Priorities
As a member of the Pleasanton City Council, my focus will be on several key policy priorities to enhance the well-being of the community.
PUBLIC SAFETY
As I continue to connect with neighbors to hear what matters to you, I also want you to know what matters to me.
As a retired Police Captain with more than 30 years of service to my community, the issue of public safety is of paramount importance to all of us. The best relationships between law enforcement and the community are grounded in trust—that we’ll show up when you need us and that we’ll get there as quickly as possible. But our emergency response times in Pleasanton have been heading the wrong direction, as have property crimes. We used to respond to emergencies in under three minutes; now it takes up more than five. We can and must do better.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
According to our City’s leadership team and City Council, we are currently in a fiscal crisis and have a severe and ongoing “structural deficit,” their only solution for which is a ½ cent sales tax proposal, Measure PP, which you will have the chance to vote on this November.
The City claims to have saved where they could and is asking us to supplement the City’s budget by $10 million a year for the next 10 in order to prevent cuts to essential services, like police and fire. I don’t believe the City did their homework thoroughly enough and that we deserve a full and transparent process, just like the school district is currently undertaking, to determine where and whether more savings can occur prior to asking for a tax increase. City leadership has said they cut their budget to the bone by reducing their budget by $2.5 million dollars, this equates to about 1% of their total allocated budget. I have a hard time believing this is the best effort from our City’s leadership.
Having been in law enforcement for more than 30 years, I’ve seen my fair share of budgets and have had to manage them, in both lean times and lush. It isn’t always easy when times are hard, but I have a proven track record of prudent financial management and fiscal accountability.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
“Development” is one of those trigger words in political campaigns that’s used as a wedge issue to drive us further apart from one another. I am neither “pro-growth” nor “no-growth,” but I am committed to sustainable development that comports with our unique community and safeguards our natural environment. I believe we need to take full control of what gets developed in our own backyard and not allow developers to circumvent our zoning rules and requirements like we now see happening in East Pleasanton.
As we all know, cities are mandated by the State to allocate more zoning for more houses, and if I’m elected to serve you on the City Council, I will do everything in my power to see that any development undertaken is done in such a way as to minimize the ecological impacts, promote sustainability and supports entry level homeownership.
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WATER
Water that is safe, affordable, and clean should be a fundamental right of every Californian. Yet sadly, there are people living in communities in California who don’t have access to clean water. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen to us. Pleasanton has an annual allotment of 3,500 acre-feet (AF) of water every year, roughly 20% of our annual need, yet we can’t access any of it due to PFAS contamination. But with all three of our water wells closed due to per- and poly- fluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination, we need to focus more attention on solutions that will allow us to regain access to those wells.
Did you know that PFAS was discovered in Pleasanton Wells back in 2019 and that just now, 5 years later we have finally drilled a test well to ascertain if the new well site is free of PFAS? Construction of a new well will take another few years before we obtain any water from the test site. Five years have gone by, and we are also no closer to a solution for the treatment of PFAS from Pleasanton owned wells. This is a costly endeavor; however, it should have been a priority to ensure the future of Pleasanton’s clean water supply.
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SAFE SCHOOLS
Our school district is considered one of the best in the Bay Area. I am honored to have the support and endorsement of four out of five Pleasanton Unified School District Trustees. That kind of support comes from my commitment to fostering strong relationships within the school district, one that is based on open communication and collaboration. It greatly concerns me when the people we elect threaten to take away core services to our community and break from long time commitments when there are other options available.
Read MoreECONOMIC VITALITY
A thriving community needs economic drivers to provide the resources, jobs, and amenities that make a community like ours a desirable place to live. That is why we need a strong economic vitality program. By focusing on attracting businesses, creating job opportunities, and supporting both large and small enterprises, I believe we can continue to deliver the economic results to both stimulate growth and enhance our community.
Read MoreCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INCLUSIVITY
My emphasis on active community participation reflects as core belief and commitment to democracy, transparency, and inclusivity in local governance. I believe community engagement is critical to a community’s success, and I’ve been involved for more than 30 years in my community in a variety of ways. We are a stronger and better community when we know one another, and we commit to civic involvement and community engagement. It is vitally important that our representatives listen to and work through community concerns. It greatly concerns me when our current Council majority disregards public input and follows through with their own preconceived ideas.
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