League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Sonoma County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Wyatt C. Bunker Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Petaluma

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

Questions & Answers

1. What is your position on employee salaries and benefits? If you would like to see a change, please explain.

The existing government rewards program is simply unsustainable. Last year, salaries and benefits consumed 80% of the city's general fund. During the fiscal year ending 2009, the average salary of the Petaluma fire department was $109,992 per person, and the average benefit cost was $45,121 per person. In addition, many of the city's employees are eligible to retire at age 50 and draw a pension equal to 3% of their highest salary times the number of years employed. The plan also includes lifetime health care benefits. This lavish program is not the fault of the employees, but of a broken system. We need council members with the courage to reduce salaries and to seek true retirement reform if we wish to stave off bankruptcy.

2. What are your priorities in developing the annual budget?

We need to bring costs under control, and we do this by revisiting the city's employment contracts. In times of high unemployment, it is foolish to lay off workers when simple reductions in compensation and meaningful pension reform will suffice. Critics argue that this will increase turnover, but increased turnover is a healthy alternative to staff reductions. In addition, many other cities have been laying off staff, so I am sure there is no shortage of qualified men and women waiting to fill open positions in Petaluma. Our city is also legally required to maintain a minim number of public safety officers, which is another reason I am against staff reductions. A properly structured deal can avoid the need for layoffs. However, if negotiations in good faith fail to produce an agreement, then I am prepared to seek binding arbitration because Petaluma needs a viable long-term alternative to the current government rewards program.

3. As a council person what can you do to stimulate economic growth?

The power of our city government to correct a problem which exists on a national and even global level will always be limited. However, one way to stimulate economic growth is to facilitate the planning review process. Another is to provide businesses with certainty. We must ensure that any increase in local sales tax or permit/licensing fees is completely off the table. We cannot afford to make it any harder for firms to operate in an already lean economy. The more certain a business can be of its environment, the more willing it will be to take risks in order to grow.

---

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. Candidates may not refer to any other candidates in their answers.

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: October 4, 2010 22:18
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.