In a recent endorsement editorial, you pointed out that 38.4% of Butte County’s population lives in the unincorporated areas. But then you wrongly asserted that, because 61.6% of county residents are represented by city councils and receive city services, it is only right that the Board of Supervisors be controlled by non-urban dwellers who care mostly about fire and police protection, roads and farming.
However, most county agencies — district attorney, clerk-recorder, auditor-controller, libraries and such — serve all county residents. Nevertheless, previous boards have operated as though their responsibility was only the unincorporated areas. This has been especially apparent to those of us who have observed the board’s lack of action to numerous Grand Jury reports over the years.
For example, the 2011-12 grand jury, of which I was a member, identified deep-seated problems impacting the county’s human service agencies — Behavioral Health, Public Health and Employment and Social Services — and strongly recommended that the county live up to its responsibility of oversight for the planning and coordination of these necessary services. This dereliction of duty is evident by the number of mentally ill citizens on every city street. The report also pointed out that these agencies comprised half of the county’s budget and created 6,700 jobs and $366 million in labor income.
We cannot afford to allow this neglect to continue. It is time for voters to elect people to the Board of Supervisors who will take all of its responsibilities seriously.
February 26, 2020
Chico Enterprise-Record
Letter to the editor from Ken Fleming, Chico
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