Coronado’s mayor on the economy, education and ‘inconveniences’

Note: Detailed interview with Mayor Tanaka. Be sure to watch the video interview as well: Donning flip-flops, khakis and a Hawaiian-print shirt, he isn’t your typical politician. At least not on this particular day. He just taught a summer history class to high school students and went into City Hall to complete a few tasks. But, as the mayor of Coronado and a high school history teacher, Casey Tanaka has a jam-packed schedule, more than what his casual attire may display. He has concerns over decreasing tax revenue, overdevelopment, and most recently, that his city was in the limelight from a Coronado bridge toll study (that told them how much revenue the city could take in for different amounts of toll prices), which he found negative and unfair. He’s moving forward though, he said, as he has state budget sorrows to deal with. Additionally, the future for young people has always played a heavy role in his life. “Casey has a combination of qualities that make him a great a leader,” said councilmember Carrie Downey. “He is a teacher and teachers by nature are problem solvers.” Read the entire SDNN article here.