You may live in the city, but there are more than 300 million reasons to know your county supervisor!

You want your tax dollars spent wisely in your community. You even have enough gumption to want to talk directly to the elected officials who make many decisions about how local government will spend your money and decide certain issues.

If you live in the city, you surely want to get to know your city council members. However, it is just as important to know your county supervisor, who oversees the substantially largest local government budget.

Local government services are provided by counties, cities, and special districts. Counties, which augment and compliment services provided by cities and special districts, provide services to everyone, whether they live in an incorporated city or in unincorporated rural areas.

Sutter County has an annual budget that exceeds $300 million, overseen by the Board of Supervisors. That’s 300 million reasons to know your county supervisor.

As one of those supervisors, I’ve learned first-hand many people who live in the city aren’t aware how much their lives are impacted by our decisions. Your input is critical, because of the size of the budget and the number of programs that impact you and your family

Here are just a few examples of services provided by the county that impact everyone, regardless of your address:

Operation of the County Jail.

Operation of Juvenile Hall.

Criminal prosecution and other services by the District Attorney

Probation Department services.

County Coroner services.

Public Defender services.

Bailiff services for Sutter County courts.

Veterans services, including operation of a Veteran’s Hall.

Emergency Management coordination and training.

Behavioral Health Services, including mental health and drug addiction counseling, education, and early intervention.

Public Health programs, such as monitoring, reporting, and containing of infectious diseases; vaccinations, and healthy lifestyle education.

Public assistance programs, including supplemental nutrition, elder care, and children’s services such as foster care and child protection.

Environmental Health, which conducts inspections for sanitary conditions at restaurants, other businesses and recreational facilities.

The Agricultural Department, which makes sure you get a gallon of gasoline when you pay for a gallon of gasoline, inspects bee colonies for strength and health, protects crops from pests, and provides continuing education for best pest control practices.

An array of library services, including children’s programs and English literacy.

The Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County.

Property value assessments.

Elections for County, City, special district, school district, state, and federal offices, and for ballot measures and propositions.

Recording of legal documents such as marriage licenses, property transfers, death certificates.

It is the job of the county Board of Supervisors to ensure these programs and services are economical and effective.

Those of us who govern need to know what is important to you. We have to pay attention to how we budget and how you feel about the services provided. We really care about your opinion. I encourage you to reach out to your county supervisor – everybody has one – to convey your views on any issue, pro or con. After all, it is your money.

In Sutter County, you can reach your supervisor by calling 822-7106 and to find out more by visiting www.suttercounty.org.