Imperial County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Imperial County, California public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Duplicate mail ballots ahead of November 3 election
The registrar mailed 160 duplicate ballots by mistake, and is scrambling with FAQs, PSAs and vote centers. Also, a new state law (SB 884) could delay results past 8 p.m. if any polling place in California stays open late.
Storm response and deferred facility maintenance
With a very strong El Niño expected to peak in December, the board declared a local emergency so fire and OES can pre-position flood-fight materials and run regional briefings.
Border Traffic Congestion
Calexico residents are fed up with brutal border traffic, but the city council put off a decision again as members argued over circulation plans. That means the gridlock—and the time and money it costs locals—isn’t going anywhere yet.
Red Earth intersection safety
Supervisor Kelley urged the county's transportation commission to act on the deadly Red Earth intersection, citing roughly six fatalities; a Caltrans roundabout proposal drew skepticism.
Lithium Valley funding and expenditures
Eric Reyes said outreach groups are struggling to educate the public about Lithium Valley and asked the county for help and for movement on a community benefits agreement.
Supervisorial term limits ballot measure
Escobar and Cardenas-Singh wanted voters to decide in March 2028 whether to cap supervisors at three terms (12 years). Hawk, Price, and Kelley balked at the timing days before an election, and the motion failed 2-3. Several residents pushed for a stricter two-term, eight-year limit.
Community Air Protection and air quality education
The Air Pollution Control District walked through decades of ozone and particulate data, noting Calexico's border-driven pollution and a mobile H2S monitor moving north toward the Salton Sea to track New River impacts.
Updated CEQA regulations
The county wants to modernize its local environmental review rules, but critics say the changes make appeals harder for residents and remove a layer of protection by letting developers appeal the level of environmental analysis to the Board. The vote was pushed a week for fine-tuning.
Airport funding and appointments
Advanced Air pitched its bid to restore commercial flights from Imperial airport to LA (via Hawthorne) and Phoenix with multiple daily flights and flat pricing; the Board took no action yet.
Recall effort against Chairwoman Price
A former Imperial councilmember formally noticed intent to recall District 3 Supervisor Peggy Price, citing storm response, airport funding, fire staffing, and transparency failures. Recall efforts hinge on signature gathering and an eventual election.
Nyland fire and public safety response
The county finished rebuilding five homes destroyed in the Nyland fire using $2.28 million of a $2.5 million CDBG grant, returning the leftover $336,919 to the state.
Adult Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facility Phase 2
Imperial County is building its first residential substance use treatment facility, so residents won't have to leave the valley for care. The Board approved the $14.1 million Phase 2 construction agreement, with groundbreaking April 30 at 1319 South Clark Road.
Voter outreach and low election turnout
A resident revealed that a $50,000 outreach allocation for low-propensity and limited-English voters was never actually delivered to the Registrar of Voters due to a motion mix-up — and the county now has the state's lowest voter turnout at 22%.
Colorado River water reallocation
Supervisor Kelley wanted the county to demand an independent economic analysis of IID's water transfers, arguing fallowing strips jobs and tax base while federal drought money flows to IID. The Farm Bureau and others asked for more stakeholder vetting, and the board tabled it 5-0.
Deteriorating county roads, particularly Bess Road
Supervisor Hawk reported working with Public Works on a priority list of pothole-damaged roads after recent rains doubled some potholes in size.
Homeless housing and behavioral health services funding
The county is putting serious money into homelessness services: a $5.46 million agreement with National Healthcare and Housing Advisors plus amendments adding about $400,000 to Catholic Charities' Day Center and the Hollies Affordable Housing Project.
WIOA youth workforce program funding
The county renewed its $1.59 million Project Connect youth jobs agreement with IVROP, serving roughly 220 young people with paid work experience, career training and financial literacy — all federally funded.
Cade Poe Colonia sewer rates
Sewer rates in this low-income colonia have been frozen at $30/month since 2005 while the district loses up to $200,000 a year and owes the county about $2.5 million. Breaking even would cost residents $350 a month — a decision supervisors couldn't make in one meeting.
