Orange Chamber of Commerce Candidate Speech

By Darren Wm Smith

My name is Darren Wm. Smith - I'm a candidate for the Orange City Council.

I moved back to Orange 14 years ago and I love it here. My wife, Annabelle, and I were born and raised in this area, and plan to raise our family here. It's an honor to be here today, and an honor to run against such a large pool of candidates. It is truly a tribute to our democratic system to see so many people looking forward to serving their community. I am looking forward to a good campaign, and a healthy debate of the issues. As the campaign progresses, you will see some important differences in how the other candidates and I see the issues, and what our solutions would be.

I am an Information Technology Manager for the County of Orange. The skills required to manage and lead translate well with my experience in public service. To be successful in government you have to have a vision, and you have to be accountable to your constituents. The common good of our city is in need of a vision, and a fresh perspective.

To be successful in business you must listen to your customers. In our local government we must also learn to listen to the people. It's time to listen to the voices of everyone in our community, be they protestors demanding an end to housing development, business leaders, or parents who want a safe place for their kids to play. And after we listen, we need to take action.

To be successful as a city, we need to have a livable city. A livable, people-friendly city with an enviable quality of life is what will give us the edge over other cities in attracting and maintaining a skilled and educated workforce and the business that employ them.

So, what do we do:

• What we DO is invest in our infrastructure so we can accommodate the inevitable growth of our community.
• What we DO is give a high priority to fiscal responsibility
• What we DO is envision a city where anyone would be proud to raise a family.
• And what we DO is be unafraid to debate the difficult issues such as urban sprawl, graffiti and gangs, and public safety. With your support in the upcoming elections, I will help bring forth the debate and the vision for a healthy, thriving city. Together we will enter into the realm of ideas, listen to our community, and find solutions that work for all of us.