Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is largely responsible for shifting the majority on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors from Republican to Democrat for the first time in almost three decades.
"I think. you know. it's going to take a while to turn the county around because it's been going in the same direction for a really long time," Lawson-Remer said.
Right now Lawson-Remer is focused is getting San Diegans back on their feet after an immensely difficult year. She says the county will play a vital role in reshaping the local economy and thinks using federal money for small business stimulus grants, rental assistance and aid for small mom and pop landlords is the place to start.
"It's not just about providing relief in the immediate, it's about building back better and investing in jobs in the future," she said.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Lawson-Remer said she also wants to focus attention on the stormwater problems in San Diego and thinks that environmental protection should be a priority when we think about issues like affordable housing and jobs.
"If we invest in fixing our sewage system and our storm water system, it also creates good jobs for working families here in San Diego County," she explained.
Of course, she's mindful of the housing shortage, too, and said the county needs to explore different development options to develop to tackle it.
Local
"We're building homes and paving over open space, increasing our green house gas emissions, increasing the number of cars idling in traffic, increasing commute times, increasing carbon emissions and only building homes that no one can afford," she said.
Overall, Lawson-Remer said she's optimistic about the future for San Diego and is confident the region, because of the county's vaccination efforts, is prepared for June 15 when California gets rid of the color-coded tier system and restrictions.
