Why do it?

I am running for Healdsburg City Council and as such I am one of six people running for a total of three open positions.  There are two incumbents and four new people, such as myself.  I have no doubt that each of the candidates have the interests of Healdsburg at heart.  They have to, with a salary of $150.00 per month, with very limited medical coverage and no real retirement benefits; you sure don’t do it for the money.  You surely don’t do it for the vast prestige of the position either, as there are no corporate boards to join after your retire or speaking tours that are super lucrative.  In point of fact, you end up working something on the order of 20 hours a week for a basic salary of something less than $2.00 per hour.  This is less than minimum wage in California.  Even at that, some people feel that their representatives are overpaid.  SO WHY DO IT?????  I think you have to have some issues that you feel need to be addressed and the belief that you can materially contribute to the resolution of these issues.  In my case I am very concerned about the financial well-being of the city, given the current city government salary levels and the generous retirement benefits.  This is a CURRENT problem and not a future issue that can be addressed by simply changing the conditions for new hires only.  The work force is contracting and not expanding, so the impact of new hires on the retirement system is minimal.  The city employees are very dedicated and through salary give backs and related concessions they have materially lessened the financial impact on the city.  However, these steps may not be enough and additional difficult steps may be required to achieve financial well-being for the benefit of everyone.
Healdsburg has growth in its future given the potential development of Saggio Hills, the possible relocation of the NuForest facility, the return of rail service and the continuing fact that Healdsburg is a GREAT place to life.   Growth is inevitable and managing this growth while retaining our current quality of life will be a challenge for the future. The new growth must be accomplished without impacting the commercial viability of the plaza and greater down town.  In addition, the tourist trade continues to be very important to Healdsburg in order to support high quality eating establishments, high end shops and related tourist services.  I think that the balance between tourism and local services is about right and the challenge here is to retain this balance in the face of growth.
I believe that my twenty plus years in the Navy, extensive levels of higher education including a Doctorate from the University of California, San Diego and extensive work experiences in both the federal government and the civilian/commercial sectors have uniquely equipped me with the tools to address these challenges and to represent the residents of Healdsburg on the City Council. I very much appreciate your vote of confidence.
Vernon P. Simmons is a Healdsburg resident and is running for a seat on the Healdsburg City Council. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6.