Political Philosophy for Cyndi Dow

Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Folsom

INTRODUCTION: I fell in love with Folsom's small city charm 23 years ago. I am deeply committed to maintaining our extraordinary quality of life with our low crime rate, healthy business climate and great residential options.

I am not a single issue candidate. Folsom faces ongoing concerns of balancing small town charm with intelligent growth, relieving traffic congestion, maintaining excellent police and fire protection and ensuring quality school. I strongly believe in the importance of city government that lives within its means and citizens that give back to their community.

As your city council representative, I promise to be a passionate participant in the process. The decisions and choices I make on your behalf will be based on research and homework, listening to your input and taking into consideration what is best for our community as a whole.

BALANCING SMALL TOWN CHARM WITH INTELLIGENT GROWTH: I will be a relentless steward of the city of Folsom, committed to ensuring that the integrity of Folsom's small town charm is preserved through intelligent growth. Intelligent growth means maintaining our local employment base and tax revenu necessary to meet the city's challenges with balanced residential, business and clean industry growth. As your city council member, I will be your advocate to oversee success. I support Folsom having control over development south of Highway 50.

RELIEVING TRAFFIC CONGESTION Traffic congestion has been an increasingly serious problem over the last 10 years in Folsom. As a council person, I will support the ongoing efforts of the city to adequately fund and complete the backbone circulation system to facilitate the regional pass-through traffic, thereby freeing up local streets for local traffic circulation. Also, critical for relieving congestion is the completion of key road systems, such as the bridge across the American River, the reconstruction of the Folsom Boulevard Interchange, the completion of the Iron Point Road and the reconstruction of the East Bidwell Interchange.

MAINTAINING EXCELLENT POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION: Protecting our citizens is one of the most important functions of city government. I will fight to ensure the maintenance of police and fire services is a very high priorities in the budget process, including supporting state-of-the-art equipment and progressive crime prevention and early intervention programs, while maintaining a prudent budget surplus.

ENSURING QUALITY SCHOOLS: Competion of the new Folsom High School and the initiation of another elementary school to keep pace with current and projected overcrowding problems will be one of my highest priorities as a city council person. Completion of the high school project will require significant cooperative effort between the city, the school district, the business community and the Folsom citizenry. We must build consensus for a fair and balanced funding plan to finish phase two of the high school without sacrificing the necessary resources to keep pace with the elementary and middle school needs of the city.

GOVERNING WITHIN OUR MEANS: I support city government that is fiscally responsible. As a city council person, and someone who is always cognizant of the bottom line, I will continue to demand a fiscally conservative approach to the overall city budget with a continued emphasis on primary services, such a police and fire. I will also be focused on the expansion of the city's tax base (sales tax, transient occupany taxes) and a decreasing reliance on fees to fund city services. I OPPOSE ANY TAX INCREASE.

GIVING BACK: Folsom cannot maintain such an extraordinary quality of life without the commitment and involvement of its citizens. I am committed to leading by example and encouraging a contagious love for our community that will inspire people to get out and give a little back.