Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Richmond

Tony Thurmond for Richmond City Council

"Leadership for a Change"

Platform

Leadership

The City of Richmond needs to have "Leadership for a Change". If elected I will provide high quality, professional, and ethical leadership that the citizens of Richmond can be proud of at all times. I will draw upon more than 10 years of experience in non profit management to make the right choices around budget management, trouble shooting problems, listening to and engaging the help of the citizens, and developing a comprehensive vision and plan for restoring Richmond's Pride and Purpose.

Effective Government

I will work to ensure that the people of Richmond have a city government that is effective and efficient in all of its dealings. My first step will be to ensure that all the interim positions in the City of Richmond management structure get filled by qualified and talented managers who know how to get the job done right. The performance of these individuals will be reviewed regularly, and I will also draw upon my program development experience from the non-profit management world to look at ways to make governmenent services as efficient and cost effective as possible. I've worked with several elected officials and representatives from government at the local, state, and federal levels. I plan to continue working closely with elected leaders of other Bay area cities to position the City of Richmond to benefit from trends and best practices taking place in other parts of the region.

Fiscal management

Never again should the people of Richmond be told by their leaders that no one knows where the money went or why we have a deficit. If elected, my top priority will be the sound oversight of how our tax dollars are spent, so that we get the most that we can expect in terms of services from our city. As a non-profit program manager and appointee to a county youth funding committee, I've successfully balanced budgets, allocated funds, and maintained spending within budgetary limits. I will also ensure that Richmond has regular independent audits and as needed I will work to develop a citizen financial oversight board to create greater safeguards.

Economic Development

The City of Richmond needs a plan to attract and retain businesses that will provide the city with new revenue, jobs, and services for residents. If elected, I will commission business and industry led teams charged with identifying new economic development opportunities that meet Richmond's needs. I'm currently supporting the development of an initiative to provide job training and placement for low-income Richmond residents who wish to work in the Biotechnology industry, and to help immigrant women in West County start their own businesses.

Together with business people, residents, community groups, and Richmond's economic development agency, we will implement a plan that builds on Richmond's great assets and helps to position Richmond for future economic prosperity. I will also work closely with local and national foundations to identify additional funding resources for stimulating economic growth and for providing services to Richmond constituents.

Violence Prevention and Neighborhood safety

All Richmond residents deserve to be safe and to enjoy a quality of life free from fear and violence. I plan to work closely with the Richmond Police Department to support community-policing efforts and to develop solutions for making neighborhoods safer. I will also work closely with Richmond town watch groups, neighborhood councils, and non-profit organizations so that the voice of citizens can be heard loud and clear as we address these challenges.

I've coordinated numerous after school programs and walked a beat as a uniformed crime prevention ambassador, so I know that violence prevention in Richmond will require a long-term focus and an approach that utilizes a diverse mix of resources and strategies. To that end, I will seek to promote job opportunities and after school programs for youth and to work with foundations, community based organizations, social policy groups, and research institutions to identify other violence prevention strategies that are working in other cities and employ those strategies in Richmond.

Education

For the sake of our children and the sake of the future of our city we must improve our education system now! I plan to work closely with the West Contra Costa Unified School (WCCUSD) District Board to advocate for our youth and to ensure that the WCCUSD Board members put forth their best efforts for educating Richmond youth. I have coordinated several after school, mentoring, and academic enrichment programs in which I've leveraged resources for supporting the efforts of local school districts. I will look to create new partnerships with local universities, teacher training programs, foundations, youth serving organizations, and employee volunteer groups that result in a greater mix of services being available to support tutoring, after school programs, and the academic achievement of the children in our schools.