Candidate for
Supervisor; Mendocino County; Supervisorial District 2

Political Philosophy

I believe it is the duty of every elected official to put the public interest ahead of their personal interest or the interest of any particular group. I am committed to being open minded, to fairly considering all of the information presented, to listening carefully to differing points of view and to deciding each issue on its merits based on the facts and the applicable law.

On every Board and Committee on which I have served, I have earned a reputation for being hard working, well informed and fair. During discussion I try to address the concerns of others and build consensus for decisions that are in the public interest.

Providing for public safety, for sensible land use planning, securing adequate water resources, properly maintaining public facilities, and ensuring that public funds are spent wisely are non-partisan issues.

Many citizens of the City and County don't know the precise location of the invisible line separating the two jurisdictions - they are only interested in the timely, efficient and cost effective delivery of services. For this reason, I am committed to the City and County developing a close working relationship to better serve the public.

Many people have told me that they don't always agree with me but that they respect me for being hard working, fully prepared and fair minded. I believe it is the duty of our elected representatives to be accessible to the public and for that reason, my phone number (462-3210) and email address mccowen@pacific.net are listed in my campaign brochure. I am also listed in the phone book. We may not always agree, but I am always willing to hear your concerns and point of view so that I can better represent the public interest. Thank you for taking the time to be an informed voter.

Who Supports Me? Why?

My list of endorsers includes community leaders and citizens from across the political spectrum. I have earned their support because I focus on issues and not on the narrow interests of one group or another.

• Issue: County Budget, County Debt and Unfunded Liabilities:

John Dickerson, who has devoted countless hours to understanding local government budgets, and who is currently shining a light on long term county debt and unfunded liabilities, has endorsed me because he believes I am best qualified to understand these complex issues and make informed decisions as the County struggles to regain control of its debt structure. See Mr. Dickerson's website, http://www.YourPublicMoney.com for an explanation of the problem.

I have also called for a review of administrative staffing levels throughout the County. I believe it is more cost effective to reduce administrative costs if possible and devote more resources to the front line employees who are directly providing services to the public.

• Issue: City/County Cooperation

I am endorsed by former City Manager Candace Horsley, Mayor Doug Crane and all my colleagues on the City Council because they believe I am best qualified by my experience and knowledge of the issues to represent the interests of our community to the Board of Supervisors.

We can't assume that Supervisors from the coast or the north county will automatically understand the right approach to issues we face in the Ukiah Valley. As a member of the Board of Supervisors I will be able to focus the Board's attention on resolving long standing points of contention between the City and County.

• Issue: Ukiah Valley Area Plan (UVAP) and General Plan Update (GPU)

I am endorsed by a majority of the members on both the City and County Planning Commissions. Most of them have worked with me and all of them realize the importance of having someone on the Board of Supervisors who has a planning background.

With over eight years on the City and County Planning Commission I am well qualified to address the critical planning issues now before the board. As your supervisor, I will have the knowledge and experience to ask the right questions of staff and the consultants and to make the right arguments to the Board.

• Issue: Public Safety

Public safety organizations and professionals have endorsed me because of my record of support for public safety. As a city councilman I worked successfully to increase public safety funding, put more officers on the street, combat aggressive panhandling and limit the amount of medical marijuana that can be grown on each parcel to reduce public safety and nuisance impacts.

As your Supervisor I will support maintaining the current level of service within the Sheriff's Office and will work to increase staffing when the County's budget situation improves.

• Issue: Employee Relations

I am endorsed by several employee associations and unions because they know I will fairly and respectfully consider their concerns. It is in the interest of the County to restore employee morale and to recruit and retain qualified personnel.

• Issue: Economic Development, Water Resources, Affordable Housing, Improved Mental Health Crisis Services, Protecting Agricultural Land, Preventing Sprawl, and more:

With tax sharing in place the City and County can work cooperatively on land use planning, but also on economic development, water policy, housing policy, and more. The next two years are likely to be difficult for County finances. Now, more than ever, the County and City must work together to provide more efficient and cost effective service to the public.

Who Opposes Me? Why?

In this election I am opposed by two powerful single issue special interest groups. It is an unfortunate reality that for some individuals and groups a single issue becomes more important than a twenty year record of public service.

During the primary election, I was an outspoken supporter of Measure B because I believed marijuana cultivation had gotten out of control. Measure B was a sincere attempt to discourage the commercial growers and others who endanger public safety or harm the environment.

As a result of my support for Measure B many of the leading opponents of Measure B are united in their opposition to my candidacy and are in support of my opponent who was opposed to Measure B.

For the last four years I have been a leader on the City Council in opposing major development proposals for the Masonite site that would have serious negative impacts to our community. I support new development, including new retail development at other locations that are already zoned for retail. There is over a million square feet of land zoned for retail development within the UVAP planning area which is more than enough to accommodate Costco or other stores that may wish to locate here. I favor build out of our existing retail sites.

I strongly favor protecting industrial zoning at Masonite because it is one of our best remaining industrial sites because of its history and because it is not in the flood plain and has no immediate incompatible neighbors. The real issue is for the City and County to agree on revenue sharing so land use decisions can be made based on issues like traffic, water, and sewer, instead of who gets the money.

My opposition to the harmful proposals at Masonite has put me at odds with some of the major development interests in this valley and their supporters. Most of them share two things in common: they have been outspoken in support of the conversion of Masonite from industrial to retail and they are leading members of the Employers Council which has a history of supporting almost any proposed development. The developer seeking the zoning change at Masonite is an Employer's Council member as are other nearby landowners who hope to profit if major retail development occurs at Masonite.

Because the special interests are largely motivated by their self interest, what they say should be taken with a grain of salt. If you really want to know what kind of Supervisor I will make, talk to the people who know me and who have worked with me.

I am supported by people from across the political spectrum and from all walks of life because of my proven record of making fair decisions that are in the public interest.