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Four candidates vie for south Sonoma County supervisor seat
The candidates: Mike Healy, John King, David Rabbitt and Pam Torliatt
Mike Kerns is retiring after serving on the Board of Supervisors for 12 years.
PD file photoPublished: Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 3:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 10:14 p.m.
Retiring south county supervisor Mike Kerns has some advice for his replacement, whomever it turns out to be:
-- Don't start with ideological barriers already built.
-- Stop campaigning.
-- Listen more and talk less.
-- Don't take things personally.
-- Be professional, courteous, kind and considerate.
“And when the votes are over with, forget it,” he said. “This is business.”
In the June 8 primary election, four candidates are vying to replace Kerns, who has represented southern Sonoma County on the Board of Supervisors for 12 years. Kerns has not endorsed a candidate but said he may for the November election.
If no single candidate wins a majority of votes next month, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.
The four candidates, Petaluma City Councilmen David Rabbitt and Mike Healy, Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt and Penn-grove accountant John King, are stepping up their campaigns as the race enters the final three weeks.
“The challenges that are facing us now and in the future are greater than ever before,” Kerns said. “With the budget situation the way it is, it's worse this year than it was last, and I don't know if next year is going to be any better.”
With two new supervisors starting next year, two who have only been around for two years and another on the board since 2002, one challenge will be a lack of institutional knowledge, Kerns said.
“When I got on the board, it was almost overwhelming, so I tried to keep my mouth shut, listen and learn,” he said.
The next 2nd District supervisor, whose constituency includes Petaluma and stretches from Cotati to the Marin border, will be faced with a projected $62 million deficit in the county's $430 million general fund next fiscal year, skyrocketing employee pension costs and proposals for an asphalt plant and a rock quarry in the south county.
In general, Rabbitt, King and Healy say they support individuals' property rights and development that adheres to guidelines in the county's general plan, while Torliatt says she is more environmentally friendly and slow-growth oriented.
Torliatt has raised the most money, $111,870 as of March 17, and has the endorsements of the elected Democratic establishment, including state Sens. Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa and Mark Leno of San Francisco, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa and Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma.
Rabbitt is second in the money race, having received $66,081 and endorsements from several business, agriculture and public safety interests.
Healy, who has raised $14,767, said he has enough name recognition and good will that he doesn't have to raise much money.
King, who calls himself the only rural candidate, reported $23,624 in contributions.
The supervisor's job is a four-year term and pays $169,000 a year.
Here are the candidates:
MIKE HEALY
Mike Healy, 52, is a civil attorney, an engineer and has been on the Petaluma City Council for 10 years.
Although he typically ends up on the same side as David Rabbitt on council votes related to development and opposite Pam Torliatt, Healy paints himself as more moderate than his ally.
“All the conservative interests line up behind one candidate, all the liberals line up behind another candidate, then we endure an election that is primarily about platitudes and who has fewer skeletons in their closet,” he said.
He said he can bring a more collegial atmosphere to the Board of Supervisors than residents have seen during City Council discussions, which can devolve into political gamesmanship.
Healy said if elected, he intends to remove “bottlenecks” to job creation by fighting for funding for the widening of Highway 101 to Novato and stabilizing the county's water supply.
He supports the SMART commuter rail plan and a Rainier Avenue interchange and cross-town connector, a controversial issue in Petaluma for years.
Healy said he opposes a sales tax increase to help ease the county's budget woes, caused by falling property and sales taxes. Instead, he said the county needs to rethink its middle management numbers.
“We need surgical cuts, not meat ax cuts,” he said.
The costly retirement benefits enjoyed by some county employees can't continue, he said.
“We need to be moving toward ... a second tier for new hires,” he said.
Supervisors should be leading by example, he said. Healy is one of two Petaluma City Council members who return 10 percent of their city wages in solidarity with workers who've taken unpaid furloughs.
“If county supervisors want to ask voters for a tax increase, they had better be prepared to demonstrate that they've taken extraordinary measures and sacrificed first,” he said.
Healy has fought the proposed Graton Rancheria casino in Rohnert Park and is pushing for an advisory vote on whether local voters support the plan.
He opposes the current Dutra asphalt plant proposal, but said a local plant would be helpful if a suitable site could be identified.
“If someone comes forward with a proposal that's consistent with the general plan, that should be supported,” he said.
