Editorial: Time to Get Involved in Mendocino County

Ukiah Daily Journal Staff
Updated: 03/15/2011 10:24:30 AM PDT

Citizens of Mendocino County have two wonderful opportunities before them to get involved in their community and help shape the future and quality of local government.

There are opportunities now to serve on either the Mendocino County Grand Jury, or on a Citizens Advisory Committee to shape redistricting in our county.

The Mendocino County Grand jury regroups annually in June, bringing together 19 citizens to take a close look at how local government agencies are working - or not. The grand jury looks at specific complaints from citizens about problems they perceive in public offices but also makes a routine study of local institutions, from school districts, to juvenile hall to the board of supervisors to water districts.

The grand jury is not a criminal grand jury like those put together in order to prosecute a case. It is, instead, a civic body intended as this county's watchdog over government and people in power. It does a great deal of good and can be a rewarding year long experience for anyone who has a certain amount of time they can devote to this important task.

The CAC for redistricting is a once-a-decade event that follows the U.S. Census.

Once the 2010 Census population numbers for Mendocino County are official - expected that the end of this month - the county must look at its political dividing lines - the supervisor district lines in this case - and see if they need changing.

To do that the county will appoint 10 people, two from each of the current five supervisor districts, to the CAC. These folks will not only look to see how population growth or reduction in various areas of the county may require supervisor boundaries to be changed, but they can also look at making wholesale changes to how we draw our supervisor districts. For instance, the districts now generally follow a north-south line, which could be changed to an east-west orientation, giving all districts a piece of inland territory and a piece of coastal territory rather than the all-inland or all-coastal makeup of all but the 5th District.

This group will meet through the spring and will make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for summer passage.

Both of these jobs are well worth doing and we hope that people who are serious about committing time and energy - and willing to leave their personal agendas at home - will step forward.

To apply for the grand jury: go to www.mendocino.courts.ca.gov/grandjury. Applications are also available at the Mendocino County Superior Courthouse, 100 N. State St., Room 303, in Ukiah, or by calling the grand jury at 463-4320.

To apply for the CAC contact your own supervisor or go to www.co.mendocino.ca.us/cob/forms.htm.