November 2nd you will be able to vote for TWO candidates

Question #5: With City budgets shrinking, what cost saving measures would you propose/consider?

Brian Sipes: During these times of financial uncertainty, it is critical that elected officials and staff look at every opportunity to cut any unnecessary expenses while preserving City services.It is possible we will see another budget shortfall. One recommendation would be for the City of Fillmore try to keep our workforce within City Hall, instead of using expensive outside consultants. The City could try to implement and utilize a volunteer/ intern corps of citizens for some tasks. Our Public Works Department may want to transition to automatic irrigation controllers for our parks. This is would have a dual benefit of saving water and energy. In 2007, I brought forward a green energy agreement that cities could sign on to. If our City Council would have signed this agreement, the City of Fillmore would have had the ability to receive grants for fuel efficient vehicles and for common forms of infrastructure. To me, to better our City, we must be fully engaged and open to alternatives. If elected, I would like to create an advisory commission made up of citizens and a few staff members to go through future budgets and make suggestions to reduce overhead.

Patti Walker: Like other cities, Fillmore has battled the effects of the economy - reduction in sales and property tax revenue and payment of about $2.4 from the RDA to the State. The City that has to pay back the money, not the State.
At the start of this fiscal budget cycle, we saw that almost every department had financial issues. City staff came together and brought all ideas to the table to find cost savings on almost every page of the budget. The entire staff worked hard to reduced this year’s budget deficit from more than $1,000,000 to a gap of approximately $275,000.
In my opinion, the citizens of Fillmore have been asked to give enough. They have seen an increase in their sewer and water fees, an increase in trash hauling fees and an addition of paying street sweeping costs. If that wasn’t enough, there have been increases in the costs to use the parks plus a reduction in the hours at the theater and pool. At the county level there will be increases in the bus fares.
As publically stated, there is discussion of setting up furlough days, an idea I support. Other discussions of finding budget reductions to close the $275,000 gap have been turned over to the City staff. Obviously, they can choose to have discussions on paying a percentage of the retirement costs and/or pay some of their other benefits. This council gave direction to avoid cutting positions, but this is something that may not be avoidable.

David Lugo: With our shrinking budget the way to cut cost is by stop outsourcing jobs that our own city employees are capable of doing. Stop all improvements to the city until we start getting more revenue coming into the city buy bringing in new businesses. The Business Park would be a place to start for revenue to the city, getting that going would be a boost for our economy and bring jobs. I would cut the Assistant City Manager and the Economic Development positions that would save about $300,000. They are not needed in this slow period we are in at this time. In times like this we need to ask staff to take on other duties like these to help us get through these times. “Your Voice”

November 2nd you will be able to vote for THREE candidates

Question #5: This year, several administration positions were filled by appointment, without the positions being advertised and ‘hired’. What is your opinion of appointments vs open competition for a vacant position?

Lucy Rangel: Although a Superintendent of a school district may be well within his right to appoint an individual for a vacant administrative position, one should ask whether this practice follows the best procedure for hiring the most qualified individual for that position. It is my opinion that this practice undermines the democratic process which we strive to teach our students. It can lead to an atmosphere of mistrust, lack of respect, and an overall feeling of unfairness, especially for those who would like the opportunity to be considered under an “even playing field”. Hiring practices in the FUSD have been inconsistent and unfair. Qualified individuals have been overlooked because positions have not been opened up.
Choosing a new leader is not an easy task for any organization; and the complex work of any school makes the selection of an individual even more challenging. The increased demand for high quality leaders in schools requires districts to select an individual who is prepared for the task of teaching, learning and organizational performance. It is critical that consistent hiring practices be established. Perhaps there should be a district hiring committee composed of varied stakeholders who know the community, culture, and school processes. Open competition for a vacant administrative position should exist in our district instead of the position being filled by appointment because we owe it to our students, staff, and community to find the best qualified candidate.

