Candace Andersen: Why You Should Vote For Me

By Candace Andersen

When electing our next county supervisor, experience matters.  We need someone with proven leadership to tackle the significant issues we're facing in the county, including:  

• Addressing the county's pension crisis
• Appropriately budgeting our limited county resources
• Sufficiently funding law enforcement to keep our communities safe
• Helping businesses grow and creating new jobs
• Protecting our quality of life by honoring voter approved urban limit lines
• Ensuring that cities have local control over their land use decisions and receive the transportation dollars they need for road and infrastructure improvements

As the mayor of Danville, with a degree in public policy, and as a former prosecutor, I have an established track record of sifting through complex issues and making the tough decisions necessary to protect our quality of life. For the past nine years I've served on Danville's Town Council.  In the early 1990s, I also served on Morgan Hill's City Council.

I lead a town with no unfunded pension liability. We keep a reserve of close to 40 percent of our operating budget. We've created successful economic development programs which have helped our downtown thrive. We've implemented policies ensuring that new development is in keeping with our small town atmosphere. We need this same proven leadership to guide Contra Costa County.

When my friend and colleague, the late Supervisor Gayle Uilkema endorsed me, she strongly emphasized that the experience one has on a city council, which includes working collaboratively with other city and county leaders on many regional boards, is essential.  I currently serve, or have previously served on many of the same county boards and commissions I will serve on if elected to be supervisor. 

On a city council you're attending multiple meetings every week, setting complex budgets and appropriating millions of dollars for many different agencies. You're daily responding to the concerns of citizens and making critical decisions related to planning, development, transportation, infrastructure improvements, economic development, sustainability, recreational activities, and public safety.

This breadth of local government experience is why Sheriff David Livingston, District Attorney Mark Peterson, Treasurer Russell Watts and so many other city and county leaders and citizens of all of District 2's communities have endorsed me and trust me to make the hard decisions which will get the county back on track.  Please see my full list of endorsements at www.LeadContraCosta.com.

My opponent has chosen to focus much of her campaign on social issues unrelated to the role of a county supervisor. We need collaborative leaders who respect the opinions of all people and don't try to purposely raise divisive topics. Let's stick to the real issues in this campaign.  Right now, in Contra Costa County, we need to be focusing on the pension crisis, fiscal responsibility, increasing public safety, economic development, creating jobs, and protecting our exceptional quality of life.

Experience matters.  That's what I bring and I ask for your vote on June 5.  Please go to LeadContraCosta.com to learn more about me.