2022 Clayton City Council candidate questions: Jeff Wan
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 love our city and I first ran for office and am running for re-election because I feel like I can make a difference. In getting to know so many folks around town, a common refrain is that people didn’t feel like they are being represented by the Council. I want to continue to serve in order to give those people a voice, to ensure that the Council listens to the residents they represent.
What personal skills and knowledge will you bring to the Council?
I started my career as a auditor focusing on local governments including some of the cities and counties in the Bay Area. Since that time, I became a CPA and worked in a variety of industries including education, software, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and insurance. And while these types of companies may be different, a common thread for all of them is that they have limited resources and need to be as efficient and effective as possible in order to be successful. I bring extensive experience in growing organizational efficiency and fiscal discipline. There are difficult choices ahead regarding what we should prioritize as a city, and how we should be funding those priorities. My experience as a Councilmember for Clayton and as a CPA working in private industry will help lead this city as we make those choices and I look forward to doing so while continuing to work with the rest of the Council.
What experience do you have that qualifies you to serve?
As a current Councilmember I am well versed in the challenges that the city currently faces. My role has allowed me the opportunity to talk with a great many residents about their concerns, work directly with staff, and collaborate on potential solutions. Outside of my role as a Councilmember, I am an active CPA with over 20 years of experience in private industry ranging from non-profit, education, software, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and insurance. I have extensive experience in leading large teams, meeting deadlines and budgets, and problem solving.
How long have you been a Clayton resident?
I have lived in Clayton for over 13 years. Back then my wife and I had a two year old and a newborn. Today we are proud parents of a 15, 13, and 9 year old. We fell in love with the small town community feel, the fantastic schools, and safe neighborhoods.
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?
The first thing we need to do is understand what we are spending money on. Earlier this year staff told the Council it costs $1,600/day to run our fountain. But when I pressed on how that could be, it turned out staff didn’t know the basis for that figure. We can’t be effective if we don’t have accurate information. Once we’ve done the analysis, we need to prioritize the services the city provides and perform them as efficiently as possible. Low priority services should be cut. Increasing taxes on our residents should only be an absolute last resort.
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?
It is critical that the city remains in compliance with all state laws. Recently the city submitted its first draft of an updated Housing Element which includes provisions for the required number of units. If the State accepts our submission, then we would have already met the state mandate and no further increase to zoning would be required for the 6th cycle 2023-2031. No one can predict the future but regardless of what direction the State goes, as an elected official, it is my responsibility to represent the residents of Clayton while following the law.
What do you see as the single biggest challenge for the city going into 2023?
Fiscal sustainability is the City’s biggest issue and its most difficult challenge. Like many organizations, our costs are increasing faster than our revenues and it is not sustainable. Our city operations are not efficient and staff turnover makes the challenge more difficult. We need to prioritize what is most important and ensure we execute those things as effectively and efficiently as possible. We need strong leadership to guide those decisions in order to maintain and preserve our city as a great place to live and raise a family.
What is your vision for Clayton in the next 4 years? Long term?
In the near term, it is critical that Clayton get its financial house in order. There are choices to make about how we provide necessary services and how we will pay for them. All of our actions in the near term should be focused on that goal as without fiscal sustainability, everything else that makes Clayton a great place to live could be at risk.
In the long term I see our great trails and parks, proximity to other desirable amenities, wonderful community, and safe streets and neighborhoods continuing to make Clayton to be a great place to live and raise a family.
What role will you play in realizing that vision?
To foster the vision of long term sustainability and Clayton continuing to be a great place to live and raise a family, it will take strong leadership to guide decisions that ensure the city’s actions reflect its priorities. Relying on platitudes and hope is not a plan. We need leadership that is able to earn the public trust and execute on that vision.