San Diego County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a county charter overhaul that would create new oversight roles while also allowing supervisors to serve up to three four-year terms, according to East County Magazine. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on June 25 to place the measure on the statewide general election ballot.

The proposal would create an independent ethics commission, an independent budget analyst and a program auditor, while expanding public access to county spending and performance data. It also would update parts of the county charter and change the supervisor term-limit cap from two four-year terms to three.

Supporters say the package would strengthen accountability for a county government that manages an $8.6 billion annual budget and serves more than 3.3 million residents. Opponents objected to bundling oversight reforms with a term-limit change that could let supervisors remain in office for up to 12 years instead of eight.

For Santee residents, the measure matters because county government controls major regional services that touch East County, including public safety, health programs, land-use decisions and countywide spending priorities. Voters will see the charter proposal on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, where the debate is expected to center on both transparency reforms and supervisor term limits.

Source: East County Magazine.