Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Sonoma

I was re-elected four years ago after promising a pro-active approach that anticipates the future instead of just responding to it. Sonoma today reflects the success of that approach. Our city budget is in its best shape in a decade; our development code now requires more public participation in development decisions and controls the size and character of new development; we have created a UGB to prevent sprawl; the Overlook Trail now provides public hiking where the Rosewood hotel was proposed; a new 3-million gallon water tank has improved our water storage and delivery system; the toxic waste at the old "burn dump" has been entirely removed; street tree planting and open space plans have been budgeted; and basic public services like police and fire protection are secure, with successfully negotiated long-term contracts in place.

To be sure, we still face challenges, and those include further controlling the pace of commercial and market-rate housing development; protecting our locally-owned, independent businesses by making it harder for big chains to move in and take over; providing affordable workforce housing; preserving health care in the Valley; protecting our environment, particularly creeks and streams; improving pedestrian safety and expanding our walking and bike-path system; and slowing the rising cost of local government.

I intend to continue to be pro-active. I will continue to vigorously defend the interests of the citizens, even when it's controversial. I will continue to study the issues and use my eight years of experience on the council to provide context and continuity in making decisions. I will continue to solicit citizen opinion and participation, and encourage the community to be involved in our local government.

The wonderful quality of life we enjoy is not an accident. During the last eight years I have worked with many others to identify those characteristics that make our city special, and to develop ways of preserving and enhancing them. Looking to the future requires more than faith and hope, it requires experience, vision, planning and lots of hard work. I bring these elements to our City Council, and I ask for your vote.