Riverside County Makes Local First 5 Commission a County Department

On Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted to make First 5 Riverside Commission a county department in hopes of resolving concerns about potential conflicts of interest, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports (Hines, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 4/14).

First 5 was created in 1998 when voters approved Proposition 10 to increase the state tobacco tax to fund early childhood health care and education programs (California Healthline, 4/1).

Since 1999, the agency has operated separately from the county, although county supervisors have appointed most of the members of its nine-member commission.

State law requires county public health officers to be on the county commissions, and the restructuring will give the board of supervisors authority to appoint the rest of the commission. 

Supervisor Jeff Stone said he planned to remain on the First 5 board.

In addition, the restructuring will make the agency's 26 staff members county employees.

The nine-member commission will continue to administer the agency, but decisions must go before the county board of supervisors for final approval (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 4/14).