THE ISSUES:

Annexation of Coto de Caza, Wagon Wheel, Las Flores and Stonecliffe:

OPPOSE. The three council members up for re-election recently changed their prior position of opposition to adding these communities to Rancho’s sphere of influence, and voted instead to take no position, which gave the agency LAFCO the green light to do so June 9th. This is a first step toward annexation which I wholeheartedly oppose. The vote by these three members of the council to take no position on adding to our sphere of influence showed absolutely no leadership. If these communities are ever annexed by R.S.M., it will change the flavor of our community forever from a small village into a mega-city.

Economy / Fiscal Responsibility:

• I will work to make Rancho Santa Margarita the most business friendly city in Orange County, and put our community on the road to economic recovery. I believe this can be attained by streamlining our conditional use permit process, and eliminating unnecessary permits wherever possible, making our city attractive to potential new businesses, and encouraging existing ones to expand.
• We must reprioritize our spending in light of the current economic situation. Government must operate like any business would in tough times, doing more with less.
• I will never vote to establish new taxes or "fees", and I will work to reduce existing ones wherever and whenever possible.
• I believe that we must always be fiscally conservative, and have complete transparency in our government to ensure accountability.
• I will always support federal and state candidates who favor protecting local government revenue.

Public Safety/Law Enforcement/Emergency Response:

• I will work to re-establish positions of public safety officers that have been unfortunately eliminated. Rancho Santa Margarita must remain one of the safest cities in the state.
• I will work to ensure emergency vehicle preemption on every signal light in the city exists and is adequately maintained in order to improve emergency response times.

Limited, Transparent Government:

• We must keep a limited government, one that works for the members of our community. Putting the residents first.
• I believe complete transparency must exist in the Rancho Santa Margarita government. It must remain ethical and open in all business transactions.

Education:

Rancho Santa Margarita is split between Saddleback Valley Unified School District and Capistrano Unified School District. Both districts have many qualified schoolboard members, and it is the duty of the residents of those districts to stay informed and vote accordingly. While the council members may serve as vocal watchdogs at times, ultimately it will be up to the schoolboard members to ensure responsibility. I will work closely with those members to ensure the needs of our children are met.

Public Transportation:

I will fight against any efforts to eliminate the bus route into RSM. We must work closely with OCTA to ensure that our city transportation needs are met.

241 Toll Road:

I support the completion of the 241 Toll Road. This will both improve our economy and provide much needed alleviation of traffic on the 5 freeway.