Coronado City Councilman Richard Bailey is officially announcing his candidacy today for Mayor of Coronado. The current mayor’s term will end in December 2016.
I asked Richard why he wanted to be mayor of Coronado. He explained that it’s been an honor serving as a City Councilmember for the past few years and he believes that continuing his style of leadership, community involvement, and fiscal responsibility as mayor is necessary to ensure Coronado remains a great place to call home. Richard explained, “I bring a combination of experience on the City Council and a professional background in finance and management that is essential for the next leader of our city.”
I also asked Richard if City Council meetings had become more contentious over the past couple of years. Richard responded that, “in general the discourse between Councilmembers has always been civil, even when dealing with contentious issues.”
He went on to say, “One of the silver linings of some of these more recent contentious issues is that people who weren’t previously engaged are now active participants in the process and this is very positive for our community.
“There has always been a core group of citizens that attend most of our meetings and that group has grown recently – I know everyone on the City Council appreciates hearing from the public and it helps us make better decisions.”
I asked if he though social media had been part of the driver for new active participants at City Council meetings. These were his thoughts:
“Coronado Happenings and other social media forums have tremendously improved accessibility, accountability, and public engagement. I enjoy reading the comments on Facebook just as much as I enjoy reading emails directly from constituents and listening to public comments during the City Council meetings.
“The greatest benefit in terms of public discourse on social media is that it gives residents another option to share their opinions with elected officials and solve problems in real-time. When someone can ‘tag’ Mayor Tanaka or myself in a Facebook post and we can have the issue addressed within minutes, that is a benefit to the entire community.
“In addition to the city issues that Coronado Happenings’ members discuss, the group has taken on everything from finding lost dogs, to raising money for special causes, to helping our kids stay cool in their classrooms, and keeping an eye out for one another. In many ways, these groups help reinforce and build our sense of community.”
I asked Richard about the argument that he is too young to be mayor. This was his response:
“Age has never been an issue for me while serving on the City Council. When I was first elected, Councilmember Al Ovrom would joke and give me a hard time about being the youngest member on the City Council. If you compare our two voting records, especially on fiscal issues, you’ll find that we were both very fiscally responsible despite being the youngest and oldest members respectively. When you look at my record on both the City Council and professionally, I think many people would be surprised to learn how young I am.
“I grew up in the digital-age so some solutions that might not have been obvious to other Councilmembers are second nature to me. Processing city services online like bicycle registration and implementing Nixle, the traffic alert application, are just two examples of innovative solutions I championed.
“During my first campaign I pledged to always be accessible to the public and to soliciting feedback through non-traditional means. I have followed through on that promise through the use of social media, online surveys and distributing the City Council agenda electronically to an email list of over 1,500 residents, while still being available through traditional communication such as phone calls and one-on-one meetings.
“This functionality existed long before I was elected to the City Council, but I think it took someone with my experience and know-how to embrace and implement these new tools. I think my experience and record set me apart more than my age.”
When I asked him about the fact that he really wasn’t a true Coronado local, he said:
“I heard that question once during my first campaign for City Council – someone asked whether or not I was a ‘local’ to which I to which I replied ‘Yes, of course I’m a local.’ The person I was speaking with at the time said, ‘Look, I’ve lived here over seventy years and I’m still not considered a local.’ ”
Richard continued, “Whether or not you were born and raised here, everyone appreciates that Coronado was and still is a very special place to live. I fell in love with Coronado long before I became a resident and I fall more in love with this city every day. One of the reasons Coronado is so special is because our city is filled with people that take pride in their neighborhoods, their schools, and their community.
“As long as we still have a strong community our culture will be preserved. I am proud of my involvement in the community and proud to have the endorsements from longtime residents and newer residents alike because they believe I embody our culture.”
Some long-time Coronado residents want to slow down growth and tourism, I asked Richard how he will address the needs of these constituents, especially as he is perceived as pro-business and pro-tourism.
This was Richard’s response: “We live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth and people from all over the world have been coming to visit Coronado since the Hotel del opened its doors in 1888.
“I wouldn’t characterize myself as ‘pro-business and tourism’ or ‘anti-business and tourism.’ I would say I am pro-community and I believe our Coronado businesses are an integral part of our community.
“There are over 1,200 businesses in Coronado, many of which are locally owned and enjoyed by residents year-round. These businesses give our kids their first jobs and local businesses provide tremendous financial support to our local non-profits and schools.
“Some of the businesses such as hotels and restaurants depend on the busy tourist months to keep their doors open; these businesses also generate approximately 1/3 of Coronado’s general fund tax revenue.
“Coronado benefits from tourism because the tax revenue associated with tourism allows us to enjoy the lowest property tax and sales tax rates in California. While these benefits are enjoyed by all of us, it is incumbent upon the City Council to mitigate the impact of tourism on Coronado residents and put residents first in our decision making.”
Given all the positive and sometimes difficult actions that City Council has faced this year, I asked him what his vision was for the future. Richard answered that his vision for the City of Coronado is very straight forward – good governance, reinforcing what makes Coronado special, and putting residents first.
He noted that over the next several months he will be rolling out specific proposals that ensure we remain financially stable for decades, enhance our village atmosphere, and gives residents the greatest opportunity to participate with city leaders during the decision making process.
Richard had some final thoughts for me:
“I believe my role on the City Council is to represent all residents. While I have a vision for Coronado based on the input I’ve received during my tenure, I recognize that continued collaboration will produce even better results. If readers would like to share their ideas with me or get involved in my campaign, they can contact me through my website at www.voterichardbailey.com or call me directly at 619-335-7315.”
