Read More About My Priorities

By Teresa A. Barth

Encinitas is well positioned to make changes now that will provide a fair wage for employees while protecting the city's long-term financial sustainability.

Open Government: Transparency is the foundation of an ethical government. Local policies that go beyond the minimum requirements of the Brown Act and the Public Records Act help to strengthen the public's trust and confidence in government.

I proposed creating a citizens task force to work with staff to craft a Sunshine Ordinance for Encinitas. Unfortunately, the majority did not support my proposal. The argument was that the city was already in compliance and additional laws were not necessary. I don't consider compliance to be equivalent to leadership. I believe we should strive to do the Best not the Least.

When re-elected, I will again propose a Sunshine Ordinance for Encinitas. The citizens of Encinitas deserve nothing less.

Community Character: The city is currently in the process of updating the General Plan for the first time since incorporation 24 years ago. The public has overwhelmingly (95% of participants) identified "Preserve existing neighborhood character" as a top goal. I attended all the community workshops and the lectures series, the message from the community was clear....maintain and protect the unique character of all five communities, protect the environment, create a more walkable & bikeable community and encourage local, small businesses.

The city must be pro-active in working with SANDAG and CALTRANS on the I-5 expansion plans. We need some improvements to the freeway but the mega-project currently proposed will be detrimental to Encinitas.

Capital Improvement Projects: Two many community supported projects have not been completed...Beacon's Beach access; Moonlight Beach life guard tower; 2nd phase of west Leucadia Blvd; East Leucadia community park; neighborhood traffic calming and the Hall property park. It's time to take a serious look at available funding and move forward.

I am positive that by working together we can protect our quality of life and keep Encinitas a wonderful place for future generations.