Candidate for
Council Member; City of Manteca

Hello I am Debby Moorhead,

I have two grandchildren and I want them to have a chance at a better future. I want Manteca to be a place that is safe and clean. I want a healthy environment for our future families to grow up in. I am a leader who is committed to both our past and our future.

I am running for City Council because I believe it is important to preserve what is best about Manteca. We need to preserve the best of our past which is our downtown by ensuring easy and safe access to businesses. The preservation of agricultural land is essential. I will always be in favor of design principles that provide minimal impact on productive farm land. This includes future housing, transportation and other economic development needs.

Public Safety is essential to our community. Our families need to feel safe and secure in their homes and in and about our community.

We need to inspire our youth to continue with their education and help by ensuring there is educational programs that meet their needs.

Economic growth, job retention, and job creation is necessary to sustain our community.

We need to help preserve our environment by encouraging energy efficient designs, conserving water and making sure we have clean air to breath.

I never want to lose the historic identity that Manteca has. New development will bring to Manteca families, new ideas and uniqueness that will enhance our community.

I will meet the needs of Manteca by informing and involving the citizens.

I welcome public involvement and input. I am ready for CHANGE and willing to step up and work at creating it.

Our downtown is having an identity problem. It is not easily accessible and the design is not safe for traffic. The downtown needs to be attractive, and at the same time there needs to be enough parking and it needs to be pedestrian friendly. The downtown shops are unique and the area is such a part of Manteca's history. We need to give business an incentive to locate downtown and there needs to be more unique and distinctive business to browse and shop. Our downtown has to be a place that complements our city and should not have to compete with big box business. The city needs to help support the downtown business owners and make sure all areas of Manteca is improved with attractive landscaping, ample parking and easy access.

We need to ensure that every child is safe on their way to school; or after school programs. This includes the Bike path it needs to be a safe place for youth and adults to use. We need clearly marked mile markers, emergency call boxes that are in working condition, some kind of signage that identifies exactly where you are if there is an emergency and police presents in and about the trail. The quality of life, for Manteca's citizens is monumental. Improving parks, playgrounds and trails. Increasing recreation programs for youth and seniors. We need to keep all our neighborhoods clean and safe.

Budget constraints will prevent the City from doing many of the basic things it should do. We must aggressively and professionally market Manteca's strengths to attract employers and their employees. We must actively recruit businesses and industry from all sectors, not just retail. The City of Manteca needs to present itself as business friendly and continue to promote the fact that Manteca is centrally located, for highway transpiration, rail transpiration, water transportation and air transportation

Library

The community needs to have a new library. This project has been underway far to long. It is time to do what needs to be done.

Home Foreclosures

There are homes in foreclosure and neighborhoods that have numerous houses with dead lawns and unkempt yards. The city needs to put more effort in educating the community about the process in which they can save their homes from being foreclosed upon.

Code Enforcement

Code enforcement in neighborhoods needs to be increased. There are cars parked on lawns and debris piled up on drive ways. This is an eye sore as well as a safety issue. Currently, Veterans have to drive to the Veterans Administration Clinic in Livermore or the VA hospital in Rancho Cordova for medical care. It is monumental that the local City Council advocate when going back to Washington DC annually on behalf of the veterans.

We need the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to choose the land that is adjacent to the San Joaquin General Hospital for out patient and nursing home care. The projection date if it is to be built is 2015. We need to advocate on behalf of our veterans for this to be built and for a construction date that is much sooner.