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The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Experience,
Concerns,
Balance
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the city council?
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Answer from Pragati Grover:
As a member of Saratoga School Board, I have worked with different stakeholders to build consensus. In these tough budget times, I have been fiscally responsible and managed to maintain high quality of education, made tough personnel decisions, and launched new initiatives such as energy audits. I will bring these experiences to the city government.
From my work on the Saratoga Library Commission, I have seen the power of citizens working together.The Commission's participation with the Friends of the Library resulted in having the Saratoga Library open more hours. The best outcomes result when officials create a shared vision and work with citizens to make it happen. I am very organized, work hard, listen to all sides and make well reasoned, thoughtful decisions.
Answer from Chuck Page:
I have served on the Saratoga City Council since 2006. Prior to that I served on the Planning Commission for nearly 4 years. During my 4 years on council I have served as the liaison to the Chamber of Commerce, and currently serve on the VTA (Valley Transportation Authority) Board, the West Valley Sanitation Board, the Water Commission and the Saratoga Ministerial Association. I have also served as the President & Board Member of the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries, SASCC (Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council - the Saratoga Senior Center), Sacred Heart Parish Council, Coach for AYSO Soccer & LGS Softball League, Saratoga Rotarian since 2000, Saratoga Chamber of Commerce since 2000. During my 4 years on the City Council, I have ensured a balanced budget as a founding (and continuing) member of the Finance Committee, led the effort to install Saratoga's first Civic Solar project, which will generate 1/3 or more of the City's offices electricity needs, resolved neighborhood issues at Prospect HS and the Saratoga Prospect Center (North Campus). I have listened to the needs of citizens who came before the council and ensured that all sides of an issue were brought forward before making a decision. I have worked to ensure less government while bettering Saratoga. I led the effort to provide incentives to businesses that Saratogans would like to see in our Village area.
In my first term as Saratoga City Council Member, I focused on achieving tangible goals, always working to bring citizens into the process and work to acceptable compromise. Your city council members must have this attitude.
Answer from Nancy Kirk:
As a 35 year resident of Saratoga and with 29 years of professional experience in law enforcement as a probation and parole officer, I bring a unique set of qualifications to represent the community needs. I'm highly sensitive to personal and property safety issues.
I have budget oversight experience, having been in charge of the electronic monitoring program for the United States Probation & Parole offices from San Mateo, Santa Clara,
Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey counties.
Currently I am on the Board of the Saratoga Foothill Club, as the rental treasurer.
As the Saratoga Traffic Safety Commission Chair, my mission is to provide safer streets for the community of Saratoga. During my term, projects have been completed for safer bicycle lanes and pedestrian crosswalks.
I am especially concerned about crime and traffic violators who endanger us. This affects our safety, quality of life, and potentially home values.
I am pragmatic. I'll accept no campaign contributions. Nor will I accept endorsements of non-Saratogans, with the exception of Assembly Member Jim Beall. I'll work for residents, not special interests.
Answer from Jill Hunter:
In 1999 I served on the City's Heritage Preservation Commission. I then went to the Saratoga Planning Commission where I served for 5 years. I was Chairman of the Planning Commission in 2003-2004. I then ran for the Council in 2006 and have served as Vice Mayor this year. It has been a pleasure getting to know the City staff and serving the City in this manner.
Answer from Emily Lo:
As Immediate Past- President of Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, i can contribute significantly to revitalize businesses in downtown and other commercial districts. As Board Member of Saratoga-Monte Sereno Community Foundation, I gained insights into community needs. I can leverage my school leadership experience to build partnership with the school community, making Saratoga a great place to raise kids. I can leverage my business and community leadership experience to step up to serve on the Council, to preserve the quality of life in Saratoga, to enhance it's business vitality and to build a community.
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2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them?
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Answer from Nancy Kirk:
I want to see more transparency in government. A recent council decision lead to an initiative being brought by a citizen's group. It was through cooperation by both sides that the outcome of Measure Q will be decided. Had adequate notice been given to the community at large, this very expensive and time consuming exercise could have been avoided.
I would like to initiate a community notification of criminal activity. Through cooperation of the Sheriff's Office, this would provide much value to the community at large.
I would recommend no fee or nominal fee for removal of trees in imminent danger of falling. In turn, higher fines would be given to those who illegally remove trees (especially for historic trees) without a permit.
The Village is in great need of revitalization. I would recommend that the Chamber of Commerce be open on Saturdays to assist visitors with information about local attractions, such as Hakone Gardens, Villa Montalvo, Sanborn Park. An international market in a coop environment would serve our multicultural community.
Business development ideas could be gained by consulting a professional who specializes in business revitalization. We have to get aggressive in seeking businesses to come to Saratoga. And as another top priority, I would promote a farmer's market on a week night in the village.
