Candidate for
Mayor; City of Antioch

Gary Agopian on the Issues facing Antioch

City Budget

I am very concerned that because of a lack of financial stability in our city budget, vital services to families and kids have been reduced. We reworked our budget to the new realities of limited revenues while maintaining our "high" priority services like law enforcement, code enforcement and the reduction of blight. We made the tough decisions and through collaboration with all labor groups, we to set our city up for success, by reducing employee salary and pension costs. I will continue to maintain a tight rein on our city's finances as your Mayor.

Transportation

We live in a transportation "cul de sac". Although funding has been approved and construction has started on widening Hwy 4, we need to "connect the dots" by extending the highway all the way to the 580 corridor. Only then will we open up the possibilities for real economic growth. We should also take advantage of using Bryon Airport as a commercial epicenter to help stimulate our local economy. The residents of East County have been paying into the BART system for over 40 years and we deserve to get what we paid for.

Jobs and Economic Development

As a member of the Antioch Economic Development Commission for three years, I learned that in order to improve our local economy we need to attract businesses with high paying salaries to our region.

An example of planned economic development would be to utilize the latest thinking around the health careers and attract those employers. Dozier Libbey Medical High School has opened in Antioch. It is the only specialty medical high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was developed with this vision and innovation in mind. I'm proud to be a part of it.

I will continue to work hard to fill empty retail space to improve our tax base and develop our waterfront, including downtown Rivertown, as well as taking advantage of the deep water channel with a new port facility along Wilbur Avenue, and the area around the planned eBART station on Hillcrest. This should be a mixture of office, retail and high density housing to attract the best possible tenants and owners.

Environment

As your Mayor I can assure you that I am committed to improving air quality, drinking water standards and protecting our environment and open spaces from over-development. . I also believe that we should explore ways to incorporate "green" energy and other environmentally friendly resources into our general plan.

Crime

Crime in Antioch must be brought under control. That's why I voted to add 13 new sworn Police Officers, 5 Community Service Officers and 1 Code Enforcement employee back to the city staff. In order to get a better perspective of what police officers encounter on a daily basis, I have participated in several "ride a-longs" with different law enforcement agencies during work hours and in neighborhoods where crime and violence has residents living in constant fear. This experience has given me a profound respect for law enforcement personnel who put their lives in harms way everyday to protect and serve our community.

As your Mayor, I will work diligently to reduce crime in all neighborhoods and make every effort to provide our law enforcement officers with the resources they need to make Antioch a safer place to live, learn, work, worship and play, as our City Vision statement says.

Protecting Our Homes

My 27 years as a professional, working with nationally recognized corporations, has taught me the value of hard work. Nine years ago, I left the corporate world and became a local Realtor specializing in residential sales.

I have watched with concern the drop in home property values and the resulting increase in hard working folks losing their homes to foreclosure. This single issue has negatively affected more people in East County than anything else. Neighborhood blight and crime and the accompanying lower property values has resulted in lowering tax base and the ability of the cities and county to provide quality services.

I will work tirelessly to assist homeowners. I will encourage home buyer counseling, loan work outs, effective first time buyer programs and holding banks accountable for maintaining properties.

Personal Commitment

I believe communities should hold their elected representatives personally accountable. To that end, I promise to be easily accessible.

If you have any questions, please call me directly - 978-0938. Gary