by Dave Grau for City Council
I’m a veteran, a retired business executive with a degree in accounting, and a taxpayer advocate. I think it’s time for a change in City Government. It’s time to get back to common sense: making sure the city is fiscally responsible, small business friendly, and tough on crime.
After serving in the U.S. military, I had a successful career in manufacturing, aerospace and agriculture. I’ve been active in non-profits helping veterans and the homeless. I serve on the board of directors of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association, an organization that supports reforms that bring greater efficiency and taxpayer savings to local government. I also spent two years serving on the Grand Jury.
I’m not a career politician, but we don’t need career politicians right now, we need common-sense people with real life experience. We need new ideas, new energy, and new people who are not tied to the same business as usual way of running city government.
I believe we can improve public safety and fund infrastructure improvements without hurting our local businesses by increasing sales taxes. I’m running on these issues:
- Taxes: No on Measure “O” (Sales Tax increase) There are times when raising taxes is an absolute necessity. This is not one of those times.
- Public Safety: The #1 responsibility of government is to keep its citizens safe. We need to make sure law enforcement is provided full and consistent funding.
- Economic Vitality: I support making Ventura a place that attracts good paying jobs again. We need to make it easier to start and expand a business, hire more people, or re-locate a business here. Economic vitality is not achieved when misguided elected officials give “preferential treatment” to Brooks, costing taxpayers millions.
- Water: The city’s water policy is failing our residents. City policy relies largely on reducing demand by constantly raising rates (Ventura has the highest water/wastewater rate in the county) while ignoring opportunities to increase supply. For example, while eight cities in Ventura County rely on state water for some or all of their water, Ventura receives none. And every year City Council pays $2 million of taxpayer money to the State for the “right” to water – water Ventura never receives.
I want to be your city council-member to bring back common sense to our city. It’s time for a fresh face, someone with real life experience and who understands business.
To learn more, please visit my website at: www.grauforventura.com
