Clayton City Council candidate questions: Bridget Billeter

The Concord Clayton Pioneer newspaper presented a list of questions to the candidates running for Clayton City Council in the 2022 election. To read other candidate answers, click here. For our story on all the candidates running in this race, click here.

Why do you want to serve on the Clayton City Council?

I am running for city council because I want to help foster cooperation, increase efficiency, and unify the past, present, and future visions of Clayton.

What personal skills and knowledge will you bring to the Council?

I believe my main contribution to the council will be a knowledge of the history of Clayton.  I grew up on the border of Clayton near Pine Hollow Intermediate School and most of my closest friends lived in Clayton. My parents, Tom and Dee Billeter, were teachers in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and I graduated from Clayton Valley High School, where my mom taught for over 30 years and served as athletic director. I am a member of the Clayton Valley High School Academic and Athletic Halls of Fame.

At the age of 18, I moved away for college and law school. All roads eventually led home and my husband, Jeff Gillespie, and I moved back to Clayton to raise our children. We have lived in Clayton for 18 years now and our boys both graduated from Clayton Valley Charter High School.

These longstanding ties to the community will allow me to utilize my unique perspective of the old and the new to meet our challenges as a team, to streamline city operations to keep the city fiscally responsible, and to come together to enact a vision embodying the best of Clayton.

What experience do you have that qualifies you to serve? Include professional and volunteer work on civic, community or charitable projects.

Professionally, I have been an attorney practicing criminal law for over 20 years.  My legal background gives me the skills to analyze complex legal issues and assess the practical implications of any decision.

As a volunteer, I have served as Mt. Diablo Elementary Parent Faculty Club President and Vice President of Education.  I have coached basketball at All Out Sports League and St. Bonaventure.  I was the team parent and “bench mom” for multiple Clayton Valley Little League teams, and for two years, I was the team parent of the CVCHS Boys’ Water Polo team. I currently serve as Secretary on the board of the Mt. Diablo Education Foundation, which provides enrichment opportunities to students in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

These volunteer opportunities have required proficiency in organization, planning, balancing budgets, making funding decisions, and—when dealing with young children—patience.  I believe that these skills will be invaluable in handling the workload of a city council member.

How long have you been a Clayton resident?

I have been a Clayton resident for 18 years, and I was born and raised in Dana Farms and spent my youth attending school with Clayton residents and participating in Clayton activities.

Current revenue growth is projected to be 2-3% per year while expenses as projected are anticipated to increase at 4% or ore more. This trend may worsen in the coming year due to historically high levels of inflation and general economic uncertainty that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, and other world economic factors. To reach a balanced budget in 2023 and onward, the city must either significantly cut services or increase revenue. If you think the city should balance the budget by cutting costs and services, what specifically would you cut? If you look more toward increasing revenue, how would you do this?

I understand that as our town has rapidly grown in the last few decades, our expenses have risen and outpaced our revenues. As a member of the city council, I will look for long-term solutions to ensure that our city has the fiscal stability not only for its immediate needs as well as establish a workable plan for the future of Clayton’s fiscal well-being.  Part of planning for the city’s future fiscal sustainability includes modernizing our city operations as well as recruiting and retaining city staff.  There is no one-size-fits-all solution and the answer could include a combination of increasing revenues and limiting expenses.  I will not rule out any potential solution, and any future decision will be made with the transparency and communication necessary to instill confidence in the Clayton residents that I am doing what is best for Clayton.

The governor has made the housing crisis a number one priority for the state. Cities are being mandated to provide more housing units than has been required in the past and it’s likely that even denser housing plans will be required in the future. Where do you see this going for a small city that is nearly built out? How should the city plan for meeting these mandates?

I recognize the difficulty that statewide mandates put on a small city such as Clayton.  There is no doubt that space for new development is limited.  However, as a longtime member of the community, I remember when Main Street was the only way to get through town. There was no Clayton Library. There was no Oakhurst Country Club and Golf Course. There were no homes in Keller Ridge and Stranahan. There was no Grove Park.  Clayton has always been able to balance growth while keeping Clayton’s small-town character.  I will consider future development proposals on a case-by-case basis while being mindful of both the history of Clayton and the city’s legal requirements.

Moreover, the planning commission and city council have submitted a draft housing element, covering the years 2023 to 2031, that incorporates the city’s goal of providing 570 new homes.  If elected, I will only approve a final housing element that complies with our legal, state-mandated requirements.

What do you see as the single biggest challenge for the city going into 2023?

The single biggest challenge is preserving the city’s fiscal sustainability, which includes modernizing our city operations as well as recruiting and retaining city staff.

What is your vision for Clayton in the next 4 years? Long term?

My vision for Clayton in the near term and the future is a fiscally sustainable community that works cooperatively, efficiently, and promotes unity among its residents.

What role will you play in realizing that vision?

Cooperation, efficiency, and unity can only be realized if all residents are invested in the success of the city.  If elected, I will encourage the formation of community-led committees that can discuss various issues, identify possible solutions, and report back to the Council for public resolution. This process will hopefully foster transparency and create unity in Clayton by allowing residents to collaborate on issues that affect our city.  My goal is to help provide a bridge between the past and present and prepare our town for the realities of the future.