Candidate for
Supervisor; Mendocino County; Supervisorial District 1

REASON FOR RUNNING I have stepped forward to run for the First District Supervisor because I am very concerned about the direction our County is headed. We need a representative who will provide leadership in resolving the many critical issues faced by County residents.

I am not a career politician, but an individual who wants to make a difference for the County now and for its future. The negotiation of these critical issues requires a Supervisor with good communication skills and strong leadership abilities in order to find consensus among the diverse interests of our citizens. I am willing to listen, unite diverse groups, and work toward finding solutions that will benefit constituents in the First District and the County as a whole.

The county needs leadership that moves forward, not the kind that is argumentative and results in unresolved policy. We need a Supervisor who will seek out public opinion from all citizens, listen with an open mind to what is expressed, and then work towards a united goal.

After a lifetime of public service working with youth, seniors, families, special districts, local and regional governments and others in the private sector, I have demonstrated the ability and commitment to advocate strongly for those I represent. I will carry forward these strengths for the people of the First District representing their best interests on the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.

COUNTY FINANCES Delivering a realistic, balanced County budget that delivers essential services without deficits will be very difficult in the future. The most important job for a County Supervisor is overseeing the County finances and yearly budget. People must have confidence that their elected official is upholding this important responsibility to constituents. Ignoring and hiding a mounting County debt is a major problem.

Our debt has come from poor management and it will take decades to pay it back. Mendocino County is very possibly the most indebted County per capita in California. Nothing has been done to stop going further into debt and we are hanging in jeopardy during weak economic times. As the First District Supervisor I will not rest until I totally understand how we got to where we are today and what needs to be done to turn around this financial crisis.

I will be committed to providing core services for constituents that includes public safety and health, social services, maintaining roads and planning and building services + all the responsibilities local government should provide for constituents. I will make sure the people of Mendocino County hear the truth about our finances that they should have been hearing for the last decade. I will not ignore this major problem as our debt gets bigger and our County gets poorer.

ECONOMY A high priority of County government must be to build robust business communities in order to provide jobs that pay living wages and add value to local resources. Mendocino County is in an economic melt-down and basically nothing has been done to address this decline. This County can do more to entice small, independent businesses to the County and assist local entrepreneurs as well as working to keep the family businesses we have. There is a lack of vision and will at the highest level of local government in relation to long-term planning.

It takes leadership to work towards economic growth. I have seen the County make promises to rebuild our local economy without result. I am committed to promoting the County effectively to attract employers who will provide well-paying, private sector jobs and assisting those locally to expand their business opportunities.

LAND USE Choices we make now regarding land use will determine the quality of life in Mendocino County today and for future generations. We need to plan for the appropriate use of land for housing, agriculture, other industries, businesses and recreation. Mendocino County needs to grow economically to survive; however, management of growth and where it is placed is essential in order not to exceed the present infrastructure capacity.

Infrastructure and energy planning must meet the needs of the people who live and work here. Besides the critical shortage of water supply, other deficient infrastructure includes limited sewer hook-ups and septic system alternatives, affordable housing, and streets sufficient to handle traffic circulation. Responding locally to the challenge of climate change with aggressive green building practices for new development, incentives for solar systems and a renewed commitment to energy conservation must all be addressed. Making land use decisions only on the basis of projected tax revenue rather than on the basis of planning principles is not good government or sound planning.

We need and I will work for a County General Plan and Ukiah Valley Area Plan based on actual needs that serve as realistic blueprints for decades to come.