Merced County honors ‘Mission, Vision, Values’ Award winners for ‘above and beyond’ service
Two winners of the annual Mission, Vision, Values Awards were honored by local leaders on Tuesday for embodying the best of Merced County.
The County Sheriff’s Enforcement Team and Code Compliance was chosen as a victor alongside the County Workforce Development Board.
The annual award was started in 2019 to acknowledge local agencies, programs, committees, commissions and districts that best represent Merced County’s mission, vision and values.
The county’s mission is to “provide quality public services that enhance and protect our diverse community,” with a vision of “a thriving and inclusive Merced County,” according to its website. Integrity, innovation and inclusion are held up as the county’s foremost values.
The two victors were picked among a total of six “competitive” nominees for the 2021 awards, County Supervisor and Board Chairman Lloyd Pareira said Tuesday. Candidates were ranked by a scoring committee made up of the Board chair, vice-chair and three at-large members.
This year’s winners were presented their awards during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, where fellow colleagues and elected officials lauded their contributions to the community.
The County Sheriff’s Enforcement Team and Code Compliance handles day to day issues like illegal cannabis cultivation, illegal solid waste dumping and abandoned vehicles. The team was applauded for providing alternatives to traditional law enforcement avenues.
County officials praised the award winners for building trusting relationships, creating individual intervention plans and connecting unhoused individuals with services.
“I don’t know if folks realize when this team gets together, how fast they react to these calls they get. Sometimes it’s just minutes,” County Sheriff Vern Warnke said Tuesday. “I’m so proud of each and every one of you for going out and doing what you do.”
The Merced County Workforce Development Board was recognized for not only fostering the local labor force, but for its efforts combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board went “above and beyond” during the pandemic, including disseminating resources at COVID-19 vaccination clinics helping residents with childcare, Pareira said.
The Workforce Development Board was also commended for connecting residents and businesses to create enduring local employment opportunities. “This is one thing where government has gotten it right,” Supervisor Daron McDaniel said of the Board. “We’re not just offering (residents) jobs, we’re offering them careers.”
