League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Clara County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Council Member; Town of Los Gatos

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Experience, Concerns, Balancing interests Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the City Council? Answer from Jim A Russell: please link to the campaign website for detailed information about my background in the "Meet Jim" section. http://www.losgatos4russell.com Answer from Steven Leonardis: Hello I'm Steven Leonardis. I am the current mayor of Los Gatos and I have served on the town council since November of 2010. Since being elected I have logged about 8,000 hours representing the people of Los Gatos. In addition to town council meetings, closed session meetings, meeting and corresponding with constituents, and ceremonial events, my work on council has also been spent serving on boards and commissions such as: The Guadalupe West Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Advisory Committee The West Valley Sanitation District Board of Directors The Town Finance Committee The Santa Clara County Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee The Santa Clara Valley Water District Commission The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Policy Advisory Committee And the The West Valley Solid Waste Management Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors When elected in 2010, I was the newest member of council. If the people choose me again on November 4th, I will be the 2nd longest serving councilmember. I am also the only 2014 council candidate who has 4 years of a voting record on council issues. I'm happy to represent Los Gatos and I am proud of my time helping the people of Los Gatos in making their community a great place to live. 2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them? Answer from Steven Leonardis: Los Gatos is currently thriving, largely because of our rebounding economy, our desirable small-town character and our beautiful surroundings. But that success is being challenged by long commutes and overcrowded classrooms. Soon we will face additional challenges from the North 40 and other projects on Los Gatos Boulevard. If I am re-elected, I will continue to weigh these projects against their impacts on our small-town character, economic vitality and quality of life. Answer from Jim A Russell: please see my website for more detailed information about my positions on the issues facing Los Gatos. See the Issues/Positions section of the website. http://www.losgatos4russell.com 3. How would you balance the needs of the City as a whole with groups' interests? Answer from Steven Leonardis: I will continue to collaborate with fellow council members to build consensus on issues. I will continue to engage the public and listen to them at our public meetings. I will continue to work to update town policies/and ordinances that need to be brought current. I will continue to work regionally with our neighboring cities to resolve issues like traffic, graffiti, and weed abatement on our roads. I will continue to work to balance the town budget and allocate resources where they are most needed. I will continue to support affordable housing, youth, seniors, public safety, education, and our business community. I will continue to enhance quality of life for Los Gatos residents. I will continue to support needs and wants of citizens over special interests. Answer from Jim A Russell: please see the "vision" section of my website for an explanation of this issue. In addition to what is on the website (http://www.losgatos4russell.com) I would continue the efforts I have begun in the campaign to reach out to all segments of the community to discuss and educate myself on the issues. Learning as much as possible about an issue from people representing differing points of view is critical to making a fully informed decision. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. The answer to each question should be limited to 400 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.