Candidate Statement I was first elected to the Calabasas City Council in 1997, and served as Mayor of Calabasas in 1998-99. Previously, the City Council appointed me to two terms on the Calabasas Community Policing Commission from 1993 to 1997. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from UCLA, and graduated from USC Law School. I have been employed as a prosecutor at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office since 1990. I am currently serving my ninth term as an elected board member of the Los Angeles County Association of Deputy District Attorneys, and was president of the organization in 1996 and 1997. Calabasas has enjoyed excellent financial health through good economic times and bad, having posted budget surpluses every year since incorporation ten years ago. Through careful management of its fiscal resources, the City Council has accumulated a reserve fund of approximately $10 million. With the help of several innovative community policing initiatives, our city's crime rate has dropped more than 50% in the last six years alone. Calabasas began its existence with but one neighborhood park. Today the city operates a diverse array of nine parks and recreational facilities, including the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center, Grape Arbor Park, Juan Bautista de Anza Park, Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center, Gates Canyon Park, and Calabasas Creekside Park. The City Council established the Calabasas Municipal Library, and is moving forward with plans to build the Calabasas Civic Center. The city has worked cooperatively with community leaders to bring appropriate private enterprises to the city, including The Commons in Calabasas Park, Gelson's Village in Mulwood, and a newly renovated Old Town. Perhaps the most important role of municipal government falls in the area of land use, which encompasses both controlling growth within Calabasas and combating projects outside our borders that may adversely impact us. My position on these issues --- evidenced not only by what I have said but by my actions as a Councilmember --- remains unchanged. I am dedicated to preserving our unique environment and quality of life by guarding against over-development. I believe in a local government that deals honestly and openly with its citizens. I believe in not only accepting direct citizen input, but in actively soliciting such input. I have enjoyed the privilege of serving on the City Council for the past four years. I respectfully request your support so that I may have the honor of serving you again.
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