Candidate
Forum Re-cap Calaveras County Supervisor Candidates Districts 1, 2 and 4.
Calaveras
County Taxpayers Association (CCTA) and the Copperopolis Community Center (CCC)
hosted a Candidates Forum at the Historic Armory on April 23, 2012.
District
1 includes Wallace, Burson, the downtown portion of Valley Springs, San
Andreas, and a lightly populated area between New Hogan Lake and Angels Camp.
Candidates: Gary Tofanelli, Valley Springs, incumbent, Cliff Edson, San
Andreas, owner of Country Cliff’s Café, Joe Kelly, Copperopolis, retired
rancher
District 2 includes a wide
swath of northern and central Calaveras County from Paloma to West Point and
south to the towns of Sheep Ranch, Calaveritas and Mountain Ranch. Candidates: Chris
Wright, Glencoe, Foothill Conservancy executive director, Bryce Randall, West
Point, owner West Point Trading Post, Michael Dell’Orto, Mokelumne Hill,
businessman and former supervisor, Tom Swartz, Paloma, businessman
District 4
includes
Copperopolis as well as Angels Camp. Candidates: Tom Tryon, Angels Camp, incumbent, Debbie
Ponte, Angels Camp, executive director Foothill Village Senior Living Community,
Russell Thomas, Copperopolis, businessman and former supervisor.
L to R : Tryon, Randall, Dell'Orto, Kelly, Edson, Thomas, Ponte.
Candidates
were asked a question from questions submitted by residents in attendance.
Questions were vetted by Copperopolis Community Center board members and
Calaveras County Taxpayers Association members. Candidates were each given a
limited amount of time to answer from two minutes to three minutes. Candidates
were rotated for each question. Due to the large turn-out of candidates each
question posed was only asked of two candidates, the following question were
asked of the next two candidates, and so on. The answers posted here are
condensed.
Opening
statements:
Debbie
Ponte – desire to serve my community…past Mayor Angels Camp.
Russ
Thomas – contribute to the betterment of my community I live in.
Cliff
Edson- stand for truth and fairness with no special interest…make a beter place
for all of us.
Joe
Kelly – career BOS meeting attendee wear like a badge… prepare for bankruptcy
get ready for development, both sides…transparency in government.
Michael
Dell’Orto – 4th generation Moke Hill…concerned with economy and what
we can do to get it (going)…enjoy working with people for a common goal.
Bryce
Randall – BS design engineer…small business owner…keep business local.
Tom
Tryon – Advocate for a successful Hwy 4 corridor…positive economic growth…need
community plan.
Question
#1: With 10% of the population of Calaveras County being veterans will you
increase services for them? Or at the very least not cut what is left?
Ponte
– certainly no cuts to services…inquire into State and Federal funding for
programs… a need for them especially in the seniors in Calaveras County.
Thomas – providing services for veterans
should be expanded on.
(In
his closing statement Kelly addressed this question and put forth the idea that
“first dibs should go to veterans for any new low-income housing built
Calaveras County.”)
Question
#2: How long can an individual live on a property without building?
Edson
– would need to check with county code … those situations should be monitored.
Kelly-
the time frame is connected to a building permit…should have a septic.
Question
#3: Why doesn’t the county have an economic development team?
Dell’Orto-
Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce promotes the county…it does exist its just
quiet.
Randall
– The economic development committee was taken away in the early ‘90’s… I am
opposed to spending government money to promote development government is the
problem.
Question
#4: How do you propose residents of Copperopolis to gain access to New Melones?
Tryon
– decision with the community plan advisory committee… not a necessity to top
infrastructure.
Ponte
– ’05 and ’09 community plans submitted with no BOS blessing…will support what
the people of Copper want.
Question
#5: Do you support proposal Agenda 21?
Thomas
– The UN doesn’t have their eye on Calaveras County … we are a laughing stock
in the region for lack of economic development.
Edson
– When you plan you need to plan for water, emergency services, need some sort
of sustainable…put it on the BOS as an agenda item.
Question
#6: What is your plan to make Calaveras County more business friendly?
Kelly
– Government Center not friendly to small business…county should be trained.
Dell’Orto
– collaborative effort.
