2 weeks Ago By Kasia Gregorczyk
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — This year’s state of the county address was delivered in Balboa Park by acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer. She shared her proposed plan for how to move the county forward in challenging fiscal times and what she considers “a moment of democratic crisis.”"When federal leadership fails, local government must lead," Lawson-Remer said.
The acting Chair jumped right into the challenges stemming from the federal government slashing programs and funding."Every decision Washington makes impacts our ability to serve you," Lawson-Remer said. Lawson-Remer then unveiled several proposals in what she’s calling the “local battleplan for national crisis.
”With a projected budget shortfall of more than $130 million, she’s calling for an immediate reform to the county’s reserve policy to help fill the gaps in public health, staffing labs and responding to climate and disease threats. The county currently has more than $100 million in reserves.Lawson-Remer is proposing expanding behavioral healthcare in a new plan that will double treatment slots in five years to more than 32,000 openings for San Diegans to get help.
Additionally, a county-run Medicaid healthcare plan is proposed to protect access for nearly one million San Diegans.However, it all requires funding, largely Medicaid funding Lawson-Remer says is being heavily impacted by the Trump administration. She’s proposing generating that money from San Diegans.
"We can raise the money ourselves. A local revenue measure could leverage one billion dollars a year," Lawson-Remer said.With a surge in cost of living, San Diego County may create its own consumer financial protection division to tackle price, gouging, payday, lending, delayed and denied health insurance claims and deceptive advertising.
Some other big themes included the county’s accomplishments in building affordable housing, more protections for renters, legal protections for immigrants, and even a proposed ban on toxic “forever chemicals.”.
