Candidate for
Supervisor; County of San Mateo; District 3

First Things First: Balance the Budget! San Mateo County's current deficit is structural, not cyclical. The last three county budgets have only been balanced by spending $248 million in reserves. The current board's plan to balance the budget by 2015 is improbable. Among its unrealistic expectations are a 7.75% return on pension investments , $100 million in union concessions , and that, after four defeated county tax measures, voters are now in the mood to pay an additional $25 million a year in taxes. April will be a leader who can make tough budget decisions and get San Mateo County's budget in balance.

Streamline County Services. April will lead a review of current programs and systems to streamline county government. For instance, San Mateo County has a higher ratio of managers to employees than other Bay area counties. There are 5.6 employees for every manager here, as opposed to 9.6 employees for each manager in Santa Clara County, or 8.8 to each manager in Contra Costa County. Reducing the number of managers can only help the budget. Or, consider the Grand Jury's 2010 report on County management of its fleet of automobiles. Do we really need one car for every 6 County employees?

Reform the County Pension System So We Don't Go Bankrupt. San Mateo County's pension system, SamCERA, is currently underfunded by $1 billion, the worst pension situation in California. Meanwhile, the county's contribution per employee will increase from 23% of compensation this year to 41.7% in 2014. We need to push back retirement to 60, have employees contribute more, prevent spiking by using a three year average, and cap benefits for the highest paid workers. My opponent, Don Horsley has a pension of $208,000 annually, higher than the current Sheriff's salary. April will work to reform the County pension system, because we cannot cut needed services so a few people can retire at 55.

Keep Public Safety a Priority. In an era of limited government resources, April wants to make public safety a priority so that sheriff's deputies respond to top priority calls and we keep the worst of the worst incarcerated. Priority one calls that are immediate threats to public safety, life or property, and priority two calls where witnesses or evidence are at the scene should be answered quickly. We need to keep the public safe by making sure violent and predatory criminals remain locked up.

No More County Tax Measures Until the Budget Can Be Balanced. Until the county finds a workable solution to its deficits, money should not be thrown at putting new tax measures on the ballot. In the last four years, four county funding measures have been rejected at the polls. Without a reasonable plan to balance the County budget, voters should not be responsible for the County's mistakes.

Make the County an Environmental Leader. April supports San Mateo County moving beyond token environmental projects to the creation of policies and partnerships that safeguard the environment, protect natural resources, promote a local clean tech industry and enhance tourism. Recognizing the considerable influence of the County's activities on the environment, April will make sure county operations and land use minimize impacts on environmental quality, climate change, and natural resources.

Grow Responsibly. San Mateo County cannot afford developments like Cargill's city in the Bay. Such developments are safety risks due to flooding, increased traffic, and the destruction of our last remaining wetlands. 90% of all wetlands in the Bay have already been paved over. By 2050 the County will absorb another 100,000 people. April will work to make sure growth occurs on infill sites that are accessible to transit, and available to people at various income levels.