Saratoga News Gillian Moran Evan Baker Erna Jackman John Mehaffey Nick Streit Candidates gear up for campaigns Five hopefuls vie for three City Council spots By Sarah Lombardo Saratoga residents have about five weeks to decide who will sit on the next Saratoga City Council. And with five candidates--incumbent Gillian Moran, Evan Baker, Erna Jackman, John Mehaffey and Nick Streit--seeking to win three available seats Nov. 3, the race is certain to heat up. Gillian Moran Moran, a resident since 1985, served as mayor from December 1996 to late 1997, during the city's struggle to cut more than $1 million out of its budget after the defeat of the utility users tax in November 1996. After six months of budget hearings, a balanced budget was eventually passed in June 1997. Moran said she thinks budget issues will still play an important role for future councilmembers. "We have to see to it that the city is run responsibly," she said, adding that the city's $2 million in emergency reserves must be protected. And so must Saratoga Creek, Moran, 53, said. Although some local environmentalists charge that Moran and the council have wasted city funds fighting a lawsuit against the city over the condition and cleanup of the creek, Moran said she wants to see it cleaned. "Lawyers don't clean the creek, and litigation isn't making it any cleaner," she said. Moran said she also considers protecting the integrity of Saratoga's neighborhoods a key issue for the council, but was a member of the City Council who spoke out against the slow-growth initiative Measure G, passed by voters in March 1996. In her candidate statement, filed with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, Moran lists a number of qualifications, including: * Saratoga Planning Commission, five years; * Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board Secretary. Evan Baker Baker, 63, got involved in local politics over the issue of development in the city. As a volunteer for the Measure G campaign, Baker worked with current Vice Mayor Jim Shaw--and replaced Shaw as president of the Saratoga Woods Park Homeowners Association when Shaw was elected to City Council in 1996. Neighborhood integrity is at the top of Baker's list of priorities. The retired corporate executive and resident of 21 years is firm on his opinion that the Saratoga Creek lawsuit against the city should be settled. "Let's stop fighting the issue, and let's get into fighting the problem," he said. "I think most people feel that way." Fiscally, Baker said the city is stable, but said if a new source of revenue--such as a tax--was needed in the future, the council should "take it to the voters then." The former U.S. Navy submarine officer lists the following qualifications in his candidate statement: * 34 years of business development and strategic planning; * National president, Navy League of the United States, 1993-95. Erna Jackman Like Baker, Erna Jackman, 66, was a volunteer with the Measure G campaign in late 1995 and early 1996. The effort marked her first foray into local politics. Also like Baker, Jackman said she was pleased to see the council pass a revised Measure G policy, which sends most projects through the Planning Department and Commission before going to the voters. Jackman said she also wants to ensure that local seniors don't fall though the cracks, and that the Senior Center receives some needed upgrades. Jackman said she recognizes that improving senior services takes money, and said she would not oppose the idea of establishing a new utility tax if the city found itself in dire need of funding. As for recreation services, Jackman supports a self-funding department. "We don't want kids not in a program because of cost," she said. "But we can't be giving away anything for free anymore, either." The 15-year Saratoga resident lists several qualifications in her candidate statement, including: * volunteer at Villa Montalvo; * volunteer at Saratoga School. John Mehaffey Mehaffey, 42 and the father of a 7-year-old daughter, agrees that recreation services should be self-supporting, but also thinks that more efforts should be made to reach out to more Saratoga children, especially those in other school districts. As a former Measure G campaign volunteer, Mehaffey cites keeping a watchful eye on development as a top priority. But as a Saratoga Village business owner, Mehaffey admits business issues are close to his heart. "That's high on my list," he said. "To see what the city can do to encourage residents to return to the Village to shop." The engineer echoes Baker and Jackman's sentiment regarding the Saratoga Creek and related lawsuit. "I think the city has wasted a lot of money on fighting the lawsuit," he said. Mehaffey said he hopes to "provide the long-term view" on the council for such issues as infrastructure and parks and recreation. Qualifications listed in Mehaffey's candidate statement include: *11-year Saratoga resident; *Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program volunteer. Nick Streit Saratoga Finance Commission Chairman Nick Streit, 43, said he thinks the city's finances take first-place priority-list honors: Provide fiscally and other issues will be that much easier to resolve. "If you can get a surplus of money in this city, I'm sure there are people who can find a way to spend it," he said. "We're in good shape now, but we need to look long-term." Streit said the future of Saratoga depends on fiscal responsibility because with adequate, if not extra, funding, the city can seek out ways of preserving open space through the purchase of park land. Streit also said he'd like to see more recreation programs at more reasonable costs. Unlike the other three first-time candidates, the certified public accountant said he does not think the city should settle in the case over Saratoga Creek. "I'd like to see the creek cleaned as much as anybody," he said. "You'd have to prove to me that the city was truly in the wrong." Some of the qualifications Streit lists on his candidate statement include: *President-elect, Rotary Club of Santa Clara; *Licensed member, California State Board of Accountancy. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, September 23, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.