League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Butte County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Toby Schindelbeck Answers Questions Candidate for Member City Council; City of Chico

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

Questions & Answers

1. In July 2012 the State Budget Act (SA 1464) suspended some sections of the 1953 Brown Act. To assure transparency in local city government, do you support a resolution reaffirming adherence to the "Brown Act" as it was prior to these suspensions?

Yes I do. However, since our policies and procedures still provide guidelines that mirror the suspended sections, a resolution would be a bit redundant.

2. How can we maintain the essential safety employees (both police & fire), meet their negotiated retirement/health benefits, and protect our city from bankruptcy? What is your solution to this problem which faces so many California cities?

First, we need to honor our existing agreements. Rather than reduce our existing public safety employees' pay or benefits, we need to focus on hiring new police and fire on a two-tier pension and pay system. The reality is that 25% of our police force is up for retirement in the next 3 years. This will allow us to fill those positions with new hires on a reduced and more sensible pension/pay system. Second, we need all of our public employees, public safety or not, to pay their ENTIRE share of their own retirement. The full 9%. This alone will save quite a bit of money. Finally, we need to increase city revenue without increasing taxes. Almost 44% of our revenue comes from sales tax, so Chico needs to attract new businesses and support it's existing businesses with incentives and reduced or waived fees. Encourage business growth, and we will add revenue to the city coffers that can be used for public safety, among other core services.

3. What is your position on maintaining the green belt around Chico?

I love the green line, because it keeps Chico green and rural. However, it needs to be "tightened" up a bit in certain places. The green line should follow natural boundaries likes roads and waterways, but in some areas it is a bit weak where it does not follow these natural boundaries. Also, along Estes road, there are people who own land that is too small to farm but cannot be developed. Hopefully we can resolve that issue and get them some relief. The green line, when adopted in 1982, was recognized as flexible and that it would need to be adjusted in certain areas. Now is the time to make the green line boundary stronger by adjusting it in places to follow common-sense boundaries.

4. What is your position on in-fill building within the city limits of Chico?

I love Chico because of it's wide open spaces, and would like to see that continue. However, I understand that as the housing market gets stronger and our population increases, we are going to see more developers wanting to develop their land. This is inevitable, and should be managed in a way that allows landowners to develop their properties, but also preserves our parks and green spaces. I am not in favor of high-density housing like Doe Mill and other Agenda 21-type developments.

5. Butte County has become a haven for the arts and music. How can, and should, the City Council help promote this asset?

I believe that Chico already does plenty to promote this asset. Artoberfest, Friday Night Concerts in the Park, and events like that are supported and in some cases subsidized, by the taxpayers.

I am also in favor of art in public places. HOWEVER, only if it is paid for by private money. I do not believe that the taxpayers should subsidize art projects, nor do I believe that the planning department should require businesses to pay for art as a condition of their expansion or construction projects.

6. . With the demise of redevelopment funding, how can the City address future development needs, especially in blighted areas of the community?

This is a tough subject, because at this point we just do not have the money to allocate to any type of Capital Projects. Between the Private Developer fund and the Capital Projects fund, we are over $10 million in debt.

The best way that we can help blighted areas in these tough economic times is to pursue grant funding, but most grant funds require a city match. That is a problem.

Again, it all comes down to attracting more businesses to Chico so that we can increase our revenue to fund needed projects.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 18, 2012 13:02
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