Political Philosophy for Michael F. "Mike" Safranski

Candidate for
Council Member; Proposed City of Rancho Santa Margarita

HOW I WILL APPLY MY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

I offer experience that will be crucial to the formation of the new City of Rancho Santa Margarita. I will apply the knowledge and skills I have acquired as an elected official to support the successful formation of the new city. Understanding the importance of local representation, I will work to keep the community directly involved in all major decisions that will affect the city's future.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW CITY

During the establishment of the new city, it will be necessary to provide the dedication and effort needed to define the critical operational infrastructure for Rancho Santa Margarita. I will carefully review budget studies, staffing proposals, levels of services that have been projected, and policy recommendations to ensure that they are in the best long term interest of the community and its residents. The crucial decisions made by the City Council during this formative period, will affect the financial and operational health of the city for many years to come. As a Board member of the Trabuco Canyon Water District for the past 5 years, I have demonstrated my strong ability in these areas and am committed to apply my knowledge and background in the best interest of our residents.

MAJOR ISSUES

A safe community is my priority. I will ensure that the city has the finest levels of police and fire protection available.

There are enormous concerns about the lack of sports facilities for our youth and the need for facilities for our senior citizens. These concerns are legitimate. I will work closely with the community and the City Council to better understand these needs so we can ultimately make major improvements in these areas.

I will actively oppose the commercial airport at El Toro. The proposal for an International Airport at El Toro will have a tremendous negative impact on our community. In addition to the noise disruption from overhead jets, we will experience significanlty increased traffic patterns surrounding our communities, and we will see a drop in property values.

LONG TERM VISION

It is imperative that the leadership look well beyond the immediate issues they will face. The City Council must possess the leadership and vision needed to ensure the long term health of our new city. I have demonstrated this type of vision by advocating the expanded boundaries that were ultimately approved for Rancho Santa Margarita. Although the orignal premise for the city's boundaries was seriously flawed, I worked tirelessly with local community members and county officials to ensure the best long term plan for the new city would be approved.

SO WHY THE CITY?

Many community members have approached me and asked why we should incorporate. The primary reason is to secure the right to have, and enjoy, local representation. Instead of relying on the County Board of Supervisors to know and understand our community, we will have a locally elected group of individuals who will listen to our community and move forward with the residents best interests in mind. As an elected official, and as a long term Board member for a large homeowners association, I understand and appreciate the value and the importance of local representation.