City of Dublin

Balancing the City's Budget Without Service Cuts or Layoffs: Every year I've been on the city council the city has balanced its budget and has not had to reduce any core services or layoff a single employee. We have done this by being mindful of the money the taxpayer has entrusted us to manage. We were able to do this by making government more efficient and having our city's employees pay into their pensions, one of the first cities in the Bay Area to do so.

Getting Business and Government on the Same Page: When small businesses thrive, people are working and governments are best able to provide the services people expect. In Dublin, with my colleagues, I've led the way to entice small and large businesses to town. We created a sales tax reimbursement program that attracted and still attracts large businesses to town who are creating new, local jobs. With our sewer capacity program, we are able to help new businesses by providing up to 25% of their sewer capacity, which has saved new businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in upfront fees, which is often the difference between a grand opening and never getting off the ground.

Growing the Tri-Valley Wine Region: One of my first initiatives on the council was to connect Dublin to the Livermore Valley Wine Region. I call it "Grapes, Not Growth." We created a Subcommittee on Wine Region Connectivity, and are incorporating connecting to the wine region into our city's initiatives. Today, Dublin is actively trying to entice and attract winegrowers to Dublin, encouraging developers to incorporate a wine theme in their design elements, and partnering with the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association. Dublin is not the only city that can realize this opportunity. San Ramon, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, and Sunol are all a part of the same Livermore Valley American Viticulture Association's area, meaning, those cities are capable of quality grape-growing.

Protecting Open Space: I am a strong supporter of an urban grown boundary in Eastern Dublin and protecting as much open space (preferably in permanent easment) as possible. I'm proud that while serving the City of Dublin, Dublin joined the East Bay Regional Park system with the 654 acre Dublin Hills Regional Park.

Restoring Senior Center Services: I campaigned for City Council on a platform of restoring services that had been cut at the Senior Center before I got on the Council at the senior center. The first budget I voted to approve, I worked with my colleagues to return the van service (for trips and shopping) for our seniors. I'm proud that it's still operating today.

Open Government: I believe that if city councilmembers are lobbied by the public on quasi-judicial matters, the public has the right to know who has a councilmembers ear and what was learned. Before I was on the council, that was not the case. I authored a resolution that passed and now requires all councilmembers to reveal who is lobbying them and what was learned. I will take the same open government/transparency approach to Congress. No society has ever failed because the people knew too much about what their government was doing.

District Attorney's Office

-- Prosecuted thousands of criminal cases, including domestic violence, elder abuse, fraud, homicide, and human trafficking

-- Tried 34 cases to verdict, including 3 homicide trials, with first-degree convictions in each trial

-- Served as Office's Hate Crimes Prosecutor (From 2010-2012)

-- Honored With 2009 Mothers Against Drunk Driving Community Award

Community

-- In 2006, founded and serve as president of the Dublin High School Alumni Association, which has grown to over 3,000 online members and has awarded over $5,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors

-- Advisor, Tri-Valley Conservancy, a land conservation organization that seeks to protect open space

-- Soccer Coach, Director of Youth Soccer program for San Ramon Soccer Club (2006-2008)

-- Continuing Education of the Bar, Young Lawyers Advisory Board: Appointed to serve on young lawyers advisory board to State Bar's Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB)