California City Vs. Good Governance

For the past several years our city has been struggling with providing good governance to our citizens. This struggle has been caused by the decisions or lack of decisions, made by current and past councils. Over the past two years things seem to be getting worse not better.

There is a consensus that good governance rests upon four components: accountability, transparency, predictability, and participation. Accountability means the capacity to hold public officials responsible for their actions. Transparency implies that there is low-cost accessibility and simplicity to relevant information. Predictability, results primarily from laws and regulations that are clear, known in advance, and uniformly and effectively enforced. Most importantly, Public Participation, is needed to supply reliable information and to provide a reality check for local government action.

It is my opinion, and I am certain many others agree, that the city has issues in each of these areas. Residents have complained consistently and repeatedly about their public information requests, not being fulfilled in a timely manner or even not at all. That makes Transparency an issue. Public participation has also been limited, due to inefficient and/or limited ways of promoting meetings and other important discussions. The area of Predictability is also suffering, as the city fails to comply with a few municipal codes, that I have addressed at council meetings on multiple occasions. Dismissing residents from speaking is also not welcoming of participation, mostly due to being limited.

I am committed to making sure the city addresses these habits and starts providing top notch governance as expected and needed.

If you elect me as your councilmember, together we can make this city a place to be proud of, with a local government we can be proud of.

#IAM4GOODGOVERNANCE

NOTE: This post was written and approved by Shawn Bradley