Since my last column in Uptown News, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has advanced several measures to support working families, young people who want to turn their lives around, and provided financial support to struggling micro-businesses.
In February, the Board of Supervisors passed a Working Families Ordinance I co-authored to require the use of a skilled and trained workforce and provide for a prevailing wage on construction projects on County land. It is important workers on county-owned land are paid fairly for their hard work. San Diegans should be able to support their family with good jobs and fair rules to protect them. We felt it was important for the County to become an example for others, and so we took the first step by requiring these workplace standards to reduce poverty and promote the middle class.
Our efforts to offer every child a fair shot at a successful future continue! We recently cut the ribbon on a brand new Youth Transition Campus in Kearny Mesa that was built to give young people the opportunity to turn their life around. This new campus is a place where young people who have come into the criminal justice system but want to change their circumstances can receive the encouragement, treatment, education, support, and skills they need. This is the type of place that could inspire them to get on a path to a better future, maybe even become an entrepreneur.
I meet with a lot of small business owners and know how tough it can be for them. While COVID is more and more in our rearview mirror, the impacts remain. With this in mind, the Board of Supervisors recently approved $3.875 million in funds to help 1,550 micro-businesses that have faced historic barriers to accessing capital. When you’re a business owner that employs fewer than five full-time workers, the margins can be thin, and every dollar matters. The action we took is a small step we can take to support our local small businesses.”
The micro-businesses that receive the grants can use the money to purchase equipment, invest in working capital, apply for new permits, and for debts and costs accrued because of COVID-19.
To apply for a grant, or learn about any of the programs I discussed in this column, please visit sandiegocounty.gov.
If you need to contact my office, please call us at (619) 531-5544 or email [email protected] and follow me on social media. To invite me or my team to your organization’s meeting, request a proclamation or grant, and learn about the work we’re doing, visit SupervisorNathanFletcher.com.