JOHN KING
John King, 53, is an accountant and Penngrove rancher who is most passionate about water issues. He led a lawsuit against Rohnert Park over water use and won a settlement in 2002 that forced the city to cap its well water consumption.
As his campaign signs say, King has “had enough” and says change is needed at the top.
“The supervisors we have today aren't managing the county,” he said.
He said he would pursue an overhaul in the way county government operates — from an audit of the general fund, which funds most vital county services, to restructuring the land-use permitting process for more efficiency.
To cut the massive budget deficit, he said he would restructure retirement benefits for county employees: “Benefits should not be paid by the county until age 65, no exceptions.”
King said he would seek an end to the county selling water to Marin County, freeing up billions of gallons for Sonoma County agriculture and residential use.
“It is my commitment to see this through if I'm elected,” he said. “They (Marin) are going to have to become self-sufficient.”
Countering charges that water is his only issue, King said since the lawsuit, he has spent years researching county land-use guidelines, traffic issues and county finances.
He opposes the SMART train as too expensive to maintain. He said for it to be viable it would need to be reformulated into a BART-style system extending across the Golden Gate Bridge.
King said the proposed Dutra asphalt plant along the Petaluma River has value in terms of transportation costs, but he isn't convinced the plant could operate safely and within standards acceptable to the community.
“I would like to see a solution for Dutra,” he said. “But I have safety concerns.”
King emphasizes he is the only rural candidate of the four. His family has 100-year-plus roots in Sonoma County and he lives on a hay farm that has been in his family for generations.
“I will be the first person in 40 years to come from rural Sonoma County and represent rural Sonoma County,” he said.
“I'm smart. I have a great vision. I'm aggressive and I will tell you, the public, the truth.”
DAVID RABBITT
David Rabbitt, 49, said a year ago running for county supervisor wasn't on his radar.
But after Pam Torliatt announced she was seeking the 2nd District seat Rabbitt was recruited by people in the business community as a counterpoint to Torliatt's candidacy.
Labeled business-friendly, Rabbitt said he simply realizes the need to encourage businesses to build or expand in Sonoma County, bringing with them their sales-tax dollars and jobs to a lagging economy.
“The truth is, supervisors don't create jobs,” he said. “The important thing is the whole business sector needs to survive and prosper. My background gives me the insight to know which things can create jobs and which are detrimental to that.”
He said he is leery of taxing a population that is already hurting and has concerns about raising development fees on builders.
Rabbitt said “everything has to be on the table,” including employee pensions and a two-tier benefit program, in cutting costs to reduce the county's $62 million deficit.
“And I think everyone knows that,” he said. “It's going to be very unpopular with a lot of people. But we have to make the right decisions to make the county move forward.”
An architect and father of three, Rabbitt emphasizes his small-business experience and community commitment.
“I have government experience on the council and boards. I have business experience, which is vital. I am an architect, which is important for land-use issues,” he said. “If an individual only has government experience, that means you don't have life experience to draw from to make decisions on big policy issues for the county.”
Rabbitt opposes the Dutra asphalt plant as it's currently proposed but said it would be irresponsible to issue a blanket opposition “regardless of where it is.”
“In theory,” he said, he supports a quarry on Roblar Road because it would create jobs and a locally produced product. But, he said, it hasn't been determined whether the impacts could be mitigated.
Rabbitt highlights his endorsement by current Supervisor Shirlee Zane, who also endorsed Torliatt.
“Shirlee is looking at who she wants to work with,” he said. “We need to break the cycle of environment vs. business. All these problems are too big to be couched that way.”
PAM TORLIATT
Pam Torliatt, 43, has spent nearly her entire adult life working in Petaluma city government.
She boasts of more than 18 years on the city Planning Commission, City Council, regional boards and as mayor for the past three years.
After an unsuccessful Assembly bid in 2006, Torliatt was elected mayor over council colleague and supervisorial opponent Mike Healy.
She said her experience in local government is critical to the supervisor's seat.
“Clearly, it's what differentiates me from the others,” she said, citing her experience with multimillion-dollar budgets and leadership roles.
“I've already done that.”
Torliatt, with endorsements from Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma, state Sens. Mark Leno of San Francisco and Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro of Eureka and Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa, among others, is a favorite of longtime North Coast Democratic leaders.
But others in Petaluma, including her opponents for the 2nd District supervisor's seat, have called her an obstructionist who is not just slow-growth, but no-growth.
