City Council candidates want to fix budget, preserve city's strengths
- September 29, 2010
Two seats on the Walnut Creek's City Council are up for grabs this November with three contenders seeking them - incumbent Cindy Silva and two newcomers, Kristina Lawson and Justin Wedel. The term is four years.
The News asked each of the candidates a series of the same questions. They were asked why they were running; what city issues did they consider most pressing; what steps they would take to control the city's budget; their view of the city's future; what are the city's strengths and weaknesses; and what they felt about Walnut Creek's programs for seniors.
The following is a brief bio of each candidate and a short summation of his or her response to the questions.
Justin Wedel
Small business owner Justin Wedel, 31, earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from California State University East Bay. He has lived in Walnut Creek more than five years. He is married and has one young daughter.
Wedel is an executive with a background in technology. He started his professional career as a computer technician for the city of Walnut Creek and went on to work at many of the premier technology companies throughout the Bay Area as an IT executive and department leader. He is the founder of a technology startup company based in Walnut Creek.
Wedel said he is running for Walnut Creek City Council because he loves the city, but is concerned for its future. “I believe the City Council is broken and I am alarmed by their lack of understanding of the issues facing our community,” he said.
Wedel's focus would be on budget and spending; rebuilding trust in City Hall; and creating “responsible economic development,” he said.
He said it's important to provide a balanced budget that fully funds essential services, such as police and public works, before any “city niceties,” and that the City Council should work with the broader community to identify top priorities and address them. Openness, accessibility and equal representation are important, he said.
To control the budget, “We need to perform a bottom-up budget analysis of all departments to find waste,” Wedel said. “We may also need make cuts or reduce subsidies to nonessential services.”
The residents are the city's greatest strength, he said, and Walnut Creek also has great shopping, a thriving restaurant scene, a strong corporate base, arts and recreation programs, and beautiful open space.
It is important to realize, he said, that Walnut Creek's senior population percentage is twice that of the average percentage of seniors in all of Contra Costa County and is growing rapidly, which will require a shift in the city's focus of services. That shift, he said, means the city should work with transportation organizations to ensure adequate transportation is available for the community and seniors; ensure there is adequate police protection; and “work with the medical industry and brand Walnut Creek in such a way that strengthens the city's position as the centralized hub for health care in the East Bay.”
Wedel's campaign website is .
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