Supervisor Gutierrez Weekly District 5 Message - January 16th, 2023

January 16^th, 2023

Dear District 5 residents,

This great quote by the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is a very fitting one to start this weekly message as not only is today the day we honor him, but it fits into the overall message this week, doing for others.

Dr. King spent most of his life in the pursuit of serving and benefiting others. He inspires many to devote their lives to serving others whether that’s in volunteering, public service, being a first responder or military service member, medical professional or any of the many other ways individuals can dedicate their time to serving others.

As Dr. King will forever be remembered as a faithful servant to the public, It is our civic duty to also do the same. As county professionals, we must keep the same heartbeat alive to serve the people around us. Last Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting, It was truly a blessing to witness the great work the Board of Supervisors continue to do.

District 5 covered many multiple agenda items, but agenda item 3.60 allocated over $1.6 million to build a median on Ramona Expressway. With this project in the works, the county keeps Dr. King’s dream alive by protecting and ensuring the safety of the public around us. For far too long, this corridor has seen deadly crashes afflicting the families in our 5th district. Now, we will have a dividing median to help reduce fatalities on this stretch of the expressway. This will help ensure families can return home safely after a long day at work.

With agenda items 3.10 through 3.12, my colleagues and I voted to approve over $3.8 million in funding for mental health for the Riverside University Health Systems programs here in District 5. As you all may know, homelessness is one of my major focal points for improving our District. These votes to aid in funding for mental health programs in our District will be one of the first steps toward this vital mission.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, over 30% of the homeless population has issues with mental health. Being able to provide services to these people is a first step towards rehabilitation and a return to housing.

Thank you once again for your support!