Question - How do you plan to implement changes to City Council decision processes?

An excellent question, and I have actually given this a lot of thought. As one Councilmember, I would be only one voice, so how do I make that voice effective? Once an issue reaches the dais, it can become a numbers game. The real work of finding solutions, compromise, and consensus needs to happen before the final vote—and that requires transparency and communication.

My father was the City Clerk for the City of Los Angeles while I was growing up. I watched him work through difficult issues with mayors, city councilmembers, police and fire chiefs, and many others. People could come into a room with very different positions, sometimes seemingly polar opposites, and he would help break the issues down until they could find common ground.

He taught me that a good agreement is one where everyone walks away satisfied, but also feels they left a little something on the table. Years later, my business school professor taught us essentially the same principle in negotiation. I have carried that lesson with me.

That is how I would approach City Council decision-making.

I would work to make the process more transparent, deliberate, and accountable to the residents of Poway. Major proposals should come before the Council with clear and understandable information about costs, traffic, infrastructure, public safety, environmental impacts, and long-term consequences. Councilmembers and the public should have an opportunity to understand the alternatives—not simply react to a recommendation when it reaches the dais.

I would also encourage meaningful public involvement earlier in the process. Residents should have an opportunity to be heard before positions become entrenched and before a vote becomes simply a matter of counting five votes.

My goal would not be to slow government down or prevent decisions from being made. It would be to bring people together, understand where there is common ground, identify where there are legitimate differences, and work toward solutions that reflect the interests and expectations of the people of Poway.

I don't believe good government is about winning a vote. It is about doing the work necessary so that, when the vote comes, we have already listened, negotiated, challenged the assumptions, and found the best solution we can. I would bring that approach to the Council—working with my fellow Councilmembers, City staff, and the residents of Poway to find common ground while never losing sight of what is best for our community. If I can help turn five people sitting on a dais into five people working together for Poway, then I will have done my job.