Torliatt counters that she has high standards, forcing development proposals to fit into how Petaluma, a town with a rich agricultural history, envisions itself.
In that vein, she has vigorously opposed the Dutra asphalt plant proposal just south of Petaluma and has raised concerns about a quarry on Roblar Road.
To close the county's $62 million deficit, Torliatt said she would have “discussions with the stakeholders” before pursuing layoffs or benefits cuts.
“The workers on the ground, they see the inefficiencies,” she said.
A two-tier system of benefits is “a conversation that needs to be had in a more collaborative way,” she said.
Torliatt said a reorganization of the Sonoma County Water Agency is a priority, and she would encourage more use of gray water, reverse osmosis systems and agricultural reuse of wastewater.
The agency, managed by the supervisors, needs to be more transparent in how it sets water rates and work better with the cities that buy its water. She said the agency has lost sight of its original mission, to control flooding and work with water contractors.
She said she would concentrate job-creation efforts on tourism, health care and green technology.
The SMART train could become “a huge economic engine” to boost tourism in Sonoma County, she said.
Retiring south county supervisor Mike Kerns has some advice for his replacement, whomever it turns out to be:
-- Don't start with ideological barriers already built.
-- Stop campaigning.
-- Listen more and talk less.
-- Don't take things personally.
-- Be professional, courteous, kind and considerate.
“And when the votes are over with, forget it,” he said. “This is business.”
In the June 8 primary election, four candidates are vying to replace Kerns, who has represented southern Sonoma County on the Board of Supervisors for 12 years. Kerns has not endorsed a candidate but said he may for the November election.
If no single candidate wins a majority of votes next month, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.
The four candidates, Petaluma City Councilmen David Rabbitt and Mike Healy, Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt and Penn-grove accountant John King, are stepping up their campaigns as the race enters the final three weeks.
“The challenges that are facing us now and in the future are greater than ever before,” Kerns said. “With the budget situation the way it is, it's worse this year than it was last, and I don't know if next year is going to be any better.”
With two new supervisors starting next year, two who have only been around for two years and another on the board since 2002, one challenge will be a lack of institutional knowledge, Kerns said.
“When I got on the board, it was almost overwhelming, so I tried to keep my mouth shut, listen and learn,” he said.
The next 2nd District supervisor, whose constituency includes Petaluma and stretches from Cotati to the Marin border, will be faced with a projected $62 million deficit in the county's $430 million general fund next fiscal year, skyrocketing employee pension costs and proposals for an asphalt plant and a rock quarry in the south county.
In general, Rabbitt, King and Healy say they support individuals' property rights and development that adheres to guidelines in the county's general plan, while Torliatt says she is more environmentally friendly and slow-growth oriented.
Torliatt has raised the most money, $111,870 as of March 17, and has the endorsements of the elected Democratic establishment, including state Sens. Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa and Mark Leno of San Francisco, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa and Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma.
Rabbitt is second in the money race, having received $66,081 and endorsements from several business, agriculture and public safety interests.
Healy, who has raised $14,767, said he has enough name recognition and good will that he doesn't have to raise much money.
King, who calls himself the only rural candidate, reported $23,624 in contributions.
The supervisor's job is a four-year term and pays $169,000 a year.
Here are the candidates:
MIKE HEALY
Mike Healy, 52, is a civil attorney, an engineer and has been on the Petaluma City Council for 10 years.
Although he typically ends up on the same side as David Rabbitt on council votes related to development and opposite Pam Torliatt, Healy paints himself as more moderate than his ally.
“All the conservative interests line up behind one candidate, all the liberals line up behind another candidate, then we endure an election that is primarily about platitudes and who has fewer skeletons in their closet,” he said.
He said he can bring a more collegial atmosphere to the Board of Supervisors than residents have seen during City Council discussions, which can devolve into political gamesmanship.
Healy said if elected, he intends to remove “bottlenecks” to job creation by fighting for funding for the widening of Highway 101 to Novato and stabilizing the county's water supply.
He supports the SMART commuter rail plan and a Rainier Avenue interchange and cross-town connector, a controversial issue in Petaluma for years.
Healy said he opposes a sales tax increase to help ease the county's budget woes, caused by falling property and sales taxes. Instead, he said the county needs to rethink its middle management numbers.
“We need surgical cuts, not meat ax cuts,” he said.
The costly retirement benefits enjoyed by some county employees can't continue, he said.
