Transparency is key
District 1 City Council candidate Fletcher hopes to bring ‘new blood’ and experience to position
“Wherever I go, I leave a big impression,” stated District 1 City Council candidate Russell “Buck” Fletcher with a smile. “I am the candidate that is approachable simply because I want to make people the most comfortable while allowing them the opportunity to express their deepest complaints about the city, because no complaint is too big or too small.”
Fletcher cleared some time out of his schedule to visit the Recorder office and share his views and positions on the city.
“We need transparency. There is no transparency or very little transparency in local government these days,” Fletcher said about why he was running for the Council seat. “I am the only candidate that gives out their personal cell phone number. I tell people call or text me anytime day or night. I want to bring full transparency back. I want to get rid of the hogwash and tit-for-tat.”
He wasted no time getting down to what he believes to be the biggest problem facing Porterville — infrastructure.
“Did you know that there are 17 empty store fronts on Main Street?” asked Fletcher. “There are 17 empty store fronts, two empty lots and three burned out buildings. We need to get that worked on.”
Fletcher was full of ideas on how to approach the infrastructure problem, and proposed a simple tax to generate funds that could be used towards roads, curbs, sidewalks and buildings.
“We need to incentivize landlords to bring down the rents to local levels,” Fletcher suggested. “I would propose an empty building tax. If you want to be a blight on our city and take a tax writeoff, fine — we will tax you for it to help beautify the city and beautify Main Street.”
While talking about money, Fletcher made it clear that he would like to see areas in the budget receive more funding, but would not reduce any budget areas as of now.
“I really would not decrease anything right now,” said Fletcher. “Things are pretty well balanced, especially with Measure H, but there is some stuff that we can increase some spending on. Roads, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, road repair, potholes, that’s one of the main things I’m hitting on.”
Fletcher spoke very highly of Measure H and revealed that he helped establish the way the Measure H committee works.
“In 2013, I was appointed to the Measure H committee, and then from there I was elevated to the chairmanship position,” Fletcher stated. “With Measure H, when I took over the chairmanship position, it was meeting once a year,
which is required by the language of the measure. Over the years, I got it to the point where we are meeting once a quarter and we are having a quorum just about every time.”
Fletcher may be very supportive of Measure H, but the upcoming one-cent tax increase measure known on November's ballot as Measure I did not sit as well with him.
“I disagree with it because it does not lock in where the money can go. The whole reason Measure H works so well is because it can only be spent on three things: police, fire and literacy. Measure I can be spent on anything as long as a new ordinance is passed by City Council,” said Fletcher. “I see a prototype that has worked extremely well and that is Measure H. We passed Measure H, the citizens of Porterville passed Measure H. We now have a new public safety
center that was paid for with cash. The new fire engine we have was paid for with cash. Why? Because the taxes from Measure H can only be spent on certain things and we spend it on those certain things.”
Fletcher stated that if Measure I were set up like Measure H, he would be in support of it, but since it is not, he fears that it could be abused in the future.
“People want to know where their money is going, and that's part of the full transparency part,” stated Fletcher.
Fletcher was not short on ideas for dealing with the homeless population in Porterville either.
“It's a multi-faceted problem that needs a multi-faceted answer. We have issues with the homeless with mental health. We have some homeless that wish to just be homeless, and then we have some homeless that are really just people who are down on their luck and need a hand up,” Fetcher said. “You can't just throw money at it. How I would
handle it is we need to go in and do surveys with the homeless, find out who's homeless because they want to be homeless, who is homeless because they are actually down on their luck, and who is mentally ill and needs help.”
Fletcher also expressed that he would like to see an industrial increase happen in the city and that the people deserve to have more job opportunities.
“In Porterville's history, we were [once] the economic powerhouse of Tulare County. We had two major railroads that serviced us,” stated Fletcher. “It was relatively easy to come here, find a job at some place like a packing plant, and within a couple years buy your house, buy a new car and live the American dream for the next 35 years. Because of certain actions taken by the City Council along with some economic issues outside of our control, we lost a lot of that. I want to work very hard to get that back.”
Fletcher stated that he is running for the people and wants to bring a completely transparent member to the City Council.
“I am the no B.S., no bribes, full transparency candidate. I bring lots of experience to Porterville City Council, but have not actually sat on City Council yet,” Fletcher stated about his candidacy. “I feel I'm best qualified because I'm new blood and I have experience. I believe that I also represent part of the changing demographic of District 1 and the city as a whole.”
Fletcher left the room with one last thing to say.
“I really am here for the people,” he said.