Detention facility property tax exemption
The board unanimously backed a bill that would strip the welfare property-tax exemption from for-profit detention facilities — directly targeting the Imperial Regional Detention Facility, whose nonprofit ownership structure has avoided millions in property taxes. Critics called it a $60 million giveaway; defenders noted 250 full-time jobs.
North End cooling centers and extreme heat
Residents from Niland, Slab City, and Calipatria blasted the county because North End cooling centers won't open until July 1 while triple-digit heat already kills — more than ten neighbors died of heat illness last year. Staff said staffing delays were the cause and promised to explore opening earlier next year.
Seville 4 and Seville 5 solar and battery projects
A resident cited San Diego's 17-day Gateway battery fire, urging the county to stop amending its general plan and zoning to allow battery storage everywhere until emergency response capacity is proven, including larger setbacks.
Veterinarian shortage in Imperial County
With no large-animal vet locally and residents traveling to Indio, Yuma or Mexicali, the county is crafting a $375,000 recruitment program — but it goes to the Community Benefit Committee first for review.
April 7 lot merger controversy
Residents are still upset about last week's chaotic meeting over a lot merger tied to a 330-megawatt data center. One speaker filed a formal Brown Act demand to void the vote, saying the public was silenced on the data center, and another described being arrested. The Board defended its staff but the controversy isn't going away.
Solid waste fee increase concerns in Heber and unincorporated areas
About 1,600 unincorporated homes near cities will pay roughly $318 a year on their property tax bills for mandatory three-container trash, recycling, and organics service. Residents on fixed incomes objected to the property-tax mechanism and reduced container capacity, but the county faces state fines up to $10,000 a day for non-compliance.
Sonrisa retirement community closure
All 86 residents of the Sonrisa facility were relocated by April 3, but the county lost its only facility that accepts residents dependent on Medical and Social Security — a gap officials say they'll lobby state representatives to fix.
Leimgruber Road vacation
The county vacated a 1,429-foot section of Leimgruber Road — a prerequisite for the lot merger. Speakers called it piecemealing and raised contamination on an adjacent DTSC-restricted parcel.
Federal funding requests for county infrastructure and veterans
The county ratified support letters for four federal funding requests; the Alamo River bridge and Veterans Service Office projects have been forwarded for congressional committee consideration — a promising but not guaranteed step toward funding.
Possible closure of Son Risa assisted living facility
Supervisor Hawk reported the only assisted living facility in Imperial County, Son Risa in Heber (Holtville area), may close, which would force residents to relocate out of the county. County staff and agencies are working on placements and possible solutions.
Senior food security and the Imperial Valley Food Bank contract
The county approved up to $1.05 million to feed seniors through the Imperial Valley Food Bank through 2029, reaching at least 720 seniors a month with fresh produce and protein sourced locally where possible. It comes as food lines grow and El Centro recently cut Catholic Charities meal funding.
H.R. 1 impacts on county safety-net programs
Federal cuts will hit hard locally: about 100,000 residents on Medi-Cal, 49,000 CalFresh recipients, and an estimated $976,000 in added local admin costs. The Board approved letters to state and federal leaders demanding funding and opposing cost shifts.
Essential Air Service carrier selection for Imperial County Airport
Boutique Air made its final pitch to take over the county's subsidized air service, offering LAX, San Diego, or LAX-plus-Vegas options with $39 fares and a promised local maintenance base. The Board hasn't picked a carrier yet.
Behavioral health campus expansion
The county is turning its empty Brawley building into a one-stop behavioral health campus funded by a state BHCIP grant. Residents from the north end — many in recovery themselves — said the two-hour bus ride to El Centro keeps people from getting help, and the Board approved the budget amendment to move forward.
Pedestrian safety at Hot Springs LTVA
A camp host asked the county for crosswalks, signage, and speed calming on the county highway through the long-term visitor area after her dog was killed by a speeding truck; peak season traffic is coming.