Bob Dunbar-Candidate for Chair 1--Modesto City Council

By Bob Dunbar

My logo lists "Vision," "Integrity," and "Experience" on my signs and mailers. Let me begin with, experience.

I have had a long interest in government. I have an undergraduate and graduate minor in political science with a concentration in urban affairs. I have taught government and economics courses at both Merced and Modesto Jr. Colleges and was a guest instructor in economics at Stanislaus State University. I am the only candidate for Chair 1 with that educational background.

I served on the Modesto Planning Commission for over 8 years, serving as the chairman for two of those years. I look forward to bringing my experience in city planning to the council. With the departure of Tim Fisher, no other current council members have had in planning experience.

I have a thirty-year professional record of being a problem-solver. Serving as a public school administrator at all school levels, elementary to high school, has given me insight into being a good listener and being able to resolve issues for a group of constituents that are much tougher than regular citizens--They are called parents. Now that is a special interest group! The last years of my educational career I served as the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. In that capacity, I was involved in budget preparation and oversight, hiring hundreds of people at a wide variety of job levels, monitoring labor contracts serving two unions, and being one the school district's lead negotiators during collective bargaining. During my tenure there were no unresolved grievances and four successful collective bargaining contracts were achieved without work stoppages or slowdowns. Interest based bargaining procedures lead to amicable resolution of differences.

I am the only candidate for Chair 1 with this kind of experience to bring to the Council.

I have enjoyed a twenty-three year reputation in this community as being a person of the highest integrity not only while working as a school administrator, but also while serving as a planning commissioner. During my years of service, there has never been an issue about my honor, my honesty, or my integrity. This too, I can bring to a council that in the eyes of many is lacking these characteristics.

Whether we like it or not, Modesto will be a city of 250,000 or more in just a very few years. We can't really stop that unless we change the Constitution and our Economic System. People in this country have the right to live where they want to live and can afford to live. Right now Modesto is looking mighty good to a lot of people. That being said, we need to be planning for that kind of population growth whether it comes quickly or more slowly. I have witnessed a city council that has been operating without a clear vision of what Modesto should become in the next twenty, thirty, or fifty years. I have seen a city council that has spent much of its time being reactionary rather than being pro-active. I think that I can bring vision to the council.

My priorities are: Public Safety-- The police and fire departments need to be staffed adequately and to have the ability to recruit and maintain the highest quality personnel. We are currently in a difficult position when it comes to competing with cities around us. We do have some budget constraints that will probably get even more difficult in the near future. We will not be able to close this gap in one year or even two. Therefore, we need to develop a long-range plan for getting both our fire and police departments at the appropriate staffing levels and at competitive salaries and benefits. Once the plan is adopted it needs to have the highest priority during its implementation.

Growth Management--We need make certain that growth is planned for adequately, that we set the highest standards for parks, roads, lighting, sewer, storm drains, and water delivery. Developers need to know what their cost for infrastructure is going to be, up front. That is what helps them determine the market value of developable land. That in turn determines the kind of uses that are economically viable on that land. Once the standards are established, they should not be changed because of any special interest pressures.

Budget Management--We have to be able to afford the choices we make. I will work with the city staff to procure all available means of financing our city needs. There are bonding processes that Modesto has not yet explored. Further assistance through matching funds from both the State and Federal sources need to be pursued more aggressively. We need to negotiate with developers to determine the most cost effective way to provide the necessary infrastructure. Whenever possible the city should get out of the construction business and leave it to private resources.

I want Modesto to be a vibrant, active place with good jobs. After many years the Beard Industrial Park is still not built out. Providing a good corridor between that Park and highways 5 and 99 is imperative. I want to see businesses that are already here stay here and expand rather than move on. I want to do what ever is necessary to bring the kinds of businesses here that the thousands of Modestoans drive over the hill to go to work to. This will mean finding new incentives to entice those businesses away from our city competitors. I want to see Pelandale and Keirnan developed as true expressways. We have great examples of what not to do by looking at Briggsmore and Standiford Avenues.

There are three candidates running for Chair 1. One of us will be elected. We, the CVRA members and I, will undoubtedly agree on the resolution of many items that will come before the Council. There will be some areas where we will disagree either philosophically or out of substance. But, rest assured that I will always listen to every argument, and I will never have my mind made up until I have heard all sides. However, I believe that I am by far the most qualified candidate, the most experienced candidate and the best candidate for your consideration.

If these are some of the things you want, and if you want to see someone with the vision, integrity and the proven experience necessary to get the job done, I would welcome your support.