Benoit Outlines Job Growth Plans As New County Supervisor

RIVERSIDE – John Benoit takes his seat as the County Supervisor for the Coachella Valley. The Republican delayed resigning his State Senate post until now to save the county money in future election costs.

Everybody inside the supervisor’s chamber was clapping now, but soon they’ll be looking to Benoit for answers in getting this financially strapped county back on track.

“In the short term, there are a couple of public works projects, things with the stimulus funds that have been added and made available. We’re going to see 4 interchanges started almost immediately in the Coachella Valley. We’re getting them built at a third to a half less then we thought we might to pay just a few years ago. It’s the time to do that kind of thing to get people back to work,” says Benoit.

And, Benoit may have to ask Sheriff Stan Sniff to cut even more from public safety.

Sniff explains, “That’s really the $64,000 question because any saving the department has to offer at this point forward is largely going to be in unincorporated service levels. Anything else has been stripped to the bone, including many of the overhead management positions.”

Benoit shares his long term goals for Desert job creation, “There should be local jobs created. We should do what we can to make sure when we build a solar facility or install solar that these things are at least manufactured or assembled in the Coachella Valley.”

John Benoit does leave one fight unfinished at the State Senate. Teenager RJ Feild convinced Benoit to push a law mandating random drug checks for mothers on welfare. He was born with cerebral palsy from his mother’s drug use.

Benoit tried, but could not push the bill through in time, leaving RJ Feild looking for another state lawmaker to make “RJ’s Law” a reality.

“It’s good that he’s moving on and I can understand. Hopefully we will find someone that will carry my law and take it for me,” says Feild.