Effectively Managing Discreet Resources

By Karen Ann Schwarz

Fiscal Responsibility

Prior to my tenure as a Trustee, our District fell victim to deficit spending. Since I have been on the Board, we have balanced the District budget and I will take all steps necessary to see that deficit spending does not happen on my watch.

As an owner of a contracting firm, I am committed to ensuring that every project commissioned by our District is done by qualified professionals at fair prices. I have no patience for unscrupulous vendors wishing to gouge our District. To that end, I have worked diligently to put into place a District-wide prequalification bid list for contractors. This list pre-screens businesses to make sure each company that bids on a District project has the capabilities of performing the job under the highest industry standards.

I am also proud that I helped our District avert any layoffs during the recent state budget crisis. With creative managed hiring programs, we became an example for other California governmental agencies to follow. Our system was so successful that I recently was asked to speak at the recent California Community College Trustee Annual Conference to inform other districts about our measures.