Amid the never-ending sniping from a few residents who will never be happy with Livermore’s downtown plan, the bigger picture about the health of the city is often lost.
Livermore, like few cities, has strengthened its reserves, kept its staffing size in check and greatly reduced its retirement shortfall since the end of the Great Recession.
That’s far more important to the future of the city — and its ability to provide key municipal services — than the quibbling over details of the downtown plan, which seems to draw all the attention.
And that’s why voters should stick with the candidates who have put the city on a disciplined financial path. That means re-electing Mayor John Marchand and Councilman Bob Woerner. And, for the seat being vacated by Steve Spedowfski, who opted not to seek re-election, Trish Munro is the best candidate for staying the course.
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The council has done an excellent job developing community support for the latest iteration of the downtown plan, which includes a hotel, workforce housing, retail space, science center, theater, parking garage and open space.
Oh sure, there are naysayers led by Independent newspaper owner Joan Seppala, whose Friends of Livermore political action committee is pushing a referendum that would alter the project.
There’s irony here. After all, the downtown plan was approved by a unanimous City Council whose members Seppala’s PAC spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help elect.
Clearly residents and the elected officials are growing tired of her special interest politics. A community group, Unify Livermore, has rallied against the referendum and in support of the downtown project.
In this election, the best way voters can send a signal that they want to end the influence of money in council elections is by supporting candidates focused on doing what’s best for the city.
The mayoral pick is easy. Marchand’s opponent, Joshua Laine, was uninformed about basics of Livermore government. Meanwhile, Marchand has been an engaged mayor for seven years now as the council steered Livermore out of the recession. He’s earned another term.
As for the two council seats, re-electing Woerner is a no-brainer. He has been a leader in the effort to strengthen the city’s budgetary reserves and reduce the debt on the pension and retiree health plans for city employees.
The best pick for the second seat is between two strong candidates, Munro, a social science researcher, and Neal Pann, an architect and Planning Commission member. We opt for Munro because of her enthusiasm for the council’s fiscally responsible management approach.
What’s important here is that Livermore voters choose the best leaders for the city and not be influenced by big-money special interest politics.