League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Clara County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Council Member; City of Gilroy

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Experience, Important Concerns, Balancing Interests Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What experience related to city government would you bring to the City Council? Answer from Rebeca G Armendariz: 　　　　I have served on both the Parks and Recreation Commission and Citizens Advisory Commission for the Community Development Block Grants. I have worked on community issues in Gilroy all my life, and have been in the Council Chambers many times to advocate for issues that impact the community. I have a wealth of knowledge on amazing services and resources our local non-profits provide, and have worked with many of those organizations and their partnerships with the City. I have lobbied and organized residents at the City Council, County Board of Supervisors and in Sacramento and support our local non-profits in promoting programs that compensate for the recent service cuts. I also have much experience with bargaining unit negotiations. As a Union Organizer I represent SEIU 521 members in dealings with management, particularly contract bargaining and enforcement. I analyze legislation and budgets, and look for ways tofind savings vs cuts. Answer from Cat Tucker: 5 years on the City Council during the worst economic downturn, 8 years experience on the Planning Commission, 2 years experience on the Parks and Rec Comission and appointed to many regional boards and Commissions. Pls see my website. http://www.cattucker.com Answer from Terri Aulman: I have experience in business, state and local governments and a passion to serve my community. I worked for IBM 30 years in management, managing multi-million dollar budgets. I was a field representative for a State Assemblyman, working with local governments to resolve constituent concerns, represented the Assemblyman on various task forces and committees and presented legislative updates to local city councils. I am currently Chair of the Gilroy Planning Commission. Answer from Paul V. Kloecker: I am an Engineer with a Master Degree in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate Scool in Monterey. I am a retired U. S. Navy Officer with 22 years of service in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps. Subsequent to Navy service, I served 3 terms on Gilroy City Council for total of 12 years. I served on numerous Boards and Commissions during that time. I am a Registered Professional Engineer. My particular interests are in the areas of City Financial/Budget, City Planning, Capital Construction. 2. What concerns are of particular importance to the city and how would you address them? Answer from Terri Aulman: I would work hard to maintain a balanced city budget and look for ways to streamline city processes. Given our economic environment, I would not support any increase in taxes and would look for ways to lower fees and eliminate unnecessary regulations. I am a strong proponent of small business and would look for ways to not only attract new busines to Gilroy but help existing businesses be successful. Answer from Rebeca G Armendariz: At 12.4% Gilroy has one of the highest unemployment rates in the County. We need to partner with trade unions, small businesses,Gavilan College and local green, tech and manufacturing industries to create opportunities and prepare our residents and students for the future. Current City leaders, despite having a $26m reserve, have contracted out our public services, cut services for seniors and youth, including much needed intervention and prevention programs. If we want to address the gang and crime problems, the restoration and development of intervention and prevention programs needs to be prioritized. Answer from Paul V. Kloecker: My particular concerns are in the areas of adequate Public Safety for the Community, Gilroy Youth Gang problem, sound developement processes for the City of Gilroy and adequate Recreational Programs for all ages. I would address these issues by providing my experience and leqasership to foster priority attention to these areas. 3. How would you balance the needs of the city as a whole with groups’ interests? Answer from Terri Aulman: As an elected official you are accountable to your constituents and must be a good steward of the taxpayer's dollars and revenue. If elected, I will serve in a fair non partisan way applying common sense principals based on facts. Answer from Rebeca G Armendariz: I plan on keeping an "open door" policy to residents and stakeholders on issues that our important to the City. By keeping an open mind and focusing on collaboration I can work with other Councilmembers to find solutions that serve the whole city's interest. Answer from Paul V. Kloecker: I believe that it is essential to be available to the members of the Gilroy community and the various community organizations to listen to their needs and to effectively respond to these needs in coordination with other members of the City Council. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Please answer each question in no more than 400 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.