The State of the County

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

The County of San Bernardino understands that a community is a system of interconnected elements. Faced with complex issues during the economic downturn, the County had to work collaboratively and across boundaries – whether historical, physical, political or otherwise – in order to be successful in its efforts to sustain a high quality of life for its residents and businesses. The County placed a call to action for stakeholders interested in creating a vision for the future. This call to action included community meetings, public and business on-line surveys, and public agency collaborations resulting in the creation of a Countywide Vision – a roadmap for the future. Based on the information from meetings and surveys, the County made a significant change to the “State of the County” program to better promote intergovernmental cooperation and enhance citizen and business engagement. The program now promotes the goals to create a “complete county,” a county in which those who reside and invest can prosper and achieve well-being. Focusing on economic growth; enhancing the quality of life for residents; job creation; and promoting the County as a prime Southern California place for business; the program presents reportable, measurable outcomes each year.