A Note to Roy Lee as He Begins His Journey

At noon on January 6, Roy Lee begins his term as Supervisor and while a variety of controversial District 1 issues were recently decided, we still face many challenges. Hoping for something fresh – a real change – is exciting. I, for one, am eager to see how Roy attacks his new role because, as the saying goes: “You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.”

With 25 Departments, 4,763 employees and a $1.63B budget, our County is complex. We have a looming structural budget deficit, $568M in Deferred Maintenance, 3,000 homeless, not nearly enough mental health beds (read the shocking 2023 Grand Jury Report) and a $6M Cannabis Program that costs us $10M to administer. So, if I can offer Roy a bit of friendly advice it would be to study hard, work harder, and to surround himself with supportive expertise. 

Last year I argued for increased Supervisor pay because understanding the intricacies of our County and managing its power dynamics is a full-time job. So too is the restaurant business, which is why one of the keys to Roy’s success is to bring that same work ethic to his role as Supervisor.

Roy’s victory was about style. Our District had become an insider’s game where patronage and fear created a genuine Tammany Hall. Roy’s promise of change energized respected and recognizable supporters to take significant risks in their endorsement of his candidacy. They poked our D1 Robespierrein the eye, helped Lee win, and now absolutely deserve a seat at Roy’s table.

There are senior staff in our County who do not respect our Supervisors! These folks can single-handedly create front-page chaos and fuel an adversarial County culture that is antithetic to the “niceness” that defines Roy. So, if Roy wants to effect change, AND I HOPE HE DOES, it is imperative that he engages faithful supporters who have shown the strength to challenge the status quo.

Our County has 70 Boards, Committees and Commissions that are open to Supervisor appointments. Currently, there are 31 people serving that were recently appointed by Supervisor Williams or who are nearing the end of their term. I urge Roy to HONESTLY ENGAGE his champions and long-time D1 residents to fill these roles and to provide advice. Of course, not every seat needs a new face (and volunteers are difficult to find) but a change-election requires, well, change – or else the outsider risks morphing into the status quo insider.

Roy has a genuine desire to do good. The gap between desire and success, however, requires thoughtful collaboration; collaboration that I hope Roy embraces. Roy, our entire District is pulling for you—GOOD LUCK!  

Jeff Giordano, SB County Resident