Candidate for
Council Member; City of Modesto; Chair #1

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 effectively, 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.