Post Election

Naturally I'm disappointed that I wasn't elected to City Council, but having come from an unknown position just four months ago and giving my well known opponents a degree of heart burn was gratifying to me. The sheer number of the votes - there were 88,511 votes cast for at-large candidates - says a great deal about the level of concern for the well being of our city. The new council will be challenged to follow up on promises made to bring about real change in city government.

The City Council has an opportunity to show true leadership by example: it can take steps to make a final determination on the David Wray termination and do what it right for the community by clearing his name and record; it can assure us the police department is rid of officers who tarnish its clean image; and it can take a tough, zero tolerance policy on crime and gang violence and push efforts to combat this threat to our well being.

Balancing growth with the ability to provide basic city services should be a priority objective of the new council. We need to get ahead of the curve on this so continued fast growth does not result in deteriorating quality of life issues for our citizens.

I will be watching the new City Council to see if its members are as good as their words. I learned a great deal about local politics that will be useful in a couple of years if the new council comes up short on leadership and ability to get things done.