Candidate Statement

By Jessica M. Mitchell

Jessica Mitchell's background, experience and goals if elected for Avalon's City Council.

I want to be the eyes and ears for this town. I am passionate about this town. During the 10 years that I have worked directly with our visitors I have absorbed their comments- both positive and negative. I have listened to my fellow residents from neighbors to business owners to co-workers and heard the calls for action and change. I make no promise to fix our town overnight, but I can promise that it is my nature to be objective and make decisions based on facts not emotions.

I have served 4 years on our Planning Commission yet I hear people are saying they don't who I am. Maybe that is a good thing, because I don't have an axe to grind with anyone or personal bias for or against anythine in particular that might influence my decisions.

Now let's get to the point of how I plan to make my decisions if elected.

I earned a degree from UC Irvine in Environmental Analysis and Design which educated me in a wide variety of topics relating to city planning, environmental hardships like drought, detailed knowledge of water reclamation and treatment, as well as energy technologies like solar panels. All of these relate to Avalon's current issues of concern.

My experience as a real estate agent gave me a foundation that I have built upon while participating in the Avalon Housing Task Force and my time served on the Planning Commission. With that I know I am capable of offering sound advice to achieve our goal of affordable housing programs. I have two concerns in mind every time I make a decision on the Planning Commission, how will it affect the visitors and how will it affect our residents. I want to be elected to the City Council so I can voice those concerns to the other council members to ensure we weigh the consequences of each decision carefully and make positive improvements to Avalon.

I am an idea girl but I am always willing to learn from others to make a better decision. Please don't judge me on any one particular statement or opinion but rather my vision as a whole. My vision is of a town that can be proud of what it offers to its visitors and one that supports the members of our community in every way possible.

I am willing to do the work to find the right solutions to our town's problems.

For example: Someone came to me and asked why I was against child care after reading MY comment in the Islander March 12. When I read the question: "...should the city be subsidizing day care." I took that to mean the creation of NEW programs for the City to fund. Given our past budget crisis, I didn't think it was prudent. However, I didn't consider programs we currently support. Not having children myself or close friends with kids enrolled in the Catalina Kid Ventures program, I had to educate myself on CKV.

I now understand that not only does the program charge parents, there are multiple fundraisers and the City compensates for the end of year deficit to cover the affordable tuition and moderate staffing costs. I would never undermine this 20 year program, now knowing that it was created more like a department within the City like the Recreation and Public Works. I would not vote to remove any of the current funding. In fact I learned the program's license is limited to the size of the facility which if increased would open the program up to even more children. My statement in the paper suggested the future Community Center could dedicate the space for such a thing, now I understand how important increasing this space is, that this program is needed, appreciated by its participants and important to our community.

However, I have also been approached by others who feel the program is unfairly taxing all residents for something only a few benefit from. This is exactly the type of issue I would be willing to take personal time to collect information to better evaluate the current system to ensure we are doing our best for everyone in Avalon. Then we could make fair and factually based maneuvers to improve what some feel is an essential budget item and others feel is an inefficient way of dealing with the need for affordable day care.

I feel I am properly educated and qualified to join the City Council and offer a level headed, logical approach to the many issues we will be deciding on in the years to come. Ask any of my past employers if I have integrity, ask any of my friends if you can trust me, then you won't have to ask yourself if you should vote for me!

In order for me to overtake my opponents and be elected please MAKE ME YOUR ONLY vote for City Council. Give me the power to help Avalon and continue the process of improving our future!