Brief summaries of stances voiced by Sutter County Dist. 3 supervisor candidates
Another installment of the ultra-brief summaries of candidate positions we’ve been running – this one concerning candidates for Sutter County District 3 supervisor candidates Paul Basi, Bert Manuel and Mike Ziegenmeyer.
(Longer responses were featured in last week’s Saturday and Sunday editions, and you can watch a video of the candidate forum on the Appeal-democrat Facebook page.)
The agriculture/urban interface: Basi said there needs to be more education and it’s important there be buffer zones; Manuel said Yuba City should develop inside it’s sphere of influence; Ziegenmeyer said it’s necessary to preserve ag land.
What’s the board done that bothers you? Manuel said the county hasn’t conducted an audit recently, needs to better fund fire protection; and spent too much cleaning homeless encampments; Ziegenmeyer said the board should have banned marijuana dispensaries and that the board shouldn’t charge Glad Tidings for mobile trailers for the homeless; Basi said homelessness is a high priority.
The Oroville Dam crisis: Ziegenmeyer said a more organized evacuation strategy is needed; Basi said there was miscommunication between county and city that’s been resolved and senior citizens need to be remembered; Manuel said supervisors need to demand that the state clean up waterways.
Zoning for a Dollar General in Sutter: Basi said he was against it; Manuel said constituents would be able to call him; Ziegenmeyer said he’s sick of elected officials not listening to residents.
Water availability: Manuel said Oroville Dam has been mismanaged and people come before fish; Ziegenmeyer said too much water is going south; Basi said he supports construction of Sites Reservoir.
Flood protection: Ziegenmeyer believes there are levee issues; Basi said the county has made headway but there’s more to do on levees; Manuel said Meridian and Sutter Bypass have a problem with boils and said the ineptness of the state Department of Water Resources in managing dams is a big problem.
Fire station staffing: Basi said there’s a problem with funding and General Fund money might be needed; Manuel said the same and added that Proposition 13 makes it hard for rural areas to keep up; Ziegenmeyer said spending needs to be re-prioritized.
Unfunded pensions: Manuel said the only solutions he can think of are to cut funding and add a tax; Ziegenmeyer said it’s a statewide issue; Basi said CALPERS needs to invest funds without biases.
Vision for economic success: Ziegenmeyer said tax incentives and cutting regulations could help; Basi said infrastructure needs improvement and a business-friendly environment is needed; Manuel said the state and county are not business friendly.
Marijuana issues: Basi said he’s pleased with the present ordinance and said more information is needed before changes are made; Manuel said legalization in other states has not reduced illegal grows or produced expected revenue; Ziegenmeyer said he is against recreational use.