State of the County

This is the transcript of Susan Gorin’s “State of the County” address delivered January 22.

Each year, we gather at the State of the County to celebrate our successes, highlight our challenges, and provide a vision for where we are going. This year, our theme for the County is “Foundations for our Future.”

As Chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors this year, I am deeply grateful to work with four committed, dedicated colleagues who help shape our future.  The five of us know that good policy and responsible governance are important, and we come together for the good of the County.  Together, we put our collective energies toward making this County a great place for all of you — all of us — to live, work and play.

In 2014, we rocked with the challenges of an ongoing drought, and rolled with an earthquake that shook our homes and reminded us of both our fragility and our strength. We experienced an economic surge that was welcome, but tinged with the recent memory of 20 percent budget cuts. We vowed to prepare for the future through prudent spending and investments in our community that will pay dividends for decades.

As a Board, we tackled winery expansions, roads, clean energy, youth programs, and homelessness. We even saw one of our own ascend to the State Senate, Mike McGuire.

Economy

Today, Sonoma County has one of the strongest economies in the State.  We are tackling legacy challenges and making major investments that will provide the foundation for our next generations. Needs are high, and innovative opportunities exist. The County has made strategic investments that increase our ability to provide services targeted at the Board’s priorities, not business as usual.

We have tackled pension obligations. The Board of Supervisors approved a first-of-its-kind additional $3.5 million payment to the retirement system, reducing the total outstanding pension liability, and avoiding an additional $3 million in expenses.

We added $11.3 million to our reserves, an increase of 34 percent.  For the third year in a row, median home prices rose 12%, and foreclosures slowed to a trickle. Sonoma County now has the 5th-lowest unemployment rate out of 58 counties in the state, and our job creation rate outpaces the state and nation. Our cost of doing business is 2% below the national average, which gives us a great competitive advantage in attracting and growing businesses.

Tourism is an incredibly vibrant part of our economy in the county. We’ve not only recovered from the recession years, but also set new records. In 2014, tourism accounted for 10% of our total employment and generated approximately 100 million dollars in tax revenue.

This is all great news – and we know that there are even more good things ahead.

Our economy is strong and growing, and we did this together.  We rode out the storm of an unprecedented economic crisis as a community. All of us made today a reality, from the farmworker picking grapes at 3 a.m. during harvest, to the small businessperson who invested here, to the county worker who agreed to concessions, to the community volunteer. We have arrived at this moment together. And in 2015, we will continue to bring balance and collaboration into our daily lives.

Collaboration: The Key to Success

We have the courage, we have the talent, and we have the willingness to form the collaborative relationships that will ensure a legacy that is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, culturally diverse, and welcoming.

For examples of collaboration, we look to the Sonoma County Winegrowers, who are embracing the challenge of balancing agriculture with environmental stewardship through their 100% Sustainability Program.

We look to the successful collaboration of Sonoma County Tourism and its partners who work together to create the perfect destination for our visitors.

We look to our partnerships with the public, private and non-profit sectors to educate, train, retrain, and invest for the jobs of tomorrow.

Conservation and Innovation

Sonoma County is also known for our innovative work on climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green business development, water management, and resource conservation, among others. Our efforts are being recognized locally and nationally.

It is gratifying that in December, President Obama recognized Sonoma County as a nationwide leader in the effort to combat climate change.

Sonoma County staff worked tirelessly on drought response measures, including distributing over 5,000 Drought Tool Kits to residents.

We aggressively implemented conservation strategies, efficient management our surface water reservoirs, collaborative reuse of treated wastewater, and Groundwater Management Plans that complement the newly adopted State regulations. In 2015, we are committed to continuing these efforts to create a resilient water supply for years to come.

In 2014, we realized a long-standing dream of generating renewable energy.  Sonoma Clean Power launched after years of working together to enable our residents to invest in clean energy markets. By the end of last year, Sonoma Clean Power accomplished a major milestone by flipping the switch to provide electricity to 160,000 customers and every eligible city in our county elected to join. Because of this unparalleled energy collaboration, 2015 opened with lower rates and cleaner energy.

A healthy community must have places to play, roam and regenerate for employees and their families.  In the last year, we acquired nearly 590 new acres of agricultural, natural resource and scenic viewshed lands that will be protected forever.  A priority of the Board is to increase public access and in 2014, we opened nearly 1500 acres across six properties. In 2015, we look forward to opening up even more land for use by our residents and visitors.

Sonoma Developmental Center

At the intersection of environmental protection and compassionate care is the Sonoma Developmental Center. Sonoma Developmental Center has provided care for our most vulnerable population for over 130 years. It is the largest employer in the Sonoma Valley as well as being one of the most pristine and environmentally significant properties in the county.

The message I have delivered to the State is one shared by the many: these critical services and the invaluable natural resources on the site must be preserved.  In 2015, I will continue to work closely with our state and federal legislative partners to ensure that our voices are heard on this and other legislative priorities.  

Infrastructure

It is not enough to invest in clean power and conserve our lands; we must continue to invest in our infrastructure in ways that support our families, businesses, agricultural partners, tourism industry, and workers for generations to come.

In 2014, we laid tracks for SMART and completed the $55 million Airport Runway Safety Project. We increased transit equity and accessibility through expanded paratransit services, and in 2015 we are providing a combination of reduced or free transit passes for students and veterans. We know that for too long, it’s been a rough ride for drivers, transit riders, and cyclists using Sonoma County roads.

At the top of the Board’s priority list, we addressed the roads crisis through historic levels of investment and the adoption of a Long Term Roads Plan. In 2015, we will continue to prioritize our roads, looking for new ways to fund needed repairs, including state and federal advocacy and the possibility of new funds from Measure A, which will be before you the voters in June.

Part two, including comments on housing and education, will run in the next issue of The Sun, February 19.