Opinion: Rebecca Jones’ SANDAG experience qualifies her for supervisor ...Middle East

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Opinion: Rebecca Jones’ SANDAG experience qualifies her for supervisor
SANDAG offices in Otay Mesa. (File photo by Ken Stone/Times of San Diego)

Regional government works best when the people sitting at the table remember who sent them there. SANDAG is not just another government acronym. It is the regional agency responsible for transportation planning, major infrastructure decisions and the allocation of public dollars that directly affect families, commuters, businesses and taxpayers across San Diego County.

That is why Rebecca Jones’ service on the SANDAG board matters. She proved herself to be a reliable, excellent leader and people’s representative. She deserves to be elected the next 5th District county Supervisor.

    On SANDAG, and as mayor of San Marcos, Jones has consistently brought a taxpayer-focused voice to regional decision-making. In addition to representing San Marcos, she also served in regional leadership roles, including on SANDAG’s executive committee representing North County’s inland communities.

    Jones has been willing to challenge proposals that would place additional burdens on working families. One of the clearest examples was the controversial “mileage tax.” Jones helped lead the effort to remove it, and after much debate, the SANDAG board voted 14-4 in September 2023 to remove it from the 2025 Regional Plan.

    Rebecca Jones

    Having served as SANDAG chair myself, I understand how important it is to have board members who show up prepared, ask hard questions, build coalitions and understand that transportation policy is not theoretical. It affects our families, young and old, as well as whether businesses can provide goods and services efficiently, and importantly, whether taxpayers are being asked to fund realistic, beneficial projects or ideologically driven political wish lists.

    That kind of leadership matters. Taxpayers deserve representatives who understand that every new fee, tax or charge has a real-world impact. A regional plan that ignores those realities is not a plan for the public; it is a plan imposed on the public.

    There is also a sharp contrast in representation. Her opponent in the race for supervisor, John Franklin, has presented himself as a regional taxpayer advocate. But SANDAG records show that Franklin was frequently absent from the transportation committee meetings as the North County inland representative. If your representative isn’t there, your voice isn’t heard.

    When cities send representatives to SANDAG, they are entrusting them with influence over billions of dollars in transportation priorities and long-term regional policy. Taxpayers need steady, credible voices who can build coalitions and still stand firm when public dollars are at stake.

    Jones has demonstrated that balance. She has shown that it is possible to support transportation improvements while also questioning costs, opposing unfair burdens and demanding accountability. She understands North County’s needs because she represents a city where families, commuters, seniors and businesses live with the consequences of regional decisions every day.

    Our county Board of Supervisors needs members who remember that government money is taxpayer money. Rebecca Jones has brought that perspective to the table, and, in my opinion, all San Diego County taxpayers will be better served by her.

    Jerome Stocks is a former mayor of Encinitas and chair of SANDAG.

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