League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA June 3, 2008 Election
	Sean Sullivan Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Oakland; Council District 3

The questions were prepared by the the League of Women Voters of Oakland and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. Since the biweekly schedule for council and council committee meetings often significantly limits the time available for public input, what changes would you make to give the public real opportunities to give input and to feel that their input is valued?

The City Council's current bi-weekly meeting schedule is not sufficient to provide adequate opportunities for public comment and thoughtful discussion of important issues. If elected, I will advocate for a return to weekly meetings.

But citizen input should not be limited to public meetings. I will have an open door policy for concerned constituents, and I will hold regular town hall meetings throughout the District. I am committed to respecting the opinions and input of our many citizen Boards and Commissions, and working with them to identify solutions.

2. What is your assessment of the City's present records management program and how would you change it?

The City needs to make public records more accessible to the citizens, and our current records management system needs a complete overhaul. I will work with the City's Department of Information Technology to ensure that the public has readily available access to official documents from the Planning Commission, Public Ethics Commission, and other Boards, as well as access to accurate crime statistics.

3. How might the City work more effectively with the School District?

The first thing we need to do as a City to assist the schools is to improve truancy enforcement. Oakland's School District loses out on millions of dollars every year because so many of our students are not in the classroom. I will advocate for increasing truancy officers, and to create site-based truancy centers.

---

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' answers are presented as submitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 24, 2008 13:48
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.