Newport Beach remains one of the nation’s most admired, beautiful, and best-run communities – even in the midst of pervasive economic uncertainty. But in the coming months and years, our city will continue to confront major issues that require tested leadership and difficult decisions.
Ensuring robust economic growth and redevelopment, maintaining our traditional high levels of police, fire and paramedic service and response times, protecting Newport Bay and our other irreplaceable natural resources, and providing the very best care and services for our growing population of seniors: These are just a few of the many important and complex issues that together we will tackle. Thank you for reviewing my web site, which will tell you where I stand on these critical issues and demonstrate the leadership I’ve provided during my service on our City Council.
Conservative Fiscal Management
In these uncertain economic times, it is absolutely critical that your Councilmembers serve as tough fiscal watchdogs over public monies. Since joining the Council, I have fought hard to ensure our city works from a balanced budget – even in the face of lower revenues over the past several years.
I serve on the Finance Committee and despite lower revenues we have continued to balance our budgets without impacting services to our residents. We’ve tackled a number of issues and have done the following to close out an $8 million shortfall:
- Reorganized departments
- Reduced our workforce
- Eliminated non-critical general fund expenses
- Eliminated salary increases
- Outsourced where cost-effective
- Required a larger contribution by employees to their pension funds.
These and other initiatives will continue into the future to assure continued balance budgets regardless of our revenue level.
Environmental Stewardship
When people the world over think of Newport Beach, its unsurpassed natural beauty and recreational resources come to mind: Our city’s miles of beautiful beaches, trails, and graceful bluffs. These irreplaceable resources give our city its unique and admired identify – and by extension, define all of us who live here. For that reason I have worked – and will continue to work – tirelessly as a steward to protect the natural wonders and recreational opportunities that contribute greatly to Newport Beach’s special and admired character.
The water of our beaches and bays are critical to our community’s environmental health, our economic health and our recreational vitality. Keeping these waters clean and navigatible has been one of my highest priorities and missions.
Four years ago I pledged to preserve the lifeblood of our community – Newport Bay. I’ve worked tirelessly to restore and maintain Newport Bay. Working with my colleagues and Congress I helped to secure $17 million to compete the Upper Newport Bay Eco-system Restoration project.
Upper Newport Bay was rapidly becoming a meadow – now we are restoring the ecosystem.
I will continue to carry the momentum of this project to get the job done in Newport Harbor. We must improve navigability and water quality for economic and recreation purposes.
Public Safety
A city can offer stunning vistas, an endless array of things to see and do, playgrounds for its children, and jobs for their parents. But if it doesn’t offer the people who live and work there a feeling of safety and security, everything else is meaningless. Newport Beach is renowned as an extremely safe city. If I am elected to a second full term, I will continue to make your safety and security my priority. This will include ensuring we maintain our traditional high levels of police, fire, and paramedic service and response times.
Economic Growth and Revitalization
As a Councilmember, I am fighting to make sure that we enact policies and provide a welcome environment that enable businesses in our city to thrive. I’ve championed economic growth, as well as high-quality and appropriate redevelopment where it makes sense. Like you, I am pained by the closed shops throughout our city, but encouraged by new investment that promises to produce places such as The Landing, a beautiful facelift and makeover of the shopping center near City Hall. Similarly, we have an opportunity to do something very special, in the public interest, along Mariners Mile, in and around Lido Village, and on the site of the soon-to-be abandoned City Hall. It takes a community pulling together – not apart -- to survive and then once again thrive.
Seniors
You can tell a great deal about a city’s character and heart by the way it treats its senior residents. In Newport Beach, our seniors have contributed so much to the fabric and success of the community – and that is why I have been such a strong supporter of services and programs created to honor them and enrich the quality of their lives. One of these efforts that I so strongly support is the OASIS senior center. When it opens in October of this year, it will serve as a wonderful symbol of Newport Beach’s respect for, and appreciation of, our senior residents.
|
