The wrong side of the tracks for residence and business owners in the City of Colton has always been The South Colton Corridor. For decades South Colton has been purposely neglected by some City of Colton Departments due to the low income of its residents. There are no elected officials that live in the South Colton Corridor and the city has chosen to absorb the area into what is now a new district 3, which has led to even less representation.
Thankfully, Alot of change is about to occur in the nation and in the State of California including the City of Colton. For the first time in over 20 years Colton is scheduled for a Municipal Service Review. MSR's are designed to identify where cities are lacking in their service to the communities, they are responsible for along with setting goals through vigorous research, community meetings, surveys and interviews.
The South Colton Diversity Committee will be working with the Local Agency Formation Committee Office (LAFCO) of San Bernardino County for the 2025 Municipal Service Review. The much-needed review will focus on Recreation Services and needs for the entire City of Colton with an emphasis on "Walkable Neighborhoods", Environmental Justice and Racial Equity. LAFCO Executive Officer Michael Tuerpe stated "The Municipal Service Review will be conducted by LAFCO with the inclusion of input from The South Colton Diversity Committee's reports".
The history of Colton runs deep. Dating back to San Bernardino County's first founded city "Agua Mansa" which was the beginning of the Inland Empire and is now the community of South Colton after the area was railroaded. South Colton Diversity Committee Chair Eugene Valdez stated "History is good to know, but a useful heritage is essential to learn in order to recover from some of the major setbacks of the past. A weak infrastructure, mass deportations and corrupt officials were our problems in the 19th century, guess what our problems are now"?