“We need to be moving toward ... a second tier for new hires,” he said.
Supervisors should be leading by example, he said. Healy is one of two Petaluma City Council members who return 10 percent of their city wages in solidarity with workers who've taken unpaid furloughs.
“If county supervisors want to ask voters for a tax increase, they had better be prepared to demonstrate that they've taken extraordinary measures and sacrificed first,” he said.
Healy has fought the proposed Graton Rancheria casino in Rohnert Park and is pushing for an advisory vote on whether local voters support the plan.
He opposes the current Dutra asphalt plant proposal, but said a local plant would be helpful if a suitable site could be identified.
“If someone comes forward with a proposal that's consistent with the general plan, that should be supported,” he said.
JOHN KING
John King, 53, is an accountant and Penngrove rancher who is most passionate about water issues. He led a lawsuit against Rohnert Park over water use and won a settlement in 2002 that forced the city to cap its well water consumption.
As his campaign signs say, King has “had enough” and says change is needed at the top.
“The supervisors we have today aren't managing the county,” he said.
He said he would pursue an overhaul in the way county government operates — from an audit of the general fund, which funds most vital county services, to restructuring the land-use permitting process for more efficiency.
To cut the massive budget deficit, he said he would restructure retirement benefits for county employees: “Benefits should not be paid by the county until age 65, no exceptions.”
King said he would seek an end to the county selling water to Marin County, freeing up billions of gallons for Sonoma County agriculture and residential use.
“It is my commitment to see this through if I'm elected,” he said. “They (Marin) are going to have to become self-sufficient.”
Countering charges that water is his only issue, King said since the lawsuit, he has spent years researching county land-use guidelines, traffic issues and county finances.
He opposes the SMART train as too expensive to maintain. He said for it to be viable it would need to be reformulated into a BART-style system extending across the Golden Gate Bridge.
King said the proposed Dutra asphalt plant along the Petaluma River has value in terms of transportation costs, but he isn't convinced the plant could operate safely and within standards acceptable to the community.
“I would like to see a solution for Dutra,” he said. “But I have safety concerns.”
King emphasizes he is the only rural candidate of the four. His family has 100-year-plus roots in Sonoma County and he lives on a hay farm that has been in his family for generations.
“I will be the first person in 40 years to come from rural Sonoma County and represent rural Sonoma County,” he said.
“I'm smart. I have a great vision. I'm aggressive and I will tell you, the public, the truth.”
DAVID RABBITT
David Rabbitt, 49, said a year ago running for county supervisor wasn't on his radar.
But after Pam Torliatt announced she was seeking the 2nd District seat Rabbitt was recruited by people in the business community as a counterpoint to Torliatt's candidacy.
Labeled business-friendly, Rabbitt said he simply realizes the need to encourage businesses to build or expand in Sonoma County, bringing with them their sales-tax dollars and jobs to a lagging economy.
“The truth is, supervisors don't create jobs,” he said. “The important thing is the whole business sector needs to survive and prosper. My background gives me the insight to know which things can create jobs and which are detrimental to that.”
He said he is leery of taxing a population that is already hurting and has concerns about raising development fees on builders.
Rabbitt said “everything has to be on the table,” including employee pensions and a two-tier benefit program, in cutting costs to reduce the county's $62 million deficit.
“And I think everyone knows that,” he said. “It's going to be very unpopular with a lot of people. But we have to make the right decisions to make the county move forward.”
An architect and father of three, Rabbitt emphasizes his small-business experience and community commitment.
“I have government experience on the council and boards. I have business experience, which is vital. I am an architect, which is important for land-use issues,” he said. “If an individual only has government experience, that means you don't have life experience to draw from to make decisions on big policy issues for the county.”
Rabbitt opposes the Dutra asphalt plant as it's currently proposed but said it would be irresponsible to issue a blanket opposition “regardless of where it is.”
“In theory,” he said, he supports a quarry on Roblar Road because it would create jobs and a locally produced product. But, he said, it hasn't been determined whether the impacts could be mitigated.
Rabbitt highlights his endorsement by current Supervisor Shirlee Zane, who also endorsed Torliatt.
“Shirlee is looking at who she wants to work with,” he said. “We need to break the cycle of environment vs. business. All these problems are too big to be couched that way.”
PAM TORLIATT
Pam Torliatt, 43, has spent nearly her entire adult life working in Petaluma city government.
