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Politics

Horn, Roberts Begin Final Terms As San Diego County Supervisors

County Supervisor Bill Horn is shown being sworn in for his final term in office on Jan. 5, 2015.
Angela Carone
County Supervisor Bill Horn is shown being sworn in for his final term in office on Jan. 5, 2015.

Horn, Roberts Begin Final Terms As San Diego County Supervisors
In office since the mid-1990s, Bill Horn and Ron Roberts will become subject to a new term-limits law in four years.

Two of San Diego County's longest-serving supervisors were sworn in for their last term Monday. Supervisors Ron Roberts and Bill Horn have served on the board since the 1990s and will be the first supervisors to term out under new limits passed in 2010.

For his sixth term, Horn won a tightly contested reelection battle against Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood.

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"Ron and I will be done at the end of this term, we will each have had 24 years here," said Horn after taking the oath of office from Superior Court Judge Timothy Casserly. "I hope that the stewardship that we have displayed at this county will carry on in the future. That is something that greatly concerns me."

Horn is expected to be named chairman Tuesday for the fourth time in his career. He said he wants to continue the county's good-standing financial status.

"We've been that way for 20 years so it's not just something that happens automatically," Horn told KPBS. "We have (an) A credit rating that we've had for 15 years in a row, so we've got a great team here."

As chairman, Horn said he'll give special attention to San Diego's North County, which he represents.

"I try to get as much influence in the North County, 'cause that's where I'm from," he said. "There is life north of the 8."

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Roberts, who represents much of the city of San Diego, ran unopposed to win his final term. Following his swearing in administered by former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Roberts touted the board's achievements over the years, including the County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa, improvements in air quality and a waterfront park.

He also talked about future goals, such as a partnership with the city of San Diego for a new Chargers stadium.

"Try to imagine a new stadium befitting our region of San Diego," Roberts said. "As a team, and with the partnership of the city of San Diego...as a team we can do this."

When speaking about working with the city, Roberts acknowledged Councilman Todd Gloria, who was in the audience.

Also sworn in were Sheriff Bill Gore, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Assessor/Recorder/Clerk Ernest Dronenburg, Jr., and Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister. All were reelected.

Dumanis said she planned to run for a fifth term in 2018. The others did not mention their future plans.

Corrected: June 30, 2022 at 5:52 PM PDT
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Horn is not the longest-serving member of the board. Supervisor Dianne Jacob has served the longest. We regret the error.