FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: March 23, 2004
Contact: Jennifer Stone (619) 531-4766

RURAL RESIDENTS NEED INCREASED REPRESENTATION AT SANDAG

SAN DIEGO - The County of San Diego wants to give residents of unincorporated communities a permanent voice on the Board of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the public agency responsible for regional transportation planning.

At the request of Chairwoman Dianne Jacob and Supervisor Bill Horn, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today to seek an additional seat on the SANDAG Board to be held by a Supervisor who represents the unincorporated area. Today's vote authorizes the County's Chief Administrative Officer to pursue state legislation that would secure the seat.

Currently, the County has one seat on the SANDAG Board held by the Chair of the Board of Supervisors. Because the position of Chair rotates each year among the five members of the Board of Supervisors, it periodically happens that the County's representative on the SANDAG Board is not directly elected by the people of the unincorporated area.

"Today's action brings the region closer to ensuring that unincorporated areas have a voice at the table when it comes to important regional planning issues," said Chairwoman Dianne Jacob who represents the second supervisorial district. "Unincorporated area residents have important concerns that are unique to the rural way of life."

"It's important that we increase the representation for the unincorporated areas of our county on SANDAG," said Supervisor Horn who represents the people of the fifth supervisorial district. "If we are to truly engage in regional planning then we must include the perspective of unincorporated area residents."