19 Nov New Council Wishlist

Wishlist for our new Council

As we wait for the election results to be certified, I would like to wish the highest vote getters, JR Matulac, Charles Palmares, and Peter Brezenger the best in their future roles as City Council-members. There are many pressing issues that need to be addressed by the new Council.

Rebuilding trust should be the first priority of any elected official in Vallejo, without trust you will find moving your agendas forward very difficult. One way would be to allow longer public speaking times, having more Council meetings and publishing agendas not burdened with hundreds or even thousands of pages of minutia. Putting 111 Amador Street back on the agenda for a remodeled public works and police department would go far in rebuilding trust. Public engagement for the selection of a new Police Chief will be essential for rebuilding trust.

Restoring accountability should also be a top priority for our newly elected council members. You need to have meaningful evaluations of your City Manager and City Attorney. Problems like inaccurate cost estimates, lack of follow through from the CM and staff should be included in an improvement plans on their evaluations. Lack of transparency from staff, the City Manager, and City Attorney also must show improvement. Funding and implementing the Common Grounds model for Police Accountability would also go far.

Restoring Fiscal restraint should be a top priority of the new Council. Essentially giving 157 acres away to a developer, buying an office building for $15 million on a whim has seriously damaged the publics confidence in our elected officials in spending money. Giving $7 million in raises while ignoring our 911 call dispatchers was also egregious. If working together and consensus are a priority of our Council, having staff give our commissioners relevant documents regarding projects will help them make more informed votes.

It is my sincere hope that Our Mayor McConnell and Council woman Arriola can get the new Council members  to acknowledge the above challenges and work to making Vallejo a better place from where we are now. Mayor McConnell and Council woman Arriola have been in the minority vote for too long, leaving the old Council majority to create this toxic environment in City Hall.