San Bernardino Voters Have Spoken [Opinion]

San Bernardino Voters Limit Supervisors’ Terms, Is RivCo Next?

San Bernardino County voters on Nov. 3 approved Measure K which would cap how long San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors can serve to serve a single four-year term.

In addition, Measure K was designed to cut each of the five county supervisors’ total compensation — pay and benefits package from more than $235,000 to $60,000 annually.

Some 66% of voters said yes to Measure K.

San Bernardino County has filed suit in Superior Court to overturn the vote of the people.

Will Riverside County Supervisors see something like Measure K in the next election cycle?

While salary and benefits for County Supervisors in the two counties are close to the same, it’s not likely Riverside County will see something similar on the ballot.

San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors have a history of ethical issues and challenges over the past two decades. That has never been an issue in Riverside County.

The current members of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors have governed ethically and responsively. They are a far cry from the character and ethically challenged Bill Postmaster years.

Col.  (Ret) Paul Cook, a decorated combat veteran and Marine, and a soon-to-be former member of Congress is about to join the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Cook has earned a reputation for honesty and integrity and for service above self. He’ll join a Board that has served honorably and has done its best to field county services and fight the good fight with COVID-19.

It remains to be seen if the Superior Court Judge will invalidate the will of the voters. The authors of Measure K believe board salaries should be close to the average income of county residents.

With 66 percent of the voters saying yes to Measure K it doesn’t seem right for a court to overturn the vote of the people. However, it would not be the first time a California court overturned the vote of the people.

Recruiting candidates for office with a salary and benefits at this level might make high quality office seekers tough. It’s a full-time job with 24-7 responsibilities.

Californians have voted for term limits for state office holders. Apparently San Bernardino County voters think the Board of Supervisors needs a “ haircut” and a single four-year term is all they think members should serve.

Americans have just gone through a difficult presidential  election. Either way you look at it, voters turned out in record numbers. About half the voters believe widescale voter fraud occurred in battle ground states. Others see no problems with the results or turnout and just want their guy and lady in office. The election was very close to a draw.

Measure K may be flawed. Its authors don’t think so. However, an elected official sitting on the court in the County of San Bernardino will have the opportunity to ensure the constitution and law are upheld.