Open Government Advocates Rally at City Hall Today
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Lisa Shaffer (760-518-0533) or Tony Kranz (760-487-8513)
August 3, 2012
Encinitas, California
On Thursday, August 9 at 5 p. m., Encinitas City Council candidates Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz will finish a three-block walk at Encinitas City Hall, where the candidates will submit their official paperwork for the November election.
To symbolize the history of Encinitas as the “Flower Capital of the World” and to remember the late Maggie Houlihan, the group will carry flowers on their walk from the Old Schoolhouse on the Pacific View site. Houlihan served on the City Council for nearly three terms and made environmental issues a priority throughout her life. Before she died of cancer in September 2011, Houlihan endorsed Shaffer and Kranz as Council candidates. The candidates will speak briefly about what they want to accomplish as Council members.
Shaffer, who teaches business and personal ethics at UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management, pledges to work to change the atmosphere at City Hall. “There’s a disconnect between the wonderful City of Encinitas, with its cultural diversity and community roots, and the highly partisan, disrespectful way the City Council has operated in recent years. I want the community to be proud of our elected officials, and to feel welcome to bring their dreams and concerns to the Council. As a Council member, I pledge to represent all the people, and to ensure we are open, accessible and spending our tax dollars effectively and responsibly,” she said.
Kranz has deep roots in Encinitas and is a strong advocate for open government. He is a 1977 graduate of San Dieguito High School and was a 2010 City Council candidate. “Our city spent almost $100,000 on a lawsuit they lost to a city taxpayer who was just trying to get public documents related to a report on the condition of the city’s roads,” he said. “As a City Council member, I will work to ensure the people’s business is conducted in a way that builds trust between the community and our local government, while enhancing public safety and protecting our financial and environmental resources.”
Shaffer and Kranz have expressed concern about the mismanagement of the General Plan update process. While the candidates see some additional development as inevitable, they also feel it is the City Council’s responsibility to protect our quality of life, ensure we address traffic concerns, and maintain our unique community character.
Registered voters in Encinitas will elect three Council members in November. The incumbents are James Bond, who plans to retire after 20 years of service; Jerome Stocks, who has not announced his electoral intentions; and Mark Muir, who has obtained the paperwork to become a candidate for a Council seat, having been appointed earlier to complete Houlihan’s term.
Shaffer’s and Kranz’s websites are http://shaffer4council.com and http://tonykranz.com.
