The 2010 Election is Over

But Staying Informed Isn't

Jobs and the North Bay's future depend on your vote



Santa Rosa City Council

Next election for Santa Rosa City Council takes place on November 2, 2010
  • Address:
    City of Santa Rosa 100 Santa Rosa Avenue, Room 10 Santa Rosa, CA 95405
  • Phone:
    707-543-3010
  • Website:
    Santa Rosa City

The Santa Rosa City Council consists of seven elected City Councilmembers.  Each Councilmember serves overlapping four-year terms.  The three Councilmembers whose offices will end in 2010 and be on the November 2nd ballot are Susan Gorin, Jane Bender, and Veronica Jacobi.  The remaining four Councilmembers are Ernesto Olivares, John Sawyer, Marsha Vas Dupre, and Gary Wysocky.


Compare Candidate Survey Results

How strongly do you believe there is a close relationship between the economic vitality of a community and a healthy, fiscally sound government?

Jake Ours
10

Susan Gorin
10

Juan Hernandez
10

Scott Bartley
10

Joanna Schaefer
8

Veronica Jacobi
9

How important is job creation and retention on your priority list if elected to office?

Jake Ours
10

Susan Gorin
10

Juan Hernandez
10

Scott Bartley
10

Joanna Schaefer
7

Veronica Jacobi
10

Should job creation and economic development be one of the top priorities for Sonoma County City Councils and Board of Supervisors in 2010 – 2011?

Jake Ours
10

Susan Gorin
10

Juan Hernandez
10

Scott Bartley
10

Joanna Schaefer
7

Veronica Jacobi
10

Are you committed to diversifying and strengthening your jurisdiction’s economy?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you believe that your jurisdiction is doing enough to attract businesses that provide jobs?

Jake Ours
no

Susan Gorin
no

Juan Hernandez
no

Scott Bartley
no

Joanna Schaefer
no

Veronica Jacobi
no

Do you support attracting new business and expanding existing businesses in your jurisdiction?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you support the coordination of and participation in an economic development effort that promotes Sonoma County on a regional basis?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Should local government offer incentives, financial or otherwise, to attract new business to our area?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Should your jurisdiction provide funding to local Convention & Visitor Bureaus to promote tourism?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you view using the Redevelopment Agency as a tool to be utilized for economic sustainability in your jurisdiction?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
no

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you support the expansion of the Sonoma County Airport to allow more commercial air service?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
no

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you support allocating funds for deferred maintenance and infrastructure improvements including roads, airports, telecommunications, water, sewer and power?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you support reducing development and impact fees to spur job creation?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
no

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you believe that there are too many local regulations preventing or discouraging businesses from starting up or expanding in our area?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Will you consider job creation as a top priority in your decision making?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Will you put your jurisdiction’s jobs and the economy ahead of political agendas and special interests?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you support the deferral of local government impact fees on a construction project until that project is completed?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
no

Do you support a Living Wage Ordinance that would mandate what private businesses contracting with your jurisdiction would have to pay their employees?

Jake Ours
no

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
no

Scott Bartley
no

Joanna Schaefer
no

Veronica Jacobi
no

Do you support local production and distribution of construction materials (i.e. sand, gravel, asphalt, lumber, etc.)?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Should local government set a policy requiring open and fair competition in bidding on all public works projects?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Would you support efforts to position the North Bay to maintain a leadership role or become a leader in key job-producing industries?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you believe that it is important for your jurisdiction to provide flexible land use policies?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you believe that a cost-benefit analysis should be a required step in the process of formulating new regulations and reviewing existing regulations?

Jake Ours
no

Susan Gorin
no

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Will you support land-use and zoning regulations that deter excessive regulatory control?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you support having local regulations that are no more stringent than federal or state requirements?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
no

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
no

Veronica Jacobi
no

Do you support fast tracking new projects that will create new jobs?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Will you support a streamlined licensing and permitting process if it doesn’t sacrifice environmental protection?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Will you support setting aside money to adequately fund the liability for current and future public employee pensions and medical benefits?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
no

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you believe that salaries and benefits for public employees should align with the private sector?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Do you believe that privatizing or outsourcing government services should be considered?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
no

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
no

Do you support consolidation of government services as a means of providing more efficient government?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
no

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

Will you vote to cut your jurisdiction’s expenditures before raising fees or taxes?

Jake Ours
yes

Susan Gorin
yes

Juan Hernandez
yes

Scott Bartley
yes

Joanna Schaefer
yes

Veronica Jacobi
yes

What ideas do you have for creating new jobs?

Jake Ours

A. Restructure the debt of the City to free up more General Fund and Enterprise Fund dollars. B. Change the reputation of the City to that of a place which welcomes new business. C. Restructure Community Development to improve customer service, consistency, and accelerate planning and building approvals.


Susan Gorin

At a time when we need thoughtful candidates to reflect on complex policy decisions, this yes/no questionnaire is not helpful. After much deliberation, I have decided to answer the questionnaire, but many candidates will not because the questions and answers are much too complex to be answered "yes" or "no". In this national economic meltdown, it will require all of us working together to create jobs, stimulate new businesses, sustain our existing businesses, protect our natural resources, and grapple with the complexity of financing government services. Divisiveness and simplistic answers will not suffice for the task at hand.


Juan Hernandez

A.) Get back to the basic’s; create a vital economic development plan and not just say we developed it but rather aggressively execute it. B.) We must change the mindset that business is the enemy that currently exists but rather one that business is friendly…imagine a culture that is customer oriented. C.) Finally, we must do a better job of utilizing our resources, beginning with the talents of our current employees. Listen to what they have to say, looking to maybe a partnership with other organizations to lesson our costs yet bring back services or jobs to our community


Scott Bartley

1. We have to look for ways to restore the image of our community as a place where business is welcomed. 2. We need to be consistent and clear in our communications with everyone about our desires as a community. Businesses look for assurance that they will be successful when they are looking at a community. That takes following our established processes. From a business perspective, every step along the way when working through our system should be building certainty. This has not been the case for the last 2 years, and the City is paying the price. 3. We need to return to a place of civility and cooperation with both the citizens and our employees. Much can be accomplished if we all realize we are working towards the same goal: a vital and successful community, which we all can be proud of.


Veronica Jacobi

Community Choice Aggregation. Regional Carbon Tax PLUS Dividend together, not separate. Many more, must use my words to point out that SantaRosa too complex for yes/no answers see www.VeronicaJacobi.com I have and will continue to be committed to developing local jobs and businesses in Santa Rosa. I am proud of the support I have from local business owners and will continue to take actions that make Santa Rosa a great place to have a business. I have committed to working with community, business, labor and academic groups to form a strategic plan to target the community’s investment in the economy. I support programs such as AB 811 which through retrofit programs has stimulated this job sector in my time in office. I will continue to support efforts to re-tenant empty office and commercial space. Having been a councilmember during these difficult economic times, I know the solutions to our city’s problems are more complex than yes or no as is suggested in the questions above. Know that when re-elected,my top priorities will be to focus on local job creation, protection of our community’s environment and agricultural resources, and to ensure Santa Rosa has a safe and reliable supply of clean water. I would appreciate your vote on November 2nd.