Who Is Candice?

By Candice Signa

For More Information - visit: http://www.candice4citycouncil.com

I am overwhelmed with pride and joy to be a part of this historic time in our town (and our nation) and believe so strongly in the incredible possibilities that lie ahead for the city and people of Buellton.

Who am I? I am your neighbor. Our family lives over near Oak Valley School. You might see me driving our children to school on the morning, walking to get the mail, at soccer practice at Oak Park, down by the river catching tadpoles, at Albertsons or the Ostrich Farm, setting up my open house signs around the Valley, volunteering at Oak Valley School (which is more fun than it sounds), singing in the Worship Team at the Santa Ynez Presbyterian Church, or playing with our unruly rabbit in our yard.

My family has Cherokee and Irish ancestry and roots in the American South, which you'll hear in my voice sometimes. But I grew up on a farm in rural, mountainous Northern California in a tiny little town called "Miramonte" (my attraction to small, wonderful, rural towns runs deep). We then moved to Fresno where I lived for ten years prior to coming to Santa Barbara to study at the University at age 18. I never left! Santa Barbara County has been my home ever since! My grandmothers (both grandfathers are deceased) and mother both still reside in the Fresno area, my brother and sister-in-law live in Arizona, and my sister and her Navy pilot husband and their infant son are currently stationed in Texas. My husbands' parents live in Orcutt and his only brother in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ten years ago, my husband and I began a love affair with the islands of Hawaii and particularly Kauai, where is our second home, and travel there as often as as can with our children. You will often hear me refer to the "aloha" spirit, which is something we adopted from the Hawaiian way of treating every neighbor as "ohana" or 'family'. I genuinely believe in that. At the end of our lives, possessions, fame, wealth, or ego is not going to matter. The only lasting heritage is going to be what we have taught our children and how we have treated others. Family. That is what matters the very most to me in the world.

I am a licensed, professional Realtor. I began my career in Santa Barbara in 1997 and earned recognition as the top rookie Realtor in my office in my first 4 months in the business with top sales records and client satisfaction results. NOT because I was a consummate saleswoman, but because I committed myself to a different business model: I went slower, I listened to my clients, and I took time with people when so many others would not. This brought me incredible joy. The solid reputation of success I built was responsible for the repeat business and referrals I've enjoyed for over 11 years now, and it followed me as we moved from Santa Barbara to the Buellton in 2002.

Real Estate is about serving and advocating for the needs of others. It has afforded me over a decade of various experience in dealing with Planning Boards, Zoning Commissions, Variances, Inspections, Permitting, and Processes, all areas of Real Estate Transactions and negotiations - both in residential and commercial - and in development and cost analysis. Much of the professional experience I have earned as a Realtor is directly applicable to the skills that will be called upon as a City Council member. Many times, the Buellton City Council is called upon to consider multi-faceted Real Estate or development or Planning proposals. I am especially familiar and uniquely experienced with these types of instruments, development projects, and architectural blueprints and articles. I bring with me over a decade-long, well-honed Real Estate background in understanding, analyzing, and perusing for potential areas of resource drain as well as benefit to our community, exactly the types of projects and proposals that are brought before the City Council for consideration. For more information on the status of current projects in the City of Buellton, please see: http://www.cityofbuellton.com/Projects/Project%20Listing/09-08.pdf

In addition to my Real Estate practice, I also teach dance at a studio in Los Olivos, sing in the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church Worship Team and in other various venues throughout the Valley and California, and serve as the bookkeeper for the business that my husband and I own out of state. My husband, Mark, is a 19-year veteran Police Sergeant with the University of California Police Department, working in Isla Vista, and is my best friend and personal hero. We have two children, a 7-year old daughter and 4-year old son, who both attend local Buellton schools and for whom Buellton has been the only home they have ever known.

My hobbies include singing, organizing, scrapbooking, participating in Texas Hold' Em poker tournaments in our garage or local charity events (I won a trip to Hawaii in a recent charity tournament), travelling to Hawaii with my family, writing, playing with my kids, and watching movies (our family has a collection that rivals Blockbuster).

As a candidate and a person, I am unique in my inclusive, compassionate, joy-steeped approach. The business of bureaucracy does not have to be mundane. It should involve as many of us as wish to be involved because the future of our town and our children's inheritance here belongs to us all. I believe in being as transparent and available as possible, amplifying the will of the people into actuality, and involving as many neighbors as possible in the process of discussion and of executing policy. I believe in combining intelligent leadership with a commitment to equality and listening to each and every person as a valued individual with something vibrant and unique to offer. I commit to being a good steward and fervent protector of every quality resource in Buellton: our people, our community, our open spaces, our homes, our finances, our children, our rural feel and lifestyle - everything we hold dear.

I believe organic growth should be welcomed, as growth is a normal and beneficial part of life. But I also believe that, just as in cooking - in which there is a recipe one follows to ensure that ingredients are not thrown together on a stove haphazardly but instead blended together purposefully and harmoniously to create something delicious and nutritious - we must honor our General Plan, which is Buellton's recipe, to manage our growth to the benefit of all and create something healthy, architecturally cohesive, and environmentally sound for Buellton's long term plan.

My philosophy of elected representation is that of a public servant: humble in spirit and careful to avoid arrogance or becoming convinced of one's own superiority. I am not running because I think I am the most intelligent, wisest, perfect, or most brilliant person in Buellton. I most decidely can declare (and my husband and children can further attest to this) that I am NOT any of those things. I am a work in progress, a person on a journey through life. I am intelligent and have very specific, relevent experience to the City Council position that will greatly aid me in navigating this position. I come before you with a strong work ethic, a passion for the job of caring for others with a joyful heart and a strong desire to do what is right so we can be proud of our town and the direction we are taking together. I am not promising or peddling perfection. But I will do my utmost to serve my neighbors and safeguard as a steward the things we hold collectively dear.

In this endeavor, I am fueled by a belief in the collective brilliance of my friends and neighbors here in Buellton. I am motivated by a desire to shine that light into the Council as a reflecting beacon of the will of the people - I truly care what people have to say, give, and contribute and want to amplify that in the spirit of equality. I believe that we all have valuable input to offer and this is OUR collective town, I don't own it anymore than anyone else, and I come with no agenda other than to serve. Every single citizen of Buellton matters and CAN make a difference. This is our town, and it is such a beloved place with such hope! Let's make a difference together!

I am honored to be a candidate for Buellton City Council in this election and would be deeply honored to have your vote! If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to email me at csigna@verizon.net. Thank you. PLEASE VOTE. Your voice is so important! Be heard!