She boasts of more than 18 years on the city Planning Commission, City Council, regional boards and as mayor for the past three years.
After an unsuccessful Assembly bid in 2006, Torliatt was elected mayor over council colleague and supervisorial opponent Mike Healy.
She said her experience in local government is critical to the supervisor's seat.
“Clearly, it's what differentiates me from the others,” she said, citing her experience with multimillion-dollar budgets and leadership roles.
“I've already done that.”
Torliatt, with endorsements from Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma, state Sens. Mark Leno of San Francisco and Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro of Eureka and Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa, among others, is a favorite of longtime North Coast Democratic leaders.
But others in Petaluma, including her opponents for the 2nd District supervisor's seat, have called her an obstructionist who is not just slow-growth, but no-growth.
Torliatt counters that she has high standards, forcing development proposals to fit into how Petaluma, a town with a rich agricultural history, envisions itself.
In that vein, she has vigorously opposed the Dutra asphalt plant proposal just south of Petaluma and has raised concerns about a quarry on Roblar Road.
To close the county's $62 million deficit, Torliatt said she would have “discussions with the stakeholders” before pursuing layoffs or benefits cuts.
“The workers on the ground, they see the inefficiencies,” she said.
A two-tier system of benefits is “a conversation that needs to be had in a more collaborative way,” she said.
Torliatt said a reorganization of the Sonoma County Water Agency is a priority, and she would encourage more use of gray water, reverse osmosis systems and agricultural reuse of wastewater.
The agency, managed by the supervisors, needs to be more transparent in how it sets water rates and work better with the cities that buy its water. She said the agency has lost sight of its original mission, to control flooding and work with water contractors.
She said she would concentrate job-creation efforts on tourism, health care and green technology.
The SMART train could become “a huge economic engine” to boost tourism in Sonoma County, she said.
Retiring south county supervisor Mike Kerns has some advice for his replacement, whomever it turns out to be:
-- Don't start with ideological barriers already built.
-- Stop campaigning.
-- Listen more and talk less.
-- Don't take things personally.
-- Be professional, courteous, kind and considerate.
“And when the votes are over with, forget it,” he said. “This is business.”
In the June 8 primary election, four candidates are vying to replace Kerns, who has represented southern Sonoma County on the Board of Supervisors for 12 years. Kerns has not endorsed a candidate but said he may for the November election.
If no single candidate wins a majority of votes next month, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.
The four candidates, Petaluma City Councilmen David Rabbitt and Mike Healy, Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt and Penn-grove accountant John King, are stepping up their campaigns as the race enters the final three weeks.
“The challenges that are facing us now and in the future are greater than ever before,” Kerns said. “With the budget situation the way it is, it's worse this year than it was last, and I don't know if next year is going to be any better.”
With two new supervisors starting next year, two who have only been around for two years and another on the board since 2002, one challenge will be a lack of institutional knowledge, Kerns said.
“When I got on the board, it was almost overwhelming, so I tried to keep my mouth shut, listen and learn,” he said.
The next 2nd District supervisor, whose constituency includes Petaluma and stretches from Cotati to the Marin border, will be faced with a projected $62 million deficit in the county's $430 million general fund next fiscal year, skyrocketing employee pension costs and proposals for an asphalt plant and a rock quarry in the south county.
In general, Rabbitt, King and Healy say they support individuals' property rights and development that adheres to guidelines in the county's general plan, while Torliatt says she is more environmentally friendly and slow-growth oriented.
Torliatt has raised the most money, $111,870 as of March 17, and has the endorsements of the elected Democratic establishment, including state Sens. Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa and Mark Leno of San Francisco, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa and Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma.
Rabbitt is second in the money race, having received $66,081 and endorsements from several business, agriculture and public safety interests.
Healy, who has raised $14,767, said he has enough name recognition and good will that he doesn't have to raise much money.
King, who calls himself the only rural candidate, reported $23,624 in contributions.
The supervisor's job is a four-year term and pays $169,000 a year.
Here are the candidates:
MIKE HEALY
Mike Healy, 52, is a civil attorney, an engineer and has been on the Petaluma City Council for 10 years.
Although he typically ends up on the same side as David Rabbitt on council votes related to development and opposite Pam Torliatt, Healy paints himself as more moderate than his ally.
“All the conservative interests line up behind one candidate, all the liberals line up behind another candidate, then we endure an election that is primarily about platitudes and who has fewer skeletons in their closet,” he said.
