Questions and Answers

By Steve Tate

My answers to frequently asked questions.

2. What is the most important issue facing our City? The recent recession and its continuing impact on our financial status. It is essential that we maintain our sustainable budget strategy to assure the future financial well-being of the community. It has required making tough decisions, cutting services to the community and doing things even more efficiently with ever-scarcer resources. We have a great staff that has met all the financial challenges they have faced with a positive, can-do attitude. I am optimistic that we have weathered the worse of the financial storm and will be stronger going forward as a result of our experience.

3. If elected, what will you do differently over the next two years? First priority is keeping very much on top of our financial situation and navigating to a budget that is not only balanced, but restores General Fund reserves.

I've learned the value of having regional partnerships and being able to influence issues of concern to Morgan Hill at the regional level. I have built a large network of elected officials in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties as well as State Assembly, State Senate and Congressional electeds and staff. I will be continuing to build Morgan Hill's regional influence.

One of the things I like most about this job is the variety of issues and different topics that come up, there is always a fresh challenge to take on and we have quite a few on the horizon. I am eager to take them on!

4. How do you intend to control City costs? We must continue our tried and true method for this + our Sustainable Budget Strategy. We do frequent updates to a five-year projection of income and use them to set, or adjust if necessary, our budget. Judicious use of reserves has been employed and there is a mechanism to assure we don't over use them to create a deficit.

The entire Council has demonstrated over the past couple of years a intense focus on costs and diligently challenges our cost-conscious staff to look for even more ways to save.
5. How will you get staff to accept changes and still be positive when dealing with residents? We have outstanding staff that understand the importance of customer service and also understand the realities of our financial situation. We work closely with our staff through our employee bargaining units so that when changes need to be made, our employees are part of the process and "own" them, so changes are not mandated by management.

6. What specifically are you going to do to make private sector job creation in Morgan Hill possible? We have comprehensive strategies to retain, attract or help businesses expand. Morgan Hill is being extensively advertised as "business friendly" in the San Jose Business Journal, producing good results. Recently relocated businesses like Honda of Morgan Hill, Kenworth Trucks and soon to open Hobby Lobby are excited to be here and can provide positive testimonials about what a great place this is to do business.

We also work jointly with other cities in our County on a regional approach to business attraction and retention, and with our Chamber on programs to attract new business. I am very open to other ideas and suggestions to expand our business and job population her in Morgan Hill, it can really help our long term financial well being.

7. How will Morgan Hill be better with your leadership for the next two years? Morgan Hill can be even better than the outstanding community it is today. We'll be further along implementing the downtown vision, making it a reality. We'll know our firm direction for the southeast quadrant and projects could be underway there, including the Catholic High School. A General Plan update will likely be near completion, extending the community's vision by another ten years. We'll have acquired additional land for future recreation, and can start planning its use. If the economy continues to cooperates and the slow recovery continues, we can potentially reinstate some cut services, which will make us safer and better able to maintain our assets. We will definitely retain our small-town feel and sense of community, and be stronger for having weathered the these difficult financial times.

8. What separates you from the other candidates? Experience, leadership, interpersonal skills and established relationships.

9. How do you plan to engage the community to address the challenges we have in Morgan Hill? We have great citizen support in Morgan Hill, but the number of people that get out into the community to participate in dialogs about future direction is quite limited for a city with a population nearing 40,000. We would definitely like to see more involvement so we can have more confidence that the input we get is representative of the entire City.

One benefit of the Mayor/City Council campaign is that we will engage some new participants and we will encourage their future involvement. Decisions about what we plan for the South East Quadrant need as much public input as possible and I will encourage participation during the campaign. Reaching out and "engaging" more citizens is very important as we go into our General Plan update process, essentially establishing the community's vision an additional ten years into the future.

10. What role does Morgan Hill play in South County? How about in the Silicon Valley region? Morgan Hill has a very close relationship with Gilroy and with Santa Clara County through our South County Board representative Mike Wasserman. We work very collaboratively on issues such as High Speed Rail, Caltrain service and gang prevention strategies.

It becomes more and more important over time to have influence and be a respected voice in the region. Transportation issues, water issues, environmental issues, employee contractual issues are just some examples of why this is so important. I serve as President of the League of California Peninsula Division and Vice President of the Santa Clara County Cities Association Board. Not too long ago, San Jose planned to pave over Coyote Valley and we were not given any input whatsoever to their plans. Fortunately the new San Jose administration wisely scrapped those plans, but I don't want Morgan Hill to ever be "odd man out" again.

11. Why should I vote "Tate for Mayor"? I love Morgan Hill; it is a very special place. Living here, I have grown increasingly attached to and involved in this wonderful community. My community knowledge, my extensive experience, and my leadership skills are excellent qualifications for the ultimate leadership role in Morgan Hill, and I believe I have performed it very well over the past six years. I am excited and eager to continue serving a mayor.