Kimberly Rivers: The selection of all employees within the District should be based on the needs of the District, and on which individuals are best qualified to meet those needs, using the most transparent process. Therefore I support “open competition” for available positions at every level. Although, the Board, being a publicly elected body must adhere to current stated policies and employment contracts that govern most aspects of its operations. In reviewing Board policy and the contract with the Superintendent, I have not located any language, which would support the idea that the Board is locked into approving any personnel decisions. The Board as stated in its policy, and in the Superintendents contract has “final approval” of all personnel decisions.
Currently the Board has the authority to annually re-negotiate or choose to not renew the Superintendents contract. I hope the public is aware that Board Policy and the Superintendents contract are public documents, available for viewing by any member of the public. The issue of appointments may be one where the Board needs to hear from concerned members of the community regarding the current procedures for filling vacancies in the District. The Community (including students, classified staff, certificated staff, parents, residents, business owners etc.) has every right to evaluate our Superintendent. When elected I will ensure the Board acts in a responsive and reasonable way to such concerns, always with a focus on what is best for the students, and working to create a transparent and accountable process. www.votekimrivers.com.

Dave Wilde: To be fair and offer all qualified district personnel an equal opportunity positions should be opened up to all who are interested. I'm sure there must have been good reasons for offering those people these new positions, but to demonstrate respect for the rights of district employees the process of announcing an opening and the interview process should be exercised. If there is a person who the district feels is the right fit for an administrative position using the normal hiring practices would not prevent that person from getting the job. So, you have the same desired results and all other interested people feel they had the opportunity to compete. The Fillmore School system is a team made up of all the district's employees. Not recognizing those rights will cause a breakdown in that unit. It may also result in a loss of support when needed at a later date.
Tom Peters, a famous business leader of the late twentieth century, professed that one of the ways to get the most out of your employees was to ensure they were treated with respect and had an active role in running the business. I wish I could remember his exact words, but you could find it in one of several management books he wrote.

Mark Austin: My opinion is that the use of appointments for filling vacant administration positions is not appropriate. By using this method, both the School Board and Superintendent, may possibly be accused of violating the public’s trust by not allowing for transparent government. Many individuals living in the boundaries of the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) view the appointments of these administration positions - just as that - back-room dealings. It is my strong belief that the FUSD needs to move away from this mode of operation in order to begin to gain back the community’s trust.
I believe in the use of open competition to fill vacant positions at the administration levels. These openings should be advertised in a way to acquire a large pool of the most qualified candidates. Existing staff that is employed by the FUSD would be encouraged to apply for these positions. By using this method, the FUSD would allow for a more open and transparent process.
Please visit my website at www.votemarkaustin.com or feel free to contact me at 805-427-0456 to answer any questions or to provide me with input on how you feel the FUSD could be improved.

Tony Prado: One of the few goals of a board is to create an environment where there is on-going positive growth among district leaders. It is essential that the Board agree on hiring a superintendent who is highly qualified and will continue to grow on the job. Attracting a highly qualified individual to become superintendent of F.U.S.D. is very difficult just as it is difficult to attract others for district administrative, principal and assisstant principal positions. Fillmore is a small community and has a small school district with below average District salaries-at all levels.
I believe we have a highly qualified Superintendent, who has faced some critical issues and has successfully resolved them. When a position has become vacant such as district administrator or principle or assisstant principle, it is highly advantageous to open the position for competition. But if the Superintendent believes that there are individuals within the district that have shown leadership capabilities, then he makes his case to the Board and the Board will allow him to appoint his choice or deny it. This scenario allows for district employees an opportunity for advancement. Whatever method is used, the Superintendent owns the decision and benefits or suffers the consequences of his decision.
Remember Vote for Tony Prado
A good superintendent provides professional support to ensure that district and site leadership performs at an optimal level. Successful leadership promotes stability, and stability of leadership helps create effective teaching which brings about learning in the classroom.

FUSD Schools in Program Improvement (PI).

On Monday, September 13, 2010 the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell released the 2009-10 School Accountability Progress Report. According to the press release from O’Connell’s office, the report “Provides results from the state accountability system: the Academic Performance Index (API), as well as the federal accountability system, comprised of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Program Improvement (PI).” It goes on to explain Both the API and AYP data are based on results from the Statewide Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) system. All results for this year and past years are on the California Department of Education (CDE) Website.

What is API? According to the information packet on API provided by the CDE, API scores are “used to measure the academic growth of a school. The API from one year is compared to the API from the prior year to measure improvement. Each school has an annual target, and all numerically significant subgroups at a school also have targets.” API Scores range from 200 to 1000. The CDE has set the minimum target API for all schools at 800, with an ultimate goal of every school meeting or exceeding that target by the 2013-14 school year. To reach that goal each school, and subgroups within the school have “growth targets” to meet each year. The idea is that if the school meets those growth targets, it will achieve the goal of 800 (or above) by the school year 2013-14.

