Making Democracy Work

Your Local Government & Elected Officials

Looking For Your Elected Officials

Click the following link to find your local elected officials: Elected Officials

Local government is complicated because authority is divided between various agencies.

Within city limits, the city governments provide many basic services such as police, fire, road, sewer, trash collection, parks, and water. Other government services are the responsibility of the county. These include public health, welfare, courts, public records, jails and juvenile facilities. Escondido operates its own library but otherwise area libraries are part of a county-administered library system. The county is also responsible for providing law enforcement and road maintenance in unincorporated areas.

Other government-supported services are the responsbility of "districts". The public education system is administered by a variety of geographical districts which often include several adjoining communities. Other "special districts" are government entities which provide a specific service for a designated region and are primarily funded by fees paid by users for their services. For example, the Palomar-Pomerado Hospital District is the government hospital district in our region. Special districts exist also to provide specific services. For example, the Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District provides water service to portions of the City of Escondido as well as both water and fire protection to adjacent unincorporated areas.