East County Small Businesses Get a Lifeline: $300,000 Revolving Loan Fund Gets the Green Light

On Tuesday evening the San Diego County Board of Supervisors gathered, shuffled papers and, after a brief discussion, voted unanimously to set aside $300,000 for a brand‑new revolving loan fund aimed at East County’s small‑business community. The money will move from the Office of Emergency Services to the Office of Economic Development & Government Affairs, where it will be the seed for the so‑called Empower East County Business Revolving Loan Fund.

What’s really exciting is that this $300K isn’t standing alone. According to Supervisors Joel Anderson and Monica Montgomery Steppe, the county will be able to pull in another $400,000 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. In other words, the fund will have roughly $700,000 to circle around, loaning to businesses, getting repaid, and then loaning out again.

The program is designed to serve entrepreneurs in El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Santee and the unincorporated pockets of East County. And it won’t just be about the cash – borrowers will also get technical assistance through the local Small Business Development Center, which means hands‑on help with everything from marketing to bookkeeping.

Anderson reminded the room that this isn’t the first time such a program has paid off. “We’ve helped more than 570 businesses, created 53 full‑ and part‑time jobs, retained over 500 jobs, launched 25 new firms and trained roughly 1,800 people,” he said. Those efforts have translated into about $3.3 million in extra sales for local companies – a boost that fattens the tax base and, frankly, makes the whole community a bit more resilient.

Montgomery Steppe, whose parents ran a family shop, added a personal note. “I’ve seen first‑hand how hard it can be for small owners to keep the lights on,” she said. “That’s why it matters to back the people who are actually driving change, not the big, faceless corporations.” She was quick to point out that the loans are earmarked for family‑oriented businesses – no megacorp‑type loans here.

Deputy Director Steve Lockett chimed in, emphasizing that the revolving nature of the fund means every repaid loan will be recycled to help another entrepreneur. “It’s a self‑sustaining engine for growth,” he noted, “and it gives East County businesses the stability they need to expand and create more local jobs.”

For anyone watching the local economy, this move feels like a breath of fresh air – a tangible commitment that small enterprises, the true backbone of the community, are finally getting the financial and technical support they’ve been asking for.