Candidate for
Supervisor; County of San Mateo; Supervisorial District 3

Hello, I'm Don Horsley and I am the San Mateo County Supervisor representing District Three, which stretches along the entire Coastside of the county from Pacifica to the Santa Cruz County border and also includes the cities of Half Moon Bay, San Carlos, Woodside, Atherton, Portola Valley and parts of Belmont and Menlo Park. It's a diverse and exciting part of a great county and I am so honored to go to work every day making county government more responsive to the people who live here. In my first term we've opened the new Devil's Slide Trail Park as a jewel in the Parks Department, and we've upgraded many of our other local parks as well. We've replaced aging fire engines and added Sheriff's Deputies to our school resources officer program. We've also begun a project to build an entirely new mental health facility to replace the aging Cordilleras Center. These two projects are bookends showcasing how the county works on a wide spectrum of quality-of-life issues for our residents. If you include the new county jail, with its cutting edge programs for inmate rehabilitation, and our various health clinics linked to the county hospital, you can see how comprehensive the county's activities really are. While I am proud of partnering with my fellow supervisors in tackling county-wide issues, I am particularly excited about zeroing in on specific District Three challenges. In my first term, I have worked on such projects as the ongoing flooding of Pescadero, developing migrant farm worker housing, creating expanded medical clinics to reach our underserved population and expanding safe bicycle routes throughout the county. I spearheaded an effort to have the county take over the Moss Beach Park when it was threatened with development and have also enhanced the effectiveness of county-operated water systems through the acquisition of equipment and new storage facilities. Working with our residents and local water districts, we are striving to save water in what continues to be a drought-threatened region. As you all know, our roads are becoming increasingly grid locked and the solutions are not easy. We are blessed with being one of the most attractive regions in the world, but that brings problems along with it. Safe transportation corridors and effective planning for future infrastructure improvements are at the top of my to-do list. Providing affordable housing and public transportation are long-term goals and the county is deeply involved in both areas. As a Board Member of HEART, the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust of San Mateo County, I am committed to finding resources to support affordable housing for our residents. As a member of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, I help make the decisions about how to spend crucial tax dollars on the local transportation infrastructure. All these decisions are made with careful consideration of the public's input. I have implemented an ongoing series of Agricultural Workshops and will continue to hold them in the future. The first workshop drew 150 members of our community who understand the importance of our agricultural heritage and the necessity of working together to ensure its future. Together we have developed priorities that will help to keep the San Mateo County agricultural community flourishing. My full support goes to Supervisor Carole Groom's efforts to ensure all children in San Mateo County, even those in under-performing schools, are able to read by the time they are in the third grade. This program is called "The Big Lift," and is a great example of collaboration between the county and local school districts. It's true that children learn to read through the third grade, but after that, they are reading to learn. Sometimes, people ask me what the "county" government does as opposed to city or state or national governments. People who do not need specific county services don't necessarily think of them as essential, but they are critical for thousands of people. One out of seven residents in the county receives some type of medical or human service assistance. No child is without health insurance in San Mateo County and there is a political philosophy that entails finding housing for every homeless person. San Mateo County is truly a wonderful place to live and work. I was once a police officer in the City of Pacifica and I lived in Moss Beach. As a member of the Sheriff's Department and eventually as the Sheriff, I traveled throughout the county and especially the Third District, learning all about its needs and its rewards. This is truly a beautiful and interesting part of the world and I look forward to continuing to serve San Mateo County in a second term as your supervisor. It has been an honor to have your trust and support, as the former sheriff and for these past few years as a county supervisor. I love the challenge of working for you and truly believe that I have been able to make a difference because of my experience and my dedication. Like you, I love San Mateo County and the Coastside. I ask for your support on June 3 so I may continue to dedicate all of my time and energy to this great responsibility.