Saratoga News

Councilmember takes pride in years of accomplishments

By Ann Marie Burger

Now that the elections are behind us and some small amount of time separates us from the heat of campaigning, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the residents of Saratoga for giving me the chance to serve on your council for the past four years.

It is obviously no secret that the election outcome was a disappointment to me. It serves no good purpose, however, to rehash the issues or the manner in which some candidates conducted their campaigns. I leave that "happy" chore to the wise pundits who often have a clearer and more precise picture of events than do the candidates themselves!

I look back upon my term on your council with a great deal of pride. During those four years, we moved from confrontation to cooperation and from smaller interests to those of the community at large. In the past two years, we worked very well together. I am proud of my accomplishments while in your service. The approval of the upgrade and expansion of the Oddfellows home is particularly pleasing to me because it will provide our seniors, at long last, with an alternative to moving out of Saratoga. I responded positively to the younger families moving into town, families whose demands and lifestyles called for a different and new approach to housing, an approach that needed creative thinking and the courage to respond positively yet carefully to change.

My careful attention to public safety has kept our low crime record intact. I worked closely with the Sheriff's Department during my tenure, and actively lobbied to keep the substation in our community. In addition, I pursued the continuation of the school resource officer for teens in our city and took an active role in restoring the Warner Hutton House Teen Center to full program status.

I leave Saratoga with a healthy budget. The drain on reserves has been halted, the budget is balanced and we contract with the private sector for over 50 percent of services. Staff salaries are controlled and capped, while at the same time realizing the need to pay competitive wages in order to attract and retain the high-quality personnel currently working for the citizens of this community.

My concern for the vitality of our business community is well-known, and I worked hard to support efforts to improve the quality of the retail and service sectors of our city. I took an active role in the County Library Joint Powers Authority, the Senior Coordinating Council, the League of California Cities Public Safety Committee and the Volunteer Saratoga Committee.

All of this, while certainly of value, somewhat pales in comparison with the good feelings I take with me as I conclude my service to you. I acted purposely to make myself visible in Saratoga, readily available to respond to individual concerns and suggestions. I took pride in being a hands-on, one-to-one connection between you and your government. It's the people I met over that time who have sustained me, who have supported me and who have rewarded me beyond measure simply by appreciating my efforts and offering excellent advice and suggestions. I have made legions of friends, and I can assure each of you that my service to Saratoga has not ended. It simply continues in other ways, in other endeavors. We will continue to work together.

I would particularly like to thank the City Council--Paul, Gillian, Don and Karen. You were a joy and a delight to work with over the past two years, and we accomplished a lot together. To the city staff, a person a group of professional, competent and dedicated people: We simply couldn't run the city without you. And to my husband, who can now swear off frozen dinners and begin to enjoy real food again!

Thank you all.

Ann Marie Burger retires from the Saratoga City Council on Dec. 4, when newly elected council-
members Stan Bogosian and Jim Shaw are seated.