed****@ga****.com
