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East County News Service Feb. 20, 2026 (San Diego County) — There's one week left to tell San Diego County officials what you want to see, including ways they can better pull back the proverbial curtain on local government.
With a comprehensive survey launched earlier this year, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors -- Paloma Aguirre (District 1), Joel Anderson (D2), Terra Lawson-Remer (D3), Monica Montgomery Steppe (D4) and Jim Desmond (D5) -- are looking at a public outreach initiative aimed at reimagining how the public interacts with the group tasked with governing the county's $8 billion-plus budget.
The survey can be accessed here, with a Feb. 27 deadline for input.
The county's survey is designed to identify barriers that prevent residents -- particularly those in underrepresented and non-English speaking communities -- from participating in the democratic process. The initiative is part of a broader commitment by the county to enhance transparency and ensure that local policy decisions reflect a wider range of perspectives.
An email from county staff says that the county is committed to creating a more inclusive and accessible government, with the survey a way to reach out to the community and seek better engagment and participation in Board meetings.
The survey comes at a pivotal time for the fifth-most populous county in the United States.
While Board of Supervisors meetings are the primary venue for deciding everything from land use and public health to law enforcement budgets, its Tuesday and Wednesday morning meeting schedule continues to be a point of contention for working families and those with limited transportation or language access.
Looking for answers
The county is interested in feedback on four key areas: How meeting information and materials are shared; The methods used to invite public participation; the clarity of explanations regarding meeting procedures; and opportunities for residents to submit public comments.
This is not the first time the county has sought to modernize its engagement.
In recent years, the Board has moved toward more digital-friendly platforms and has experimented with evening community evening sessions to accommodate residents who cannot attend the standard Tuesday and Wednesday morning meetings. (For example, the County's Budget Workshop and Community Input session on January 27 started at 3 p.m., allowing for afternoon and early evening testimony.)
The survey via Engage San Diego County consists of 18 questions that ask residents about their current level of engagement, what prevents them from attending meetings, and what tools (such as better digital streaming or more intuitive comment systems) would make them more likely to get involved.
County officials emphasized that the data collected will be used to develop a set of formal recommendations. The findings are scheduled to be presented to the Board for review and potential implementation this spring.
Those with disability accommodations or who need language interpreter services to complete the survey, should call the county' dedicated support line at (619) 594-4633 or reach out via email at engage@sdcounty.ca.gov
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