Sowards for Council

By Greg Sowards

Biography and Positions

Biographical Data

Almost 45 years ago, I arrived in Placentia to attend, what was then, California State College, Fullerton. That is when my love affair began with our City. Being a native Californian, born in South Gate, raised in Norwalk, I graduated from Cal State University, Fullerton with a BA in Communications, with a double major in Advertising and Public Relations. I went on to get my first job with the Orange County Register. I met and married my wife Jo Ann, and raised two wonderful children, Amy and Garrett. Placentia has been good to me and to my family. For this reason, I refuse to give up on this City and I will work hard to improve things for the future of our residents.

What Motivated Me to Seek a Position on City Council

Several years ago it became apparent that there were some serious problems with this City. Many eyebrows were raised when the previous administration, and Council, attempted to disband our Police Department and out-source those services to the Sheriff's Department. This concern grew and triggered the formation of "Citizens for a Better Placentia", a Political Action Committee (PAC); wherein it was discovered that the City's financial problems were much deeper than anyone realized. The financial crisis, the operations and the morale of our City government were broken and it all stemmed from the OnTrac debacle. City Hall had lost credibility with its constituents, the citizens of the community, and financially the City was broke and was threatened with bankruptcy.

After hundreds of hours of research by the PAC, malfeasance was discovered and this issue was turned over to the Orange County District Attorney's office for investigation which resulted in indictment for two former city officials for potential conflicts of interest related to OnTrac. One city official was found guilty and was ordered to repay the City over $300 thousand dollars. Frankly speaking things were simply a mess.

Major Isssues Facing the City

I am confident with your vote, that the City will endure the challenges that lie ahead in spite of the economic crisis gripping our nation and state. My primary issues are balancing the budget and public safety. The debt load the City now carries went from well over $30 million to approximately $2.5 million which is a phenomenal feat in just four short years. Building reserves is another concern of mine. This is a goal I want to achieve. And finally, the completion of the Metrolink Station and the railroad grade separations is another goal I would like to see stay on course. As your Council member, I ask for your continued support to help our City become a place of your trust and pride.