Escondido

An Escondido planning commissioner and slow-growth advocate Thursday publicly endorsed San Diego County Supervisor Paul Eckert in his bid for reelection in the June primary.

David Barber, 30, a member of the commission for two years, came forth with his support for the supervisor to dispel “the confusion that Eckert is pro-growth and responsible for uncontrolled development in North County.”

“I’ve spent the time and done my homework,” the county social worker said. “Paul’s record shows he had helped manage growth.”

Organizers of Eckert’s campaign held a press conference in a county-owned rural area outside of Escondido on Thursday to illustrate that development in the unincorporated areas of North County has been kept in check.

The endorsement is unusual in that Eckert, a van and storage company owner from Vista who has served on the board since 1978, is best known for his support of private property rights, which have endeared him to the development community. Many of his opponents say that Eckert is responsible for North County’s transformation from flower fields and hillsides to tract homes and apartment complexes.

There are six people seeking the supervisor’s seat. The candidates are Oceanside City Councilman John MacDonald; Carlsbad Councilman Richard Chick; Vista Mayor Michael Flick; attorney Clyde Romney; Richard Repasky, a former U.S. Secret Service agent from La Costa, and Edmund Fitzgerald, an Escondido resident who manages the parts department for a Poway auto dealer.