County Government

For the county of Ventura, 1998 was the year we finally recognized signs of recovery from the most far-reaching adversity of the past eight years: the economic doldrums of the 1990s.

Property values crept back up, home sales exploded, employment levels improved and, for the first time in recent memory, county government realized a budget without serious cutbacks.

This is not to say coming years will be easy--therefore my use of the term “signs of recovery.” It can be argued that we are not fully recovered from the recession. The county should continue to be fiscally prudent, and it must be better prepared to face future economic downturns. This is a reason county leaders have many important decisions to make in 1999 and immediately beyond. Some weighty actions this year firmly mapped the direction we can take. Just as economic healing emerged, actions transpired to chart Ventura County’s course into the next century.

Jan. 1 marked the official start of welfare reform. Ventura County has been aggressive in taking the lead statewide in our CalWORKS program. By mid-1998, our county opened seven job and career centers aimed at getting people jobs and away from reliance on welfare programs.

In April, the board approved the shift of its mental health administration from the Health Care Agency into its social services arena to form the new Human Services Agency. The shift was intended to improve services for clients. The transition is in progress, and only time will tell if the intent will come to fruition.

In November, voters passed unprecedented land-use restrictions for the county and many cities. There remains uncertainty about impacts. Both Measures A and B will require further debate and probably land-use policy revisions. Again, only time will tell if we made the right decisions.

The decisions of 1998 were made, for the most part, after careful thought, healthy debate and a reasonable consideration of our goals for the future. I am certain our course is steady for 1999 and beyond, and I look forward to participating as one of the navigators.