Candidate for
Council Member; City of Healdsburg

Long-Term Budget Stability

Last year, Healdsburg had to dip into reserves on the order of $800,000 to close the budget gap. If our reserves run out, drastic measures may be necessary such as layoffs and cuts to critical city services. If elected, I will look at the budget and consider where the money goes and where it comes from to get the budget balanced. On the spending side, I will negotiate with city employees on items such as medical benefits, contributions to retirement plans, perks and bonuses not seen in the private sector. I will consider saving management costs by forming a Fire District and outsourcing Police services to the Sheriff's department. I will consider outsourcing or partnering with private industry for utility work, the planning and building department, and the finance department. On the revenue side, I will explore changing the way the TOT or 'Transient Occupancy Tax' tax is distributed, giving more to the general fund. Most of all, I believe that residents, the City Council, City staff, and employee unions need to work together immediately to solve the financial and pension crises that we face. To make a real, sustainable impact on pension reform and the rising costs of city services, we have to work together.

How City Government can Foster Economic Development

What the city government does best is infrastructure. Twenty years ago, Healdsburg was a small town in middle of the burgeoning wine country - with nothing obvious setting it apart from other small Sonoma County towns. Land owners, investors and city officials formed the Redevelopment Agency to improve the downtown streets, building facades, and sewer system. They buried the power lines and paved the way for new development. This urban renewal was the first step in creating the vibrant community that is Healdsburg today. Jobs and economic competitiveness were a direct result of this redevelopment process. The process needs to continue if we are to remain competitive. Today's development opportunities are challenged by the fact that we no longer have the money provided by the Re Development Agency. I will work to find new ways to fund projects: through Public-Private Partnerships, bonds, and working with developers. I will continue the re-development trend that has made our city such a great place to live and do business, while striving to maintain our small-town character. The Central Healdsburg Area Special Study Area, or CHASSA is the next big idea. We have the opportunity to grow the downtown in a way that has been proven to work. It is time to help property owners, who already know how Healdsburg works, create something wonderful with what is now the most blighted area of town. We have a road map of how it was done successfully right in front of us.