Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, you've held office since before I moved to San Diego... why did you originally run, and do you believe you've accomplished what you set out to do?

I was first appointed in 1982 to the San Dieguito Citizens Planning Group. I grew tired of watching the Board of Supervisors ignore our recommendations. I was especially bothered by the fact that when I testified at board hearings the supervisors would be talking to aides or on the phone. Not only did they not listen, but their financial house was a mess, and proper land use planning was lacking. That prompted me to run for office. I feel strongly that elected officials must listen to their constituents. Certainly, I knew I could do a better job.

I began by running for the Encinitas City Council in 1988, where I served as the fourth city mayor. In 1992, I was elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

The county was in poor financial shape. We were on the brink of bankruptcy. My colleagues and I systematically turned the county around, through cost-cutting, standing up to union demands even while under siege, privatization, remaking the county culture to be a positive force, and streamlining every department to make certain we provided service better, faster and cheaper. For instance, although we were required to provide welfare, we introduced welfare-to-work, land use planning is now far more effective, and development and environmental protection go hand in hand.

So from getting out of the waste management business (we privatized the system), to contracting out our IT services, to paying cash for most projects, and to saying 'no' to deferred maintenance. I feel I have accomplished what I set out to do and more.

As a County Supervisor, what single accomplishment has made the daily drive to the County Administration Building most worth the drive?

When a financial house is in order, you can get a lot of things done. Balancing the county budget and setting aside an $860 million reserve is the single biggest accomplishment. I spearheaded the construction of the La Bajada Bridge and jumpstarted the construction of Highway 56 by transferring $20 million in county road funds to build that project. I built a new library in my district and spearheaded the construction of two new animal shelters.

Bottom line? All these extra projects got done because of good money management.

The current make-up of the Board of Supervisors has held office together for some time. There are pretty strong arguments for and against term limits: what is your position?

The voters have the power to decide term limits.

I remember thinking about this when Gov. Gray Davis was ousted from office - if the public decides its time for you to go; nothing will stand in their way. Real change takes years and when a term-limited elected official can pass the buck to a successor - where's the accountability?

It's hard to believe, but redistricting is around the corner. Some political observers believe that one of the reasons state government is such a mess is that legislative seats are drawn by state politicians to protect one party or another. As an official who is often stuck implementing largely unfunded mandates from the state, what are your thoughts on redistricting reform, if any?

I've heard the reform ideas, which aren't much better than the current system. At the state level, a panel of consultants ends up creating the maps after the lawmakers pass along their draft. The other idea is to use a panel of judges to draw the maps - as opposed to the lawmakers - because they're "impartial." But based on the trend in recent years to legislate from the bench, I'm not sure that I would exactly consider judges less political than lawmakers. Republicans like the idea of redistricting with judges because some think the party will get more seats. But we've lost so much ground since the Democrats took over the Senate and Assembly. So, regardless of the reform - I don't see how it will make much of a difference for either party.

Water is obviously an ongoing issue for San Diego. The desalinization plant in Carlsbad just won Coastal Commission approval. What is your approach to securing our future water supply?

As a former board appointee to the San Diego County Water Authority, I know about our limited water supply. But there's plenty of water politics. Like other resource issues, solving the water shortage in Southern California requires a multi-faceted approach. Desalination works in the right location, as long as we mitigate the impacts. But we also need to continue supporting water conservation. Our agreement with the Colorado River will likely continue for many years to come. And we must protect our limited natural water resources in San Diego County.

The Board of Supervisors placed a $52 parcel tax on the ballot to fund greater fire protection in the county. Could you give our readers some insight as to what the parcel tax would fund, specifically? In particular what would the role of the 'San Diego Regional Fire Protection Agency' be?

At the request of a committee made up of elected officials and fire-fighting experts, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors placed a $52 per parcel tax on the November ballot, to be voted on by the public. The ballot measure requires a two-thirds vote.

If passed, the measure is expected to generate about $50 million a year solely for the purpose of fighting fires. One half would be returned to local firefighting entities and municipalities and the other half would fund the San Diego Regional Fire Protection Agency, which would be formed through memorandum of agreements with each locality in the county.

The agency would be governed by a 10-member board comprised of the mayor of the City of San Diego, a county supervisor who represents the backcountry, four cities representing North Inland, North Coastal, East and South San Diego County, and four fire protection districts. The board would also include five non-voting members, including CalFire. The regional agency would oversee the entire regional firefighting efforts and resources, including aerial assets and overall regional coordination.

I wanted to limit JPA staffing to six, and limit the salary and benefits of the Executive Director. I also wanted wording to ensure brush clearing was specifically addressed in the ordinance as this is a critical component to fire protection. But the board did not add those modifications. I'm not a fan of new taxes, but the region needs a sustainable funding source for fire protection. It remains to be seen whether two-thirds of the public will be swayed.

The County of San Diego runs a reasonably tight fiscal ship, unlike the State of California. Do you have any advice for Governor Schwarzenegger or the state legislature as they attempt to come to a deal on the multi-billion dollar budget deficit?

I doubt that Sacramento wants the advice of any member of the Board of Supervisors. As the local arm of the state, all the county can do is hold the line on spending, refuse to backfill unfunded state-mandated programs, and make sure we continue to run our government like a fiscally-responsible business.

What are your thoughts on concepts for Lindbergh Field expansion, now that moving the regional airport looks unlikely at best?

I'm not an expert, but I've been to some of the worst airports in the world - O'Hare, London Heathrow. To me; San Diego is an easy airport to use. So I think expanding the current site makes a lot of sense. In short, we must make certain that we use our local resources wisely to make real progress on airport improvements and expansion.

If you could unilaterally implement one reform of county government before leaving office, what would it be? Eight year terms for Supervisors is not an acceptable answer...

If I were able to make unilateral reform I would prohibit all future boards from undoing the financial programs and protections we have in place to protect county taxpayers and keep the county on sound footing. If you gave me two reforms I would make libraries, parks, animal shelters, open space protection, and quality of life issues permanently protected to ensure our future and the future of our children.

Obama or McCain?

Senator McCain all the way. However, if you want higher taxes, appeasement of terrorists, and increased spending on social programs, then vote for Senator Obama. But if you want a leader, vote for Senator McCain for President.

Thank you Supervisor Slater-Price for your time. Enjoy, readers...