In Ventura County there are 100 schools scoring above 800, with 23 schools scoring above 900, and 69 schools scoring in the 700’s. The remaining schools scored below 700.

What is AYP? According to CONTINUED »

Each year the Fillmore Post 9637 selects a member of the community to Honor for their commitment to help and or recognize our fellow citizens that are serving our country in uniform. This year we honor a man that went into the Marine Corp in January, 1966 and served till October 1969, Dick Diaz.

Not wanting to get his boots dirty he got assigned to a Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron, (kind of like a flying gas station) where he logged more than 1500 hours. These transports also moved troops in and out of Vietnam.

By keeping his nose clean and doing a good job he came out of the service as a sergeant E-5, not bad for 3 years, he also was awarded the Vietnam Service and Campaign Metals as well as the Good Conduct Medal.

With an Honorable Discharge in hand he began a 36 and 1/2 year career in law enforcement. In the 1980's he was chief of Police in Fillmore, went to Ventura County Sheriffs Department as a Lieutenant, and retired as a Captain. His father-in-law is a Korean war vet; his son is in the Navy.

His articles in the Fillmore Gazette highlights service members and lists the local people serving in all branches of the military.

It is our honor to recognize Mr. Dick Diaz

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Fillmore police are looking for a man in his early 20s in connection with a strong-arm robbery that took place Saturday afternoon, September 18th.

A 22-year old Fillmore man was at or near a store in the 600 block of Ventura Street when the suspect approached him and reportedly punched him in the face, taking the victims cash and newly purchased clothes.

The suspect is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, medium build.

If anyone witness the robbery or has information they may call the Fillmore Sheriffs at 524-2233.

November 2nd you will be able to vote for TWO candidates

David Lugo: The current council made the decision to make Two Rivers park the permanent home for Fillmore Little League which was a great thing for them no longer will they have to worry about raising costs that go along with the use of school property. They can know every year where they will be playing.
I disagree with the decision they made on prop. 218 it is a decision that I feel could have been avoided and if elected I will do my best to see that they do not raise in the future the city council has the power to not increase the rates on a yearly basis, my vote will be NO on increases. “Your Voice”

Brian Sipes: For years I've been a proactive citizen of Fillmore advocating for fiscal prudence with our tax dollars at City Hall. Since I have attended most City Council meetings, various subcommittee meetings, and community workshops, I've seen some good, well thought out decisions made by the current City Council. A decision that prompted my approval from the City Council is the small business ordinance that now gives local businesses an extra 5% credit when bidding on projects with the City of Fillmore. This is a victory designed to keep local businesses competitive with outside contractors. This measure subscribes to my vision of keeping Fillmore, the last, best, small town, in Southern California.
I firmly disagree with the City Council's decision to assess extreme administrative penalties exceeding over $10,000 to a specific property owner that had an excessive amount of vehicles in their driveway. I do not favor draconian measures that appear to be unreasonable. This specific incident was overly harsh and property owners cannot afford these steep penalties. Instead, I would promote a policy that would direct City staff to work with property owners to comply with City codes. It takes constant communication and being accessible from those whom represent City Hall.

Patti Walker: The council implemented policies that support and enhance economic development. Since the March 2010 adoption of the City’s Strategic Plan, much has been accomplished. Council directed staff to review signage to focus attention on the downtown corridor, workshops were provided to enhance business opportunities, and recently we’ve seen the start up of the farmer’s market.
In this economic downturn, the Council enacted policies that support local businesses. The Council adopted two resolutions, one pro-rates business license fees and another allows for a 5% bid credit to local businesses.
The Council worked to make government more transparent and accessible. The manager provides a Weekly Update posted on the city’s website every Friday outlining what is occurring in each department at City Hall.
Never before has the budget been posted on the website. Also available are Council meeting agendas which included staff reports, minutes and warrants available for public review. This information is provided no later than the Friday prior to the Tuesday Council meeting.
With two staff vacancies, implementation of many Council directed issues are on hold. The Council was focused on finding a City Manager. Immediately thereafter attention turned to the 2010/2011 budget. Currently attention has been focused on the hiring of a Finance Director. This position is very important and much has been on the back burner until the Finance Director and Deputy City Manager positions are filled. Being able to round-out the staff by filling these two positions will allow the City to run smoothly and efficiently.

November 2nd you will be able to vote for THREE candidates

Question #4: Who decides the direction of the District — the School Board or the Superintendent? What kind of relationship do you envision between them?

