Flores speaks of challenges, ideas ahead

In his state of the county address delivered Tuesday night, Kern County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff Flores began by stating that Kern County is faced with “unprecedented challenges.”

“Right now, we’re actively battling the Newsom administration for the rights and resources to drill and farm,” said Flores, who represents the Third District. “We’re also vigorously and successfully working to clean up the mess our state has created when it comes to homelessness.”

The annual event, itself the 25th address and the first since COVID-19 first canceled the dinner in 2020, was held at the Kern County Fairgrounds.

County addresses, by tradition, pair catered cuisine with calls to action; speakers lay out goals for the year ahead, but not before reminding those in attendance of the victories they’ve claimed.

More than 600 attendees wolfed chocolate cheesecake, stabbed into

strawberry-topped salads and enjoyed 12-ounce New York strips, all for $100 a ticket. According to Kern County spokeswoman Alexandra Soper, the dinner was sold out, though a few chairs were vacant.

“One of our goals as a county is to be transparent, address the elephant in the room,” Soper said. “Tonight, we’re going to hear about homelessness, we’re going to hear about public safety and addressing the digital divide — these are all concerns of our residents.”

Apart from the food, Flores offered a supply of things worth chewing over, from a reorganization of law enforcement to fighting against state regulations, laws regarding homelessness and solar tax exclusions. The issue of drilling is ever-present in Kern County, which produces roughly 80 percent of California’s oil.

“Under the strictest, most environmentally conscious regulations in the world,” Flores said. “This year, we will continue to advocate for the state to stop relying on imported oil from countries such as Ecuador, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, which have some of the worst human rights violations in the world.”

Flores justly applauded Kern as the “diamond” of California, highlighting its economy, its future in carbon-capture and the county’s passage of Measure K, which officials say will pay for needs such as more sheriff’s deputies and firefighters.

“Growth is a good thing,” said Richard Chapman, president of the Kern Economic Development Corp. “We want jobs and Kern County is, frankly, the largest economy in the San Joaquin Valley. So how do we flex our muscles and tell this story?”

Soper, who organized the event, emceed for the evening, and Pastor Andrew Spradlin of Valley Baptist Church led the opening prayer. Representatives for Sen. Melissa Hurtado, Assemblyman Vince Fong, Sen. Shannon Grove, Rep. David Valadao and Rep. Kevin McCarthy were present. McCarthy’s team submitted a video that played a recorded message from the newly elected House speaker.

“I wish I could be there to celebrate our 25th annual state of the county,” McCarthy said. “As we all know, the Central Valley is the back of California filled with individuals whose tenacity, grit and determination are second to none.”

In the course of the 20-minute speech to most of Kern’s governance, Flores rounded off the issues and ideas presented to and by the county. His conclusion: hope.

“We need to work to address our residents and business owners’ concerns,” Flores said. “I want to assure you Kern County is not only the diamond of California but one the brightest gems of our nation.”