Jacob looks ahead to historic term
When Dianne Jacob is sworn in for her seventh term in January 2017, the District 2 county supervisor said she will become the longest serving supervisor in San Diego County history.
Jacob was re-elected to her seat in the June 7 primary, securing well over 50 percent of the vote against opponent Rudy Reyes. As of June 28, she had 73.89 percent of the vote to Reyes’ 26.11 percent with 26,000 mail or provisional ballots left to count, according to the county registrar.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Jacob, whose district includes Ramona. “I’m extremely humbled by the outpouring of support.”
First elected in 1992, Jacob will be termed out after 2020 because of a ballot measure approved by voters in 2010 that limits supervisors to two four-year terms.
Jacob said she had an overwhelming number of people urging her to run one last time.
“That’s simply my motivation,” she said.
Her passion for the position, Jacob said, is serving the people, working with communities, and bringing visions to reality, although she noted it is sometimes frustrating dealing with bureaucracies.
She has a list of issues that she intends to focus on for her last term that includes a new sheriff’s station for Ramona and progress on the Ramona Intergenerational Community Campus (RICC).
County-wide, she said, first and foremost is retaining the county’s AAA credit rating that allows it to have money to invest in communities. Fixing the county’s finances and achieving that AAA rating is what she considers the top accomplishment of her years in office.
Another achievement she will continue to work on is investment in fire protection and emergency medical services. Following the devastating Cedar Fire in 2003, Jacob was instrumental in creating the San Diego County Fire Authority.
“It’s all about saving lives and property,” she said.
Jacob wants to see a new sheriff’s station built in Ramona, although a site has not been determined, and increase efforts to make neighborhoods safe.
For the RICC, anchored by Ramona Library at Main and 13th streets, Jacob said the county is getting close to swapping property with Caltrans, which owns the lot next to the library. Doing so would increase the space for the community campus that would extend behind the library and include a senior center, skatepark, gymnasium and a county Live Well Center for resources.
“That I want to definitely accomplish in the next few years,” she said.
A former teacher, Jacob said she will continue to focus on more sports and recreational facilities, and trails and open spaces “for kids to get out and exercise.” Jacob said she is proud that the county has preserved 100,000 acres in the unincorporated area and 60 to 70 percent of it is in her district.
Jacob said she will continue to look at opportunities to preserve the Ramona Grasslands while legally allowing public access, adding that it’s been a battle with wildlife agencies but it’s important for people to enjoy the area.
Parking for the Mt. Woodson trail is another issue Jacob said she will continue to push for, as well as improvements to state Route 67.
“It’s like swimming molasses upstream,” she said, referring to the latter.
Jacob worked with the Ramona Community Planning Group, Caltrans, and San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to move forward the Route 67/Highland Valley/Dye Road intersection improvements that are underway.
In the county’s recently adopted budget Jacob noted there is more funding for the Community Enhancement Program.
“I think the organizations that applied for funding in Ramona are going to be extremely happy,” she said.
She is excited about plans for the Santa Ysabel Nature Center at state Routes 78 and 79 where the county has 86 acres.
Also on her list is continued work on the Alzheimer’s Project that she started in 2014, preparing the region for an aging population, and adopting a pilot program for a catering ordinance that would allow caterers to partner with wineries and breweries.
The San Diego native is known to be a fighter, a trait she attributes to her parents.
“My mother would always tell me ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way,’” said Jacob. “My father — he was emphatic about teaching me nothing is impossible and never give up.”
Whether for or against something, he taught her to fight for it, she said, adding that she is pretty strong-minded.
Jacob, who turns 77 at the end of July, said her father also taught her three characteristics that she never forgets: honesty, integrity and the ability to get along with people.
Serving as county supervisor, she said, has been one of the greatest honors of her life.