League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Patricia "Patty" Mahan Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Santa Clara; Seat 5

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

Questions & Answers

1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the city council?

I have served the City of Santa Clara as councilmember and as Mayor. With 16 years of experience, I bring a wealth of knowledge about the city and the ability to get things done. I am willing to work hard on the difficult issues that face Santa Clara - to improve the economic environment for our businesses, to protect our general fund, to implement plans to bring new jobs and revenues to our city.

2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them?

My biggest concern is the current state of our budget. Following the economic downturn of 2001, our city faced a $25million deficit. We had to use our reserves to balance our budget in the 3 years following, but with financial restraint and sound fiscal planning, we not only balanced our budget in 3 years, we gained budget surpluses over the next 3 years - and saved all of those surplus funds. We rebuilt our reserves, and then the current recession -some even call it a depression - hit in 2008 and we again faced deficits. This time the deficit is far smaller, however, only $5million. What we did before, we can do again, to balance our budget and rebuild our reserves. But it will take experience and leadership to exercise the fiscal restraint and to plan for our future. I offer the city this leadership and experience, and will make this my first and foremost priority in the next 4 years.

3. How would you balance the needs of the city as a whole with groups' interests?

Santa Clara is a cohesive, welcoming and stable community. We all work hard together to make this city such a great success. It is obvious by the achievements of this city that we all work together as a whole in everyone's best interests. It is what has made us the #1 Green City in the nation. It's why we have the third best library in the country and the #1 convention center in Silicon Valley (among the top 14 in America!). Santa Clara has been recognized Silicon Valley's Most Prepared City by the American Red Cross and as the Best All-Round Streets City by the Metropolitan Transportation Agency. We have received the League of California City's Award of Excellence for our Ethics Program. Golf Digest Magazine voted our municipal golf course as one of the country's best, and the Kosmont Rose Institute rates Santa Clara as a low-cost city to do business. This kind of success only comes when Santa Clarans work together and put Santa Clara first!

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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.

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 23, 2010 10:40
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