By Julie Díaz Martínez
The Honorable Mayor of San Marcos Rebecca Jones is running for a seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to represent District 5; it is currently held by Supervisor Jim Desmond, who is running to represent California District 48. After advancing in the June 2 primary election, Mayor Jones is a candidate in the general election on November 3.
Mayor Jones talked to North County Informador about what drew her to community service and eventually led her to run for supervisor. She approaches her civic responsibility as Mayor of San Marcos by “spending a lot of time listening,” “spending time talking to people,” and “being able to reach out to the community and help with their needs and what’s important to them.”
Jones describes herself: “I’m a mom. I have a 26-year-old and a 30-year-old”. She adds, “I love public service and helping people.” As a longtime resident of San Diego County, she is very familiar with the issues in the area. “I’ve lived in San Diego almost my whole life, and I think it is worth fighting for.”
Leadership as Mayor of San Marcos
As mayor, “one of the hallmarks of my leadership is I get along well with others…I think that it’s very important to nurture relationships because we all have one common goal, to help people”. She notes that she has focused on quality-of life-issues for residents, citing the vast number of parks that San Marcos has; these parks provide “places to go” and the opportunity “to enjoy time with our families,” she says.
San Diego County Health and Safety Act
Mayor Rebecca Jones says she is opposed to theSan Diego Health and Safety Act, stating “that’s extra tax money from our residents; it is not helpful, and it’s not actually improving their quality of life.” The half-cent sales tax increase would raise the county rate from 7.75% to 8.25% and, if passed, it would be permanent. It would provide funding for the Tijuana sewage crisis, health care for low-income families, wildfire prevention, and 911 services.
Housing
When asked if she would expand the County of San Diego Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to increase the 10% threshold dedicated for affordable housing, Jones answered, “I don’t believe in state density bonus laws in most actual circumstances because it doesn’t actually build more housing.” Meanwhile, she notes that, “of all the 18 cities in the county, San Marcos has the second-highest percentage of affordable housing,” which she considers a highlight of her leadership in North County.
Health care
Health care is a major concern for local communities, including many Latino families. Mayor Jones says the recent expansion of Scripps Hospital helps address these concerns. “The good news is that we now have a new Scripps Hospital that is coming to San Marcos. That is going to expand the opportunities and access for all North County.” She adds that the new hospital will add some 1600 new jobs.
Mayor Jones also describes her plan to bring a Blue Zones Ignite initiative to the city of San Marcos. “It’s about health, wellness, longevity, and also focuses on the quality of life of folks,” she explains.
Latino Representation
We asked candidate Rebecca Jones if she would consider hiring a Latino staff member. “I would be open to employing whoever is the best person for the job,” she responded, adding that, “that might be someone that is Latino.” When we clarified that the idea was not related to hiring a Spanish speaker but rather a Latino community member from District 5, which is 40% Latino, Mayor Jones stated, “Yes, absolutely, I would be open to that.”
