What San Diego County does for residents
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Summary
A presenter outlined county responsibilities across San Diego County’s 18 cities and unincorporated areas, from parks and public safety to social services, elections and countywide inspections.
Unidentified Speaker (presenter) summarized the role of San Diego County government, saying the county encompasses 18 cities and a large unincorporated area and carries out both city-like services in unincorporated communities and regionwide programs.
The presenter said the county provides parks and libraries, builds and maintains roads, and oversees zoning and building within unincorporated areas. "In that area, the county does things a city government would do," the presenter said, and noted the Sheriff's Department serves as the police force in those communities while County Fire provides fire and paramedic services.
On countywide responsibilities, the presenter described a wide array of social and health services designed to connect residents with food, housing and health care and to support people with mental health and substance-use challenges. The presentation also named disease outbreak investigation, child-support collection and disaster response as county functions.
The speaker listed county roles in the justice system — including prosecutors, public defenders and probation — and said the county inspects and monitors businesses and public facilities to protect health and consumers, giving examples such as restaurants, beach water, gas stations and price scanners. The presenter also noted the county administers elections.
Some cities contract with the county for particular services, the presenter said, pointing to arrangements in which the Sheriff's Department serves as a city's police force or the county operates a city's library.
The presenter described the county's governing structure, saying the Board of Supervisors works with the community to set policies guiding programs and services; supervisors are elected by district and the districts together cover the entire county. The presenter also listed other elected county officers, naming the district attorney, the sheriff, the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (who sets property values and maintains records of property, marriages and births) and the Treasurer-Tax Collector (who collects property taxes).
"That's just scratching the surface," the presenter said, concluding the overview by emphasizing that county government touches many aspects of daily life and that every San Diego voter has a say in who runs the county.
