Why am I running?

By Mike Dawson

Quick rundown on positions.

When I was collecting signatures for the referendum, I was approached by many people. Some told me I was crazy for trying to fight city hall. But most asked `what were they thinking?' Lots of people had stories to tell about how the city had disappointed them in one way or another.

I think we need a new direction on the council. With few exceptions, it seems that no one on the current council is listening. With more willingness to listen to the residents, I will be open to new ideas. Along with the council, I think that our commissions need new blood. That's why my logo says `a new day for Monterey'.

I propose decentralizing city hall. Functions such as Planning, Building Safety, the City Clerk and Finance belong in the vicinity of Colton Hall. However, I see no reason why the Public Works engineers have to be in the space above the council chambers. They could have more space and be more accessible if they moved to another office location. Similarly, the Personnel Department could easily be moved, which would free up space for other employees. In fact, Monterey has a communications network in place that can interconnect offices anywhere in town. If these actions occur, we have no need to build a large, modern office building on the most historic block in California.

I propose that the new council appoint two new citizen advisory groups, one for traffic, and one for budget, made up of citizen volunteers. It's a way to reach out to the whole community to solve problems within the city. The advisory groups will provide a whole new way of thinking about traffic flow, speeding, parking, the budget, and spending priorities. Our new council will have more confidence in its vote when the advisory groups show that the citizens are solidly behind them.

As a city, we need to provide basic services, like police, fire, library and street maintenance. Right now, we are short staffed in our police department, the library is short one person, the library hours have been cut back, and our street maintenance is $5-7 million behind. I will bring our basic services up to the level that Monterey deserves.

Given the above, our budget will need rethinking. Our city council priorities will also need to be analyzed, discussed, and redone. My management and engineering experience will be helpful in bringing about what I call `A new day for Monterey.'