By Allison Rost

Not only is James Fussell a lifelong resident of Sunnyvale, but his children are the fourth generation of his family to live in the city limits. His grandfather once operated a gas station at the corner of El Camino and Mathilda--"He used to say that he never met a stranger in Sunnyvale," Fussell says.

He wants to take his perspective as a native to the Sunnyvale City Council to restore the city to its former glory. "I want to help Sunnyvale become the benchmark that we once were and can be again," Fussell says. His way of doing that involves an intense revitalization of the downtown area. "I would have liked to see the ground break on that project yesterday," he says. "I remember the excitement in Sunnyvale when the Town Center opened, and we now have the opportunity to do something a thousand times better than that."

Fussell is a bit skeptical of plans to bring Santana Row-style shops to the downtown area because the prices of such retail don't necessarily fit with Sunnyvale's more cost-conscious demographics. He claims his family single-handedly keeps Target's doors open. "We should look at where residents are going when they go out of town to shop, but downtown also has to be what our community wants," he says. "I go to Santana Row and can't afford to walk in the stores."

Making sure the downtown project responds to the needs of Sunnyvale residents is a priority for Fussell, but he also wants to make sure the project doesn't get mired in the inefficiency of getting things through council that have recently plagued the city. He has a background in business, including a former position with Hilton Hotels' division of risk management, where he put together a cross-training plan for the company's managers that cut down on labor costs while achieving a 98.7 percent service rating.

He also wants to see improved efficiency in city council. "A difference in opinion is healthy, but it's not good when the discussion becomes about the personality and ego of the person talking," he says. "The community is becoming disenfranchised because of that."

But the thing Fussell is most passionate about is maintaining the high level of quality in the department of public safety. "I cannot think of a greater responsibility in a community than public safety," he says. As a police academy graduate, the recent cuts in funding are unacceptable to him. "Those issues pushed me to the point where I wanted to run for city council," he says. "I want to make Sunnyvale a better place for my children."

James Fussell

Age: 32

Occupation: Regional manager for a security company

Education: Bachelor of science in business administration, University of Phoenix; police academy graduate

Community Involvement: Served on Sunnyvale Law Enforcement Advisory Committee. Worked with department of public safety on five-year strategic plan.

Family: Married with one son and one daughter.

By Pallavi Somusetty

It's been a busy year for Sunnyvale resident Otto Lee, who has divided his time between helping the war effort in Iraq and serving on the city's planning commission. Despite the call to service, Lee has managed to set aside time to run for City Council Seat 5 against James Fussell.

Lee, a resident of Sunnyvale for more than eight years, owns and manages a law firm in the city. He was born in Hong Kong and was raised there until his family moved to Berkeley when he was 8.

In high school Lee got his first taste of American politics by participating in the school's "mock government," in which students role-played as congressmen, officials and lobbyists. "As I'm from Hong Kong, I was surprised to learn that you can elect anyone. When I grew up in Hong Kong, half the legislative body was elected and half appointed by the governor," Lee says.

In 10th grade Lee read the United States Constitution from cover to cover in four days, he says.

Lee served as a student senator in high school and on the judicial council (the Supreme Court of the student body) at UC-Berkeley. The experience led him to pursue a career in law.

Lee joined the Navy for two years before going to law school in California and the Netherlands.

And he arrived in Sunnyvale eight years ago and established a law firm. He has taken a step back from his firm to get more involved in the community.

"The role I take at my law firm is similar to what a council member would do. Council members are supposed to check and balance the city manager and city staff. It's important that we set policy, but that we don't micromanage the city staff," Lee says.

Lee is comfortable in council chambers, having served on the planning commission for the last five years. "I've really gotten to know what gets people excited and upset in different neighborhoods," says Lee.

Lee is running for city council to continue his love of politics one step further. "With the budget crisis and the events of the downtown unfolding, Sunnyvale needs good leadership right now. I'm qualified to be one of those leaders," Lee says.

Lee's vision for the future of downtown includes an extension of Murphy Street and underground parking.

He also hopes to conduct outreach to various ethnic minority groups in Sunnyvale to increase participation in the city's boards and commissions.

After declaring his candidacy in February, Lee was recruited to San Diego to help support six aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy. But now he's back in town, walking the precinct and campaigning for the November election.

Otto Lee

Age: 36

Occupation: Attorney

Education: LL.M., public international law, Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, The Netherlands. J.D. University of California, Hastings College of the Law. BS in chemical engineering and nuclear engineering, UC-Berkeley.

Community Involvement: Five years as a planning commissioner. Board member, Silicon Valley Asian Pacific American Democratic Club. Leadership Sunnyvale graduate.

Family: Single