Candidate for
Council Member; City of Pittsburg

My name is: Ben Johnson

My age is: 66

My occupation is: Mayor of Pittsburg

Education and Qualifications:

As Mayor and Councilmember, I am deeply committed to the Pittsburg community and to making our city a great place for all our residents. I am proud of the accomplishments we have made together:

Reducing Crime - Pittsburg is a safe city. Crime is at its lowest level in 50 years. Working with our police officers, we have instituted a "zero tolerance" for crime and it has paid off. I am proud to have earned the endorsement of the Pittsburg Police Officers' Association.

Downtown Revitalization - Our Downtown has been reborn, with people on its streets, new restaurants, a new brewery, coffee-shop, a bookstore and new state-of-the-art housing. Citizens and visitors can walk downtown at night and enjoy themselves - instead of worrying about being mugged or panhandled. We should be very proud.

Balancing the Budget: In the eight years I have served as Mayor and Councilmember, we have balanced Pittsburg's budget with a 50% - $15.5 million General fund reserves. Because of our sound financial footing, we have been able to hire police, fix potholes, maintain our parks, fund Pittsburg's Senior Center and reopen the Buchanan Pool for the community.

Supporting Veterans: As a veteran myself, I have been a strong champion of our veterans and the men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

I thank the Chamber of Commerce and the community for placing trust in me and honoring me with the "Citizen of the Year" Award in 2011. People said we couldn't do these things - reduce crime, revitalize Downtown, and balance our budget without reducing major services. But we did.

Pittsburg is a vibrant, healthy community where people want to live. I would be greatly honored to earn your support so we can continue our work together. Please call me anytime at 925-759-3444. Thank you.