New Year’s Resolutions

As a first year County Supervisor, I often tell people that “I am so full of purpose I might pop.” I love my job … and I don’t take a bit of it for granted. Some people ask me how I deal with the negative aspects of being a local elected official – the accusations, the blame and the demands to fix everything under the sun.
I usually respond that the good, and the opportunity to do more good, is what drives me through the difficulty. At this level of government, I can truly work with you all to shape the future of our community. What an awesome responsibility and opportunity. As we reach the end of 2015, I wanted to share some thoughts on what has been a non-stop thrill ride of a year.
Biggest accomplishments
I championed a $13.5 million increase in funding for county roads, as well as a Living Wage policy that ensures greater equity in our county contracting. As a fierce advocate for open and transparent government, I helped set in place a process for true public engagement during our future budget deliberations, as well as the establishment of an Independent Citizens’ Review Committee on Pensions.
Additionally, I led the creation of a partnership of more than 30 organizations from the conservation, water management and agriculture sectors to come together to establish clear goals and targets to ensure 1.) Clean water in the Russian River, 2.) Enhanced sustainability in our groundwater basins and 3.) Sustainable flow rates in our river tributaries. Entitled “Venture Conservation,” we have pulled together more than $20 million in local funds and requested $10 million from the federal government. I look forward to sharing more about this movement in the New Year.
Toughest challenges
The Lytton Tribal Homeland issue has required so much time and energy. The complexity of tribal sovereignty and the current manner by which the Bureau of Indian Affairs manages the fee-to-trust transfer of land makes for a difficult process of negotiation and even more difficult process of public engagement. I respect everyone who has poured their hearts and minds into this issue, whether they be proponents or opponent, and I pledge to work diligently with the Windsor neighbors and Town Council, the Tribe, Rep. Huffman and other leaders at the federal, state, county and town level to bring this to resolution.
On a personal level, my number one goal is to be a great dad and husband and I have to continue to diligently protect my personal time with family to do so. This job, as a County Supervisor, it never stops. The issues keep coming, and there are always more potholes, both literal and figurative, to fill. So just like all of my constituents, I must balance all of life’s demands continuously.
Hopes for 2016
County Governance – I am a self-proclaimed zealot about civic engagement. The more, the better – no matter how messy it becomes. Therefore, I am championing an effort with our Board of Supervisors to undergo a review of county governance and public engagement and take strategic action to improve the delivery of our services to the public.
We need to be looking at everything from open data to the timing and means by which we disclose our agendas and ordinances. We are at a juncture when the public demands more information than ever, when the “why” and the “how” is just as important as the “what.” Despite this demand by the public for Government 2.0, we still operate a 1.0 model. It’s time for an upgrade.
Sonoma County has designated 2016 as “The Year of the Entrepreneur.” We need to pounce on this opportunity to focus not solely on private sector entrepreneurism, but also at the civic level.
The way in which we deliver services to our residents needs to be more nimble to fit the demographic and geographic needs of our micro-communities. I endeavor to work with my fellow supervisors to begin this effort in 2016 and to set in motion a county culture of adaptive management to lead us forward.
In addition to this effort, I have many other things in the works that I look forward to sharing with you all through community forums and to shaping these ideas towards your needs. But my job is not just to be proactive, I need to also be reactive to your needs. I need to work to help pave your roads, keep your water running, ensure that your energy is affordable and get your permits processed.
On that point, I often realize that when I’m out in our community talking with neighbors, I discover issues that are molehills, whereas if I wait until the issues come into my office, they have grown into mountains. Therefore, I hope that you’ll see me in your neighborhood this year and that you will feel free to come up to me and let me know how I can represent you better.
As the end of the year approaches, we find ourselves at a fulcrum point. For while our community continues to accelerate out of the recession years, I continue to encounter uncertainty, unease and outright fear about the future of our county.
Despite having a red hot economy, with only three percent unemployment, we have widespread concerns about core community issues related to housing, natural resources, land use, public health, education, water management and other things.
So now is the time for all of us to not just talk about what needs to be done, but to take responsibility to get it done. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into 2016, and I hope you’ll join me in a community New Year’s resolution to take action, to be a doer and to tell the critics to join us in our pursuit of the perpetual better, rather than the one-time perfect.
James Gore is the Fourth District Supervisor for Sonoma County