Elected county officials sworn in Monday

Close to a dozen elected officials took an oath to serve the residents of the Imperial Valley during a ceremony Monday.

The ceremony signified the beginning of officials coming together to share their vision for a better Imperial County.

For one elected official, it’s time to get to work and keep his promise to voters.

Newly elected District Supervisor Jesus Escobar said, “I’m serving my community and I think my community is underserved. I think this is the step in the right direction.”

Escobar’s district was represented by former supervisor John Renison for eight years.

Meanwhile, Gilbert Otero , the county district attorney, said he won’t lose sight of protecting the peace in the face of new changes to the law.

“There’s a lot of changes in the criminal justice system and we have to be prepared to face those changes. To work with the new laws but also never forgetting that we have a public that we need to protect,” Otero said.

Education is also a big focus heading into 2019.

Todd Finnell, Superintendent of Schools for the Imperial County of Education, said, “So the next four years is about taking those [plans] making sure they get fully implemented. Make sure they get fully adopted by our schools. So that we can make sure that they have the impact that we’re seeking.”

For returning District Supervisor Raymond Castillo, his focus will be creating more jobs and boosting the economy.

“That we’ll bring industry. We’ll bring good paying jobs that will create demands for housing. Demands for goods all across the county. So I think it’s going to be a good next four years,” said Castillo.