Mary Flynn on Serving the City of Chico

By Mary Flynn

Please take the time to read about what I bring to the job.

What I Bring to the Job

Independent Leadership During the past four years I have demonstrated independent leadership, and a willingness to act in the best interests of all of the people who live in Chico. At times this has required me to set aside my personal opinions and preferences, and instead do what's right for the larger community. I believe this is the proper role of local elected officials. Our city council needs to act on behalf of the whole community, now and in the future, and not be beholden to any special interest group. If I am re-elected on November 2, the people of Chico can count on me to continue to serve them independently.

Solid Business Sense I'm no stranger to the challenges and demands of business. I gained considerable experience in collaborative strategic planning as well as managing short and long-term growth while serving as publisher of an innovative and entrepreneurial educational publishing company. My background in business will continue to be invaluable to me as I work with other members of the Chico City Council and city staff to develop and support policies that promote local business and a sustainable area economy.

What I Will Do if Re-Elected

Protect City Finances A top priority moving forward is to continue to provide fiscal leadership and stewardship for city finances during the worst international economic crisis in recent history. My background in business has been an important asset so far in facing the dual challenge of correcting a structural deficit while also managing scarce resources. For the past four years, as a member of the city's Finance Committee, I have been intimately involved in managing the city's fiscal health. I have worked to protect core city services, consistently leveraging resources for a maximum return on the citizens' investment.

During the past four years I have drawn on substantial professional experience in the private sector to meet the challenges of managing the City of Chico. As the city continues to weather this economic storm, we have been proactive in our planning, decreasing staff costs and operating budgets in every department. To date 58 positions have been eliminated, forcing the city to look at new ways of doing business. Moving forward, the result will be a more nimble organization, one in which more and more employees are cross-trained and ready to wear more than one hat at work. In this and other ways we will continue to position ourselves to make better use of limited resources.

Promote Economic Development As Chair of the city's Economic Development Committee I have been instrumental in creating the city's Economic Development Strategy. With this strategy in place, Chico now has the necessary tools to strengthen all aspects of our economic base to provide a stronger, more sustainable economy now and in the future. I have led the charge in allocating appropriate resources to promote jobs in support of the local economy. For example, this year we directed just over $25,000 in city money to fund the Innovation Lab & Emerging Growth Industries Project to focus on developing jobs that foster innovation and entrepreneurship in Chico.

I have made sure that the city seeks suitable grant funds to strategically leverage local monies, so they go farther and do more. For example, in 2009 I was instrumental in helping the city secure a $2.5 million federal grant to improve the portion of Cohasset Road leading to the manufacturing and industrial zone adjacent to the Chico airport. Improving local infrastructure will help make the airport area more attractive to businesses looking to locate their ventures in that area.

Support a Healthy Downtown During the past four years I have demonstrated my unwavering support for our beautiful and historic downtown. This unique area is one of Chico's treasures, and it continues to rival downtowns in other thriving communities across northern California. With its location adjacent to the state university campus, downtown is positioned to capture millions of dollars in revenue from the students who call Chico "home" during their years as community residents. Just as importantly, it is still a vital "down-home downtown" for the greater Chico community.

Using my skills as a consensus builder, I worked hard to bring together people with different views about what's best for downtown. During my first council term we formed the Downtown Advisory Committee to guide the city council's downtown decision-making and the General Plan update. As a result, "downtown" will continue to successfully expand into the area south of the post office as the city works with investors and business owners to open up this area for new retail, professional, and, ultimately, residential uses.