Mario Orso takes over as CEO at embattled transportation agency SANDAG
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SANDAG CEO Mario Orso (left) and Nora Vargas, county supervisor and SANDAG board chair. Photo: Courtesy SANDAG
The San Diego Association of Governments has a new leader in Mario Orso, a chief deputy at the state highway administration for the San Diego region.
Why it matters: SANDAG oversees a $1.2 billion annual budget and is responsible for outlining the region's long-term transit and highway plans.
Catch up quick: Orso started at Caltrans as a civil engineer and worked his way up over 32 years at the agency, including a stint last year as acting director for the agency in Orange County.
- At Caltrans, Orso spent time as the agency's liaison to Native American tribes in the region, and he also worked on border-related issues.
Follow the money: Orso's starting salary is $385,000 per year, and he's been hired to a three-year deal with an option for a three-year renewal.
- His predecessor departed with a $433,000 annual salary.
Between the lines: SANDAG's board — composed of elected officials from the region — has been mired in a yearslong debate over the proper balance between transit and car-centric spending in the region's 50-year transportation blueprint.
- Selecting a new director who was an executive at the state's highway agency reflects a shift in that discussion.
Flashback: Orso replaces Hasan Ikhrata, who came to the agency in 2018 pledging to remake San Diego into a transit-first region.
- That mission polarized the board, with leaders from rural and smaller cities aligning against Ikhrata — and especially his attempt to institute a per-mile fee to motivate drivers to reduce the region's carbon footprint.
The latest: There's a still-unfolding toll scandal under previous leadership, which Orso got a clear look at during a meeting last week that included his appointment.
- On Friday, SANDAG's auditor updated its investigation into revelations that the agency improperly charged drivers on SR-125, a toll road in South County.
- The auditor said she's been unable to determine why executives did not alert the board when they learned of the system's failures.
The big picture: The toll-road investigation and the board's feud with Ikhrata are the latest chapters in nearly a decade of dysfunction and scandal at SANDAG.
- In 2016, agency leaders asked voters to approve a tax increase for transportation projects despite knowing it would generate less revenue than they advertised.
- They also did not disclose that a previous infrastructure program generated billions less than projected, which meant the new ballot measure would merely fill that shortfall.
- That tax revenue scandal and the agency's cover-up attempts led to the departure of the previous CEO and a state bill reforming the agency.
What we're watching: SANDAG's transportation plans will be heavily influenced by the outcome of a countywide November ballot measure that would raise sales taxes for transit, highway and road projects.