Candidate for
Council Member; City of Carlsbad

Mark's Beliefs and Values

Mark values Carlsbad as a great place to live, work and raise a family. With a demonstrated track record, Mark has been a strong supporter of balancing Carlsbad's economic health, social and cultural enrichment, and environmental sensitivity.

He supports development projects that meet or exceed the voter-approved Growth Management Plan and the Habitat Management Plan. Every project he votes on must meet these stringent guidelines.

It is no coincidence that Carlsbad is one of the most financially secure cities in the county. Through Mark's leadership, in part, the city's financial reserves have topped the $70 million range. During the recent economic downturn, while neighboring cities were curtailing paramedic services, reducing library hours and shutting off street lights, Carlsbad was planning and building Alga Norte Community Park, designing and constructing a state-of-the-art Fire and Police Safety Training Center, and creating and improving library centers throughout the city. Mark is proud that Carlsbad consistently receives a 90 percent or higher citizen satisfaction rating on city services delivered to the community. For the last three years, the rating has been 94%.

Mark has been a staunch supporter of protecting the public against inflated pensions for city employees and in backing "pay for performance" policies for some represented city employees, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as improving the delivery of city services.

Mark took the lead on the Council for the city to become a charter city, which ultimately protects and ensures decision-making authority at the local level. Eight-two percent of Carlsbad voters in the 2008 election cast yes ballots to implement charter city provisions.

Mark's ultimate goal is ensuring taxpayers receive the highest quality in services while keeping costs for providing those services among the lowest in the County.

Mark's Goals and Priorities

Mark's goals and priorities follow his core governance values: fiscal, social and environmental sustainability. Elements of each can be seen in the activities he wants to see through to fruition in the following categories: General Plan Update; Emergency Response and Safety; Power and Water Infrastructure; Adequate Parks, Open Space & Trails and Coastal Redevelopment; Higher Educational Initiatives; and Support of Business.

General Plan Update - One of Mark's biggest priorities is the review, approval and implementation of the General Plan Update. Mark supported establishment of a citizens' group that worked for 2 ½ years in helping create a vision for Carlsbad's future, a precursor and guideline to elements incorporated in the General Plan. The Plan, which is roadmap for the future growth and development of the city, is in its final production stage and will be before the Council by the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015.

Emergency Response and Safety - Mark has always supported providing our emergency services professionals with the resources needed to protect life, property and the environment. Residents saw the capabilities of first responders during the Poinsettia Fire in May. Fire, police and city staff, in addition to citizen volunteers, averted what could have been a major conflagration. As a City Councilman, Mark will continue to ensure first responders' needs are always met, and Carlsbad continues to be a safe community in which to live, work and visit.

Power and Water Infrastructure - Mark has strongly supported making Carlsbad self-sufficient when it comes to power and water. While he has supported the recent initiative to redesign and redevelop Encina Power Plant and voted to establish a desalination plant to convert seawater into drinking water, there is still much to be done as these facilities come on line in the next several years. Mark has always supported efforts to expand the Encina Wastewater treatment facility that converts sewage water for non-potable uses around the city, including city landscaped areas, HOA common areas and golf courses.

Adequate Parks, Open Space & Trails and Coastline Redevelopment - Mark is a big proponent that residents have close access to both neighborhood parks as will as major community parks. He was a strong proponent of Alga Norte Park and is strongly behind creation of coastal recreational areas from Encina Power Plant to the Encinitas border. This enhanced coastal corridor will allow residents a unique opportunity to enjoy Carlsbad's beautiful shoreline with active and passive uses. Mark also values the trails, bike paths and open space that define Carlsbad unlike any other city in the county. When prudent, Mark has supported the purchase of open space land, as he did with Village H in Calavera Hills.

Higher Education Initiatives - As a former School Board Trustee, Mark is very much behind the many efforts to bring higher educational institutions to Carlsbad. He supported bringing Mira Costa College's Technology Career Institute to the city and the initiative to locate a world-class engineering college within the business park. He also supports the alliances between California State University + San Marcos and local businesses that will allow Carlsbad to create a homegrown workforce.

Support of Business - As a business owner, Mark understands the needs of the business community to "survive and thrive." While California has a business unfriendly reputation, Mark has demonstrated his support of local initiatives and policies that do everything possible to support business and streamline the permitting process that attract and retain world-class corporations and the resulting high paying jobs prevalent in the city today.

Another area Mark supports is the city's vast and variable shopping experiences. He supports the ongoing revitalization efforts in the Village and the Barrio, and the Westfield Carlsbad redesign project. These activities will continue to sustain businesses and provide both local and world-class shopping experiences for residents and visitors. This, plus the economic strength from other shopping centers including Car Country Carlsbad, the Forum Shops and the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, will provide residents with diverse shopping experiences while adding additional revenues to ensure Carlsbad's strong economic base.