You may have seen recent news coverage about county charter reform. I wanted to speak to you directly about what folks are working on and why it matters.

For years, civic and community leaders across San Diego have raised the same concern: for a government that manages $8.7 billion in public spending and serves 3.3 million residents, San Diego County has remarkably few independent checks on how that money is spent and how decisions get made.

No independent ethics commission with real authority over elected officials — something virtually every comparable county in California already has. No nonpartisan budget office that reports directly to your elected representatives (and you!) rather than to the administration it's supposed to oversee. No independent program auditor to tell you whether county programs are actually delivering results. No term limits on the Sheriff, District Attorney, Treasurer, or Assessor.  

These are long-standing concerns shared by civic leaders, labor, business, faith communities, and good-government organizations across our region — across the ideological spectrum. I've been hearing them since before I was elected. Since joining the Board in 2021, I've seen firsthand what they were describing.

So over the past year, we've been bringing voices together to think seriously about what modernizing our county charter could look like. We're still listening and building — working through proposals with a broad coalition of stakeholders. Nothing is finished or settled. But the direction is clear: San Diegans want stronger ethics oversight, real fiscal transparency, independent auditing, and clearer accountability for the people who manage public resources.

One of the strongest public cases for why these reforms matter comes from Jack McGrory, who managed the City of San Diego for over a decade under both Republican and Democratic mayors. I'd encourage you to read it:

→ "San Diego County Governance Needs an Overhaul and Stronger Guardrails" — Voice of San Diego

In the coming weeks, more voices from across our community will be weighing in publicly. I'll keep you updated as things develop — and as always, I want to hear what you think. Share your feedback on the proposals under discussion by clicking HERE.