SJTA Candidate Forum Questions Sept. 25, 2014 Stockton City Council District 1: District 3: District 5: Rick Grewal Elbert Holman Gene Acevedo Susan Lofthus (absent) Dyane Burgos Medina Christina Fugazi 1. Dyane Quite often, citizens complain that their questions and concerns made at Council meetings fall on deaf ears. In an effort to foster greater public involvement and improve accountability in government, would you be willing to propose a policy where responses to citizen questions made at one council meeting would be answered at the following meeting? 2. Christina On Nov. 6, 2013, just after the Measure A tax increase passed, you posted this on social media, The voters have spoken... now it s time to make sure we have representatives on our City Council that will ensure your hard earned tax dollars are spent on what was promised, and not squandered on the wasteful and illthought out spending of the past. What is the promise and what is the waste to which you referred? 3. Gene In your closing remarks at a recent forum you said, You all need to hear more about my plan for economic development. You said, I have an economic plan that includes several points. Please share highlights with us now. 4. Dyane Many believe that electing a city attorney and a city auditor would provide a level of independence and impartiality so desperately needed in Stockton. Would you support or oppose a charter amendment that would require both positions to be elected by the voters? Why or why not? Page 1 of 5
5. Elbert On Aug. 19 th, CalPERS kicked into greed mode again and its board voted to make 99 categories of supplemental pay pensionable, which amounts to pension spiking. Since you were part of the Council that rolled back pension spiking in an attempt to get our financial house in order, are you willing to ask the Council to send a formal resolution to CalPERS and to state legislators denouncing this action? 6. Rick Will you introduce a charter amendment to require voter approval for revenue bonds that encumber the General Fund? Why or why not? 7. Dyane The bankruptcy case is costing the City more time and money than it originally planned. What was the projected cost of the bankruptcy quoted by former City Mgr. Bob Deis and how much has the City spent on bankruptcy so far? 8. Christina Based on your personal knowledge of proposed long-term budgets how convinced are you that the City will not become insolvent again in 4 to 7 years? 9. Gene Gov. Brown just signed a bill allowing local governments to impose a vehicle registration surcharge to pay for bike lanes and trails. Do you support or oppose this? 10. Christina Because of our overwhelming pension debt, what is your message to city employees and retirees regarding the long-term survival and sustainability of their retirement? 11. Elbert There are many residents living in the unincorporated areas of the City who complain that the things that happen at City Hall affect them but they have no say in elections. Do you think it s time to open discussions for annexation of these areas? 12. Rick In Dec. 2012, over 1,200 individuals applied for fewer than 20 positions on the police force and were put through physical agility testing. So we know that many young men and women want these jobs. Please give us some insight into your priorities for revenues generated by the Measure A sales tax increase. 13. Dyane During a recent forum, you said we have funds set aside for libraries; also, that we need bilingual programs and books. Please identify where this money can be found and - do you believe money should be spent on bilingual programs and books at a time when we have trouble just to keep the doors open? 14. Christina You have said, Sometimes I attend council meetings and I ask How did THAT happen?! I want to be the person who says no it can t happen. Please share a specific example of when you felt that way? Page 2 of 5
15. Gene When asked whether or not employee benefits should be restored and to what extent, you said the council was not looking at the social impact to families when it made salary cuts. What would you have done differently under the same circumstances? 16. Rick We want people to live and shop in the downtown area. We also know that we cannot force downtown development by stopping growth in other areas. Simply put, investors and business owners must see a realistic opportunity to make money before they will invest there. Since both must be led there as opposed to being forced, what incentives are necessary to attract them? 17. Elbert In an effort to help curb youth violence, are you willing to place the matter of having a youth curfew on an agenda for council discussion? 18. Rick You have said that government regulations are strangling private business. Please give us an illustration of that in Stockton and share your viewpoint on solving such problems. 19. Dyane Earlier this year you said the disparity between North and South Stockton is great. Please give us 2 examples of that disparity and a realistic solution for each one. 20. Christina You and your primary election opponent said that you feel decisions are made in the back room; that many residents are discouraged because they don t feel they are being heard; that they won t attend Council meetings because they see it as a waste of time. How will you help solve this problem? 