Dave Wilde: Both members of the school board and superintendent should have a vision for the FUSD. Constant dialogue and assessment must be in place to ensure neither lose sight or focus of that shared vision. The school board, however, has final say.
The superintendent is selected by the school board and should represent who they feel can best lead our district in a positive direction. That person has many responsibilities. Several important ones are: Make affective use of both district and school staff. With staff help develop and propose both plans and strategies to move our district forward. He/she must ensure that district monies are used in a responsible manner. Lastly, to ensure our students and staff a safe environment in which learn and work.
With that in mind it is still the school board's responsibility to over see and make final approval on these efforts. They are ultimately responsible and must make every effort to make decisions that reflect our school's primary product and that is the education of our students.

Lucy Rangel: The direction of the District is set by the School Board. This is one of the primary responsibilities it has to the entire community. If it is to govern effectively, the Board must ensure that a long term vision is established for the school system. This vision should reflect the consensus of all board members, the Superintendent, staff, and the community as to what students need in order to achieve their highest potential. The focus should be on learning and achievement for all students. The Superintendent should provide leadership based on the direction of the board; and he should accept accountability for implementing the vision, goals, and policies of the district.
Together the board and the Superintendent form the governing team. I envision this team to have a trusting relationship – one of mutual respect. The board and the Superintendent should work together collaboratively in order to move towards the district’s vision and goals. Communicating openly with trust and integrity is the type of relationship that is needed to ensure that our students receive a high quality education.

Mark Austin: The School Board should primarily be the entity deciding the overall direction of the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD). The School Board should establish this direction by providing a clear vision of what they expect of the Superintendent. This does not appear to be happening within the FUSD and thus there is no accountability at either the School Board or administration levels. In the FUSD, the Superintendent’s primary role should be to provide strong leadership and to establish goals that facilitate the implementation of the School Board’s vision. The Superintendent is responsible for the daily oversight of the District from the direction given by the School Board.
I envision the relationship between the School Board and Superintendent to be one of shared respect. School Board members must remember that they are an elected body that serves the community and is responsible for the Superintendent. In other words, the relationship is much like an employee and employer. The School Board must hold the Superintendent accountable for meeting the community’s expectations. www.votemarkaustin.com.

Kimberly Rivers: One role of the Board is to set the vision of the District and to hire, evaluate and provide oversight to the Superintendent who carries out that vision. The Superintendent is accountable to the Trustees who sit on the Board as representatives of the community. As a trustee a goal of mine for the Board would be to demonstrate a strong “back and forth” relationship with the Superintendents office. And should the Board feel the Superintendent is off track, it should seek information, provide feedback and support, to bring the efforts more in line with the intention of the Vision.
To be clear, I feel it is important that the Board have a strong sense of oversight and hold the office of the Superintendent responsible for all the duties assigned to that office including the quality of education provided, responding to issues and concerns raised by the community, administrators, faculty and staff, while at the same time challenging and empowering the Superintendent to use his/her skill-set to improve and innovate where needed and respond to the needs of the students and all employees of the District.
Ultimately I feel that a School Board and a Superintendent should be clear on what is needed along the road to achieve the Vision. There are sure to be bumps along the way, and a good collaborative relationship allows for that, but the Board and Superintendent should be proactively transparent, accountable and always in communication with the Community at large. www.votekimrivers.com.

Tony Prado: Ideally, the direction of the District rests with the five elected Board members. In reality, to get five individuals to agree on all matters related to the District is very difficult. Therefore, the concept of team building or building a consensus of ideas becomes very important. This is where the role of the superintendent comes to play. At California School Board Conferences it has been stated that a superintendent acts a as sixth board member. A good superintendent will then guide the Board towards problem-solving and systems-thinking when issues arise.
The superintendent has enormous responsibilities. He helps the Board develop its goals and works with the Board to develope the superintendent's goals. Ideally, this reinforces the importance of a positive, productive relationship with the Board. The reality is that he will not make all Board members happy. As long as there are three Board members, a majority that agree on an issue, the decision is made.
My community involvement in various areas and having coached for more than 20 years in a variety of boys and girls sports, I believe gives me the ability to be a good team player and if necessary a team leader. Working with the other Board members and the Superintendent we can chart a course for the District into the future. In essence, I working with the other Board members and the Superintendent can provide vibrant leadership and a common voice for the District. Therefore, remember to vote for Tony Prado.