Answer from Emily Lo:
City's budget. Economy will continue to be tough in the next few years. I will leverage my business experience to exercise strong oversight to the City's budget, to expand revenue sources, and to apply cost-effective models to uphold the quality of services in our City. I will bring value to the City Council by offering solid business experience, fresh perspectives, an open mind, strong, ethical leadership.
Answer from Pragati Grover:
With budget cutbacks at the State and County level, all cities are being impacted. The challenge is to maintain services for ALL of Saratoga in these tough economic times. I served on Saratoga School District's Budget Advisory Committee, which has given me the depth of experience to balance budget while maintaining healthy reserves.
Answer from Chuck Page:
One of the key concerns that Saratogans continually have is improvement to our Village and other commercial areas. Business and Facade improvement incentives have helped, but not made a drastic difference. Businesses continue to exit our city. I have spent time focusing on outside entities (city, county & state officials, businesses, etc.) to let them know that Saratoga is open for business. By extending my reach beyond our borders, I have learned that the businesses that would be a good fit for our commercial areas and the builders who would help renovate/revitalize the buildings to accomodate them have a perception that Saratoga is too hard to deal with. Not necessarily the City itself, but the restrictions put forth by citizens and enacted into city code. I've worked very hard to dispel that, but it is not easy. If we truly want to have a thriving Village or functional commercial areas, we must rely on our planning commission to act in our best communal interests. Businesses will not come to our city until we generate sufficient foot traffic, especially in the Village. Please visit several times a week and take a walk around.
I implemented a new process for public input and policy decisions for our budget process. Policy changes and directions are now set much earlier in the process, giving everyone an opportunity to know the basis of the decision that drive the budget, and ensuring that there are no surprises. It is imperative that I continue this effort, and ensure that city staff do not drive the policy and direction of the city, but the elected officials, acting with our citizens input and interests at the basis, create policy and direction. We are accountable to the citizens.
Answer from Jill Hunter:
The chief concern of the City at the moment is the budget and keeping our City working well when the money is short and, secondly, revitalization of the Village of which I work very hard every day to help. As chairman of the Saratoga Village Development Council I am constantly helping the merchants and building owners and work with them to increase foot traffic .
I am also concerned about our magnificent heritage trees which are disappearing rapidly. I would like to increase the fines for taking down large trees illegally and reduce the appeal fee if your neighbor is cutting down a tree that affects your property. Our vision of Saratoga is of a semi rural, residential community. All decisions of the City Council should be made with that Vision in mind and I believe I have done that for the last four years..
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3. How would you balance the needs of the city as a whole with groups' interests?
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Answer from Chuck Page:
We are blessed to live in a democratic society. Anyone can bring forth an idea or plan, but it is only through public discussion and rigorous communications that we can define new policies. I would much rather listen to someone's far-reaching ideas, knowing that I have the ability, through my own information gathering, the public input process and our city codes/process, to incorporate the best of the ideas, and purge the extravagant portions of them.
When the City Council was confronted this year with an ballot initiative that was created because of a perceived issue with the housing element that the Planning Commission and City Council approved. I proposed that the City Council meet with the initiative group instead of seeing this come to a nasty battle. The City Council did, and we were able to remove much of the unintended consequences from the initiative. Then, a task force of 2 council members, Howard Miller and I, worked with 2 representatives of the initiative group to create the language of the ballot measure. This is how we need to do things in Saratoga - work together to resolve our problems.
Answer from Emily Lo:
As an independent candidate, I will keep an open mind, engage, listen, communicate, understand, and build consensus for the common good.
Answer from Nancy Kirk:
In my profession as a probation officer, it was my duty to weigh all aspects of a case before making a recommendation to the court. I had to consider the seriousness of the crime, how it impacted the victim, and how it impacted society. This background provides me with the capability to weigh the concerns of the City, the concerns of groups, the concerns of individuals and come to a fair and equitable decision.
Most importantly, being retired, I have the time, willingness and energy to devote my full time and attention to the residents of Saratoga. I respectfully ask for your vote. Thank you.
For more information, you may review my forum participation, via http://www.ksar15.org/schedule/, at the following events:
League of Women Voters' Forum, September 23, 2010
Westhope Presbyterian Church Forum, September 28, 2010
Answer from Pragati Grover:
I believe in actively seeking citizen input. I will work to build consensus and teamwork on the Council. I would like to be the bridge between ALL groups in Saratoga and the City Council. My educational background with masters degrees in Mass Communications and Social Work will help me to accomplish it.
Answer from Jill Hunter:
To me, as a Council Member, I represent the 32,800 Saratogans with our City staff to see that the City is run smoothly and that the employees respond quickly to the citizens concerns. I believe I have done that for the last four years and I am proud that our City is well run and the citizens love their City and are proud to say they are residents of Saratoga!
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. Answers must not refer directly or indirectly to another candidate.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
