Candidate for
Council Member; City of Tracy

Tracy accomodated its fair share of the surge of population into San Joaquin County during the decade of 1990 and 2000 by providing quality homes at moderate prices for 41% of the new growth. This growth served as an attraction to the Business and Industry needed to expand the tax base of the City to provide services and amenities for Tracy residents. These have included accumulating funds for the West Side Outfall drainage system, purchase of water through the SSJID project with neighboring cities, and the building of needed athletic fields.

In addition to responding to the increase of Tracy population numbers, Business and Industry now see that Tracy is attractive, not only for the high level of skills of its residents, but because Tracy's location provides a customer, client, and consumer base that extends throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Business and Industry are continuing to come to Tracy, bringing an ever expanding tax base to our City.

Because of increased revenues, we can now embark on projects such as the creation of a Cultural Arts Center in downtown Tracy, a multi-modal station at 6th. and Central, and a renewal of the civic center area with new city hall.

With the passing of Measure A, which will slow the rate of residental growth, but does not seem to have had a negative impact on commercial growth, Tracy can now redirect its objectives to address internal housing needs and challenges.

I will work to re-define those objectives to specifically target the needs of young adults, seniors, and local workers in our planning for future housing.

Young adults and young married couples need multi-family dwellings and high density housing, which are priced much more moderately than single family houses, to begin their independent lives and remain near their families.

Seniors are in need of both market level and affordable housing so they can be near their support systems of children and long time friends.

Local workers, who provide essential services at wages which are low in comparison to Silicon Valley, need affordable housing which today in 2002 is simply housing at the prices that we all paid five years ago.

The provision of all types of housing is not just "good business", but allows the City of Tracy to support the family cohesiveness that is necessary to the spiritual health of our community. Multi-family, high density, and senior housing mean that adult children can live near parents for needed initial support after they have left the "nest"; grandmothers can babysit and frequently visit grandchildren; sons and daughters can provide services and activities that allow seniors to live independently longer.

I am running for re-election because infrastructure construction, post-Measure A planning, the rejuvenation of the downtown area, and the internal needs of current residents, all require that Council members be experienced, trained, and in constant contact with the community.

I am uniquely qualified by education, experience, community interaction, and enthusiasm to continue to make the high quality level of contribution that I have made for the past four years of service as a Tracy City Council member.