City of Citrus HeightsCandidate for City Council

First and foremost, I believe in financial responsibility when it comes to spending tax dollars on local services.  We have always had a balanced budget during my tenure over the last twelve years.  And we have always kept money in reserve, paid our pension obligations, never entered into debt and never raised taxes.  Without staying finacially sound, we would not be able to deliver on all of our other priorities, such as:

• public safety
• economic develpoment
• education
• streets and roads
• reducing homelessness
• enhancing our neighborhoods​

In four years, our Revenue Neutrality Agreement will be satisfied with the County and we will finally receive our property taxes since we became a city.  Property tax revenue is expected to reach $6 million per year and beginning in 2022, the City will begin recieving these funds.  Planning is being done now on how we grow our reserve and fund improved services to residents and businesses.

However, despite all of our best efforts, these next four years will be slim and a challenge.  Funding our annual budget will be tight but not impossible, it is finding the funding for these two major capital expenses:

• Auburn Blvd. Complete Street and Utility Undergouding Phase 2  (Rusch Park north to Pacer County Line) 
• Purchase of the former Sylvan Middle School Site

PUBLIC SAFETY

Successful crime reduction in our city starts with Community Oriented Policing and Collaborative Partnerships with all our citizens, healthcare professionals, domestic violence service providers and our volunteer and service organizations.  We have to be proactive in our crime fighting with a robust “Bait” program, small unmanned aircraft systems, security camera installations in our County Parks and youth based programs that redirect kids before they get into serious trouble.

It is also very important to reduce our traffic collisions and fatalities on our roadways.  We can help accomplish this goal through motorist and pedestrian education, license plate reader cameras, DUI enforcement, distracted driving campaigns and targeted traffic enforcement.

HOMELESS

Not a day goes by that I do not receive an email complaint, read a post on social media or personally observe the homeless problem we have in our city.  While we have decreased the number of homeless and reduced the associated property crimes in our city through the work of our Police Department, our full-time Navigator, block grants to drug treatment, housing assistance and mental health providers and volunteers, such as Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) and our local churches, we still have work to do.  The homeless end up on our streets not through bad luck, but rather bad choices and we need to be able to provide the right choices to individuals looking to turn their lives around. 

Recently I voted to add cameras to Rusch Park and our police are collaborating with Roseville PD and the Sacramento Sheriff's Department to create a regional case management system to better track the homeless population across our region.  I have also requested our Police Chief to look into creating 2 park resource officer positions to concentrate on taking back our parks. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Economic Development is so much more than spending money to attract and retain professional jobs and businesses in our community.  It means a solid education system able to prepare our students for college or a career right out of high school in technology, automotive, healthcare and construction to name a few.  Economic Development means fixing our roads, viable transit options, providing affordable housing, fostering entertainment and the arts, adding bike and pedestrian trails and increasing recreational opportunities.

To assist businesses, we offer sewer credits, façade improvement and signage grants.  We also offer grants for special events to attract customers to Citrus Heights and provide financial support to our business districts such as the Sunrise Marketplace (SMP), Auburn Boulevard Business Association (ABBA) and Antelope Crossing.

Our Building Department offers online and 1 day permitting but the Sacramento Metro Fire District permits and inspections were difficult to obtain and schedule.  After meeting with Metro officials, I was instrumental in bringing a plan checker from Metro Fire to work at our City Hall to work along side our Planning and Building Departments, effectively making permits and inspections quick and easy for our clients. 

SUNRISE MALL

When we first became a city the Sunrise Mall was our economic engine, but now the mall has fallen on rough times as the economy has changed.  Situated in the heart of our commercial district on 92 acres with over 100,000 cars passing by each day this area is ideal for economic redevelopment. 

My focus for the next for years, using the relationships I have built throughout the region, will be putting together a local investment group to reinvent and redevelopment the Sunrise Mall.  I envision fresh new entertainment options including live music events, movie theaters, a permanent structure to house our farmers market, family events such as ice skating in the winter and exploring the possibility of adding a hotel and single family housing in a walkable and vibrant mixed-use lifestyle destination.

TRANSPORTATION

Funding our major road repairs and upgrades and residential re-paving has been everyone's desire and a challenge since we incorporated our city in 1997.  We have come a long way with our widening of Greenback Lanes to three lanes through our city limits, completing the Antelope Blvd upgrades, completing Phase 1 of the Auburn Blvd. Complete Street project and continuing phased improvements to Sunrise Blvd. 

Our annual residential resurfacing project targets the worst streets in our city. Measure A maintenance funds and the Gas Tax are the only sources of revenue for residential street paving and that only amounts to about $1 million per year.  We take what we have each year to fund our annual residential street paving project but it is not enough to cover our needs.  If the gas tax is not repealed we will received another $1.4 million annually and this will go a lot further.  However, If the tax is repealed this November we will most likely have to wait four years until we have enough funding to get serious about paving our residential streets.

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A viable and effective transit system has always been my priority as your representative for over a decade on Sacramento Regional Transit District board of directors.  This year I introduced SmaRT Ride, a first in our nation online and on-demand city-wide transit service.  I voted recently to reduce fares, bring back transfers and increase Light Rail service to 15 minute intervals on weekends.