Mitzelfelt: 'I've focused significantly on Hesperia issues'

Brad Mitzelfelt is running for the 1st District Supervisor seat again, for the first time.

Formerly Bill Postmus' chief of staff, Mitzelfelt was appointed to replace him. This June, it's up to the voters.

Although he lives in Wrightwood, Mitzelfelt has an office in Hesperia.

"In the past year and a past, I've focused significantly on Hesperia issues," he said. "I've secured more than $23 million for Hesperia improvements. That's in addition to more than $2.8 million for road improvements in the immediate area," including $1.4 million to be spent improving Summit Valley Road.

The lion's share of the $23 million spent on Hesperia is the High Desert Government Center, which will be built near the city library and city hall.

"It'll be virtually every service that the county provides will be accessible from this government center or somewhere else in the Victor Valley. There will be very few situations where someone will have to drive to San Bernardino if they're a High Desert resident." The 55,000 square foot building "also brings people into the downtown area, and those people will spend money in the area, and that's good for sales tax revenue. It'll also bring more county jobs to the High Desert."

The board of supervisors also approved a $3.5 million fire station in western Hesperia, which will be shared with county firefighters that handle unincorporated areas around the city.

Prior to being appointed supervisor, when he was Postmus' chief of staff, Mitzelfelt helped draft provisions that returned more of Hesperia's property tax dollars given to the county back to the city.

"Hesperia at the time only received 1.59 percent of each property tax dollar that went to the county. That's one of the lowest in the county," Mitzelfelt said. "That increased to 7 percent new annexations that are added to the city, and also added Summit Valley to that."

The new change applies to all the cities in the county, and Adelanto and Victorville have also benefited from the measure since its passage.

Hesperia is so far the only city to benefit from revenue enhancement zones, which were also proposed by Postmus but drafted by Mitzelfelt, and referenced in a recent campaign ad mailed to area homes.

"Areas of 20 acre or larger that have been undeveloped in the city ... that are not in the redevelopment area [that covers 80 percent of Hesperia]," Mitzelfelt said. "The city can apply to the county for revenue enhancement status on the area. ... The city applied for that this year for the Rancho Las Flores area and the county approved that."

The future housing development of Rancho Las Flores -- currently a popular site for illegal off-roading -- will eventually be the site of a 16,000 home development, each of which will provide property tax revenue at the 7 percent rate, rather than the 1.59 percent rate in most of the city.

"I would certainly like to see [the property tax return rate] go even higher," Mitzelfelt said. "You've got to get three votes to get things done, of course."

Next up for the city is a proposal for a joint project with the City of Hesperia to widen and improve Rock Springs Road and add a bridge.

"I'm looking forward to earning a four-year term and continuing to serve Hesperia and the whole High Desert."

Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com.