21. Gene Stockton developer Dan Cort outlined a plan to help revitalize the downtown area by removing many of the parking meters, implementing diagonal parking spaces and divesting of the parking district by selling the three major garages. Please share your thoughts on this plan. 22. Christina Do believe Library Services should be separate from the Community Services Department? Why or why not? 23. Elbert Two weeks ago, U.O.P. s Business Forecast Center reported that A settlement with the final large creditor and the expansion of our police force may happen, but it is taking longer than anticipated and there is increasing risk that the City s plan could be knocked off course. Please share your thoughts on this. 24. Rick How do you answer those who might prefer an incumbent council member with hands-on experience with mediation and bankruptcy issues, especially as we are attempting to exit bankruptcy? Page 3 of 5
25. Dyane Are you willing to propose a policy of setting the amount of supplemental funding for outside projects, programs and agencies back to zero at the start of each annual budget process and require representatives to make the case every year about what they do and why the city should pay for it, regardless of past funding? 26. Christina On May 3, 2014 you said, We cannot spend money we do not have. We need to restore employee benefits but we cannot do it across the board not as we had before. Please share a bit more with us. 27. Gene What specific steps should Stockton take to address the infrastructure, housing and commercial problems that exist south of the Cross Town Freeway? 28. Elbert It has been said during a recent Council meeting that the City is at risk when volunteers are used for city business without a review process by the HR Department. Are you willing to initiate an effort to adopt a policy whereby these individuals are administered by the HR department like those who apply for the City s Intern Program? 29. Elbert A recent Grand Jury report was discussed for the first time collectively during Council s Aug. 12, 2014 meeting, where the Council approved the staff s version of a response to the court. From a grand juror s standpoint, it is preferred to have the legislative body provide public dialog as it responds to the findings and recommendations, along with input from staff and counsel. Do you believe the action of Aug. 12 th was sufficient, or is there a better way? 30. Rick Do you have any ideas for economic development that have not been explored yet? 31. Dyane During the first year of former city manager Bob Deis employment, the council never rejected one of his recommendations and when it finally happened, he submitted his first of two resignations. In the past 16 months, 164 of182 regularsession Council votes cast were unanimous. We know that vigorous debate is the hallmark of democracy. For example, at a 2010 Council retreat, the facilitator told council members If you always agree on everything, you re probably not doing a good job. So why does a unanimous vote happen so often? Is it Go along to get along? Do all council members really agree on so many issues? Are things worked out in advance of the public agenda? Or is there a fear of being isolated? 32. Christina The County recently unveiled an OpenGov Financial Data Transparency Portal on its website that allows the user to explore the County s budget and historical finances through simple graphs and charts. In the interest of addressing the disclosure of accounting and audit functions, are you willing to ask the Council to duplicate this platform on the city web site? Page 4 of 5
33. Gene How will you track the City s implementation and performance of its obligation under the proposed bankruptcy plan of adjustment? 34. Christina Are you prepared to follow the recommendations of the Mayor s Animal Shelter Commission and implement the no kill equation as the method of choice for Stockton Animal Services in addition to opening up the MOV process to an open bid process so other local rescues are able to compete for these contracts? 35. Everyone Nine out of ten emergency calls* result in unnecessary fire department runs. What would you do to reduce this unnecessary expense? (*from a member of the audience and not verified by the SJTA) 36. Elbert How do you answer those who might prefer a candidate with experience in private business as opposed to someone like yourself with a lifetime in the public sector? 37. Rick If the Court rules that our exit plan cannot be approved on October 1, what would your approach be for developing a revised restructuring plan? 38. Everyone The Measure A Citizens Oversight Committee Charter adopted by the Council on May 18 th of this year includes the following directive, Budget Recommendation: The City will propose a budget for the use of Measure A proceeds to the Committee with sufficient time for it to formulate a recommendation to the Council before it deliberates on that same budget in the annual budget adoption process. The Committee shall present to the City Council, in public session, their recommendation on the proposed budget. Will you support this definition of proactive oversight by insuring that recommendations of the Oversight Committee always precede any Council deliberations on how Measure A monies will be spent? www.sjtax.org Page 5 of 5