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Five vie for three seats on city council - Poly Mailer - China Pearlized Envelopes by icdenta icdenta
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Five vie for three seats on city council - Poly Mailer - China Pearlized Envelopes by ICDENTA ICDENTA
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| Article Posted: 12/16/2012 |
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Five vie for three seats on city council - Poly Mailer - China Pearlized Envelopes |
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Business,Business News,Business Opportunities
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Three members of the Sonora City Council are defending their seatsagainst two challengers in the June primary election. Connie Williams and David L. Axelrod are vying two of three seatsheld by incumbents David A. Sheppard, Ron Stearn and William"Bill" Canning. The election is June 5.
There is no runoff in the City Council race, so the top threevote-getters will be sworn in at the council"s first meetingin July. The city had its shares of ups and downs in 2011. It anticipatesposting a small budget surplus for the current fiscal year and wasselected to host Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California, whichwent off without a hitch two weeks ago. Near the end of 2011, however, a California Supreme Court decisionupheld legislation eliminating the state"s 400-plusredevelopment agencies.
The Sonora Redevelopment Agency currentlyhas more than $3 million in debts, including a $1.6 million loanfrom the city"s general fund. A newly-created panel of city, county, schools and utilitiesrepresentatives is currently determining the eligibility of theformer RDA"s debt obligations. If the $1.6 million city loanis found to be ineligible for repayment, it could punch a hole inthe city"s budget next year. The field of council candidates ranges from political newcomers toveterans who have served on the council for decades.
Stearn, 83, is hoping for a successful 13th consecutive CityCouncil bid. He had publicly stated earlier this year that he wasundecided about running again, but ended up taking out nominationpapers in February. First elected in 1964, Stearn is the longest te nured member of the City Council and one of the longest servingelected officials in the state. Stearn says he"s missed onlyfour meetings in his 48 years on the council.
Stearn said he"s never raised or spent more than a $1,000 inany of his council races, choosing to personally purchase only afew advertisements rather than campaigns signs or Poly Mailer. Stearn claims his knowledge of the city"s history andmemories of past issues have benefitted the council and hopes thathis experience will carry him with voters for another term. "I like being a part of Sonora and hope to continue over thenext four years," he said. Sheppard, 72, is currently serving as mayor pro-tem and looking atanother term as mayor if re-elected in June. He was first electedto the council in 2000 and served as mayor from 2004 to 2006.
Sheppard, a licensed civil and structural engineer, says the mostpressing issue facing Sonora is maintaining a balanced city budgetwithout compromising the core functions of police, fire, publicworks and community development. Continuing to pursue economic development is one way the city canaddress the issue, but the sale of city assets and more reductionsin services may be necessary as well, Sheppard said. Sheppard said he"s demonstrated "provenleadership" in his 12 years on the council, citing as anexample his recent support for an ordinance passed last Julybanning medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits. "I showed other council members how the U.S. Constitutionsupports us in following the federal laws governing this controlledsubstance," he said.
Sheppard so far has not raised or spent more than $1,000. He saidhe"s purchased some signs and is campaigning primarily bygoing door-to-door and talking to residents. Canning, 63, who has served as mayor since 2010, is also up forre-election this year. He was first appointed to the council in2005 by then-mayor Sheppard to fill a vacancy left by formercouncilwoman Marlee Powell"s retirement. Canning serves on a number of local committees and was mostrecently chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the fourthstage of the Amgen Tour of California, which the city hosted May16.
He also serves as vice chairman of the Sonora Oversight Board,which is tasked with overseeing the dissolution of the formerSonora Redevelopment Agency. An unemployment rate that exceeds state and federal rates is one ofthe biggest issues facing the city, according to Canning, owner ofC&N Construction. He said the city must focus on businessretention, expansion and adding more family wage jobs to addressthe problem. Canning, a Republican, was an outspoken critic of proposed feehikes by Tuolumne Utilities District last year and said he has aresponsibility to take a public stance in such debates.
"It is my sworn duty to protect residents from unwarranteddecisions that affect residents and businesses," he said. Williams, 65, is a newcomer to city politics but currently servesas a Tuolumne County planning commissioner, a member of the Boardof Supervisors" Planning Committee and a member of SierraConservation Center"s Citizens Advisory Committee. She alsobelongs to Tuolumne County Republican Women Federated. Williams says her experience in the private sector, which includesmanaging multi-million dollar budgets in her 15 years a publiclytraded media company and owning and operating several smallbusinesses, will be useful to the City Council. Promoting the city as a tourist destination is another one ofWilliams" goals, which is part of her platform of improvingthe city"s financial position.
"I am not in favor of tax increases, which is why I choose tolook to those things that we can do to import money,"Williams said. "Such as tourism and focused businessopportunities that would create jobs, spending, tourism taxes andmore while spreading the costs of such enterprises over a widerbase and lessening the burden on individuals and families." Both Williams and Canning are the biggest spenders in the councilelection, with each having spent more than $2,000 so far, accordingto campaign finance disclosure forms filed with the CountyElections Office. Local attorney Axelrod, 64, said he hoped to have a bigger warchest by now, but has yet to raise or spend more than $1,000. The lone Democrat in the field of candidate for City Council, anonpartisan office, Axelrod moved to the area in 1989 and is alawyer. This is the third time Axelrod has run for City Council.
He made anunsuccessful bid in 1998 and in 2006 lacked enough qualifiedsignatures to get on the ballot. He also made unsuccessful bids forJustice Court Judge in 1994 and the Tuolumne Utilities DistrictBoard of Directors in 2006 and 2008. Axelrod has been critical of the council"s decision toapprove Walmart"s store expansion through an initiative. "City officials have allowed the city government to become anarm of special interests, working for Walmart"s agendainstead of the public interest," he said.
Before going into law, Axelrod attained a bachelor"s degreein natural-resources conservation from University of California,Berkeley, and worked as a park ranger and firefighter for East BayRegional Park District from 1974 to 1985. David L. Axelrod AGE: 64 PLACE OF BIRTH: Hollywood, CA YEARS IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY: 21 EDUCATION: University of California, Berkeley, BS in naturalresources conservation; Humboldt State University, naturalresources.; U.C. Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law, JD in law.
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