He said he can bring a more collegial atmosphere to the Board of Supervisors than residents have seen during City Council discussions, which can devolve into political gamesmanship.
Healy said if elected, he intends to remove “bottlenecks” to job creation by fighting for funding for the widening of Highway 101 to Novato and stabilizing the county's water supply.
He supports the SMART commuter rail plan and a Rainier Avenue interchange and cross-town connector, a controversial issue in Petaluma for years.
Healy said he opposes a sales tax increase to help ease the county's budget woes, caused by falling property and sales taxes. Instead, he said the county needs to rethink its middle management numbers.
“We need surgical cuts, not meat ax cuts,” he said.
The costly retirement benefits enjoyed by some county employees can't continue, he said.
“We need to be moving toward ... a second tier for new hires,” he said.
Supervisors should be leading by example, he said. Healy is one of two Petaluma City Council members who return 10 percent of their city wages in solidarity with workers who've taken unpaid furloughs.
“If county supervisors want to ask voters for a tax increase, they had better be prepared to demonstrate that they've taken extraordinary measures and sacrificed first,” he said.
Healy has fought the proposed Graton Rancheria casino in Rohnert Park and is pushing for an advisory vote on whether local voters support the plan.
He opposes the current Dutra asphalt plant proposal, but said a local plant would be helpful if a suitable site could be identified.
“If someone comes forward with a proposal that's consistent with the general plan, that should be supported,” he said.
JOHN KING
John King, 53, is an accountant and Penngrove rancher who is most passionate about water issues. He led a lawsuit against Rohnert Park over water use and won a settlement in 2002 that forced the city to cap its well water consumption.
As his campaign signs say, King has “had enough” and says change is needed at the top.
“The supervisors we have today aren't managing the county,” he said.
He said he would pursue an overhaul in the way county government operates — from an audit of the general fund, which funds most vital county services, to restructuring the land-use permitting process for more efficiency.
To cut the massive budget deficit, he said he would restructure retirement benefits for county employees: “Benefits should not be paid by the county until age 65, no exceptions.”
King said he would seek an end to the county selling water to Marin County, freeing up billions of gallons for Sonoma County agriculture and residential use.
“It is my commitment to see this through if I'm elected,” he said. “They (Marin) are going to have to become self-sufficient.”
Countering charges that water is his only issue, King said since the lawsuit, he has spent years researching county land-use guidelines, traffic issues and county finances.
He opposes the SMART train as too expensive to maintain. He said for it to be viable it would need to be reformulated into a BART-style system extending across the Golden Gate Bridge.
King said the proposed Dutra asphalt plant along the Petaluma River has value in terms of transportation costs, but he isn't convinced the plant could operate safely and within standards acceptable to the community.
“I would like to see a solution for Dutra,” he said. “But I have safety concerns.”
King emphasizes he is the only rural candidate of the four. His family has 100-year-plus roots in Sonoma County and he lives on a hay farm that has been in his family for generations.
“I will be the first person in 40 years to come from rural Sonoma County and represent rural Sonoma County,” he said.
“I'm smart. I have a great vision. I'm aggressive and I will tell you, the public, the truth.”
DAVID RABBITT
David Rabbitt, 49, said a year ago running for county supervisor wasn't on his radar.
But after Pam Torliatt announced she was seeking the 2nd District seat Rabbitt was recruited by people in the business community as a counterpoint to Torliatt's candidacy.
Labeled business-friendly, Rabbitt said he simply realizes the need to encourage businesses to build or expand in Sonoma County, bringing with them their sales-tax dollars and jobs to a lagging economy.
“The truth is, supervisors don't create jobs,” he said. “The important thing is the whole business sector needs to survive and prosper. My background gives me the insight to know which things can create jobs and which are detrimental to that.”
He said he is leery of taxing a population that is already hurting and has concerns about raising development fees on builders.
Rabbitt said “everything has to be on the table,” including employee pensions and a two-tier benefit program, in cutting costs to reduce the county's $62 million deficit.
“And I think everyone knows that,” he said. “It's going to be very unpopular with a lot of people. But we have to make the right decisions to make the county move forward.”
An architect and father of three, Rabbitt emphasizes his small-business experience and community commitment.
“I have government experience on the council and boards. I have business experience, which is vital. I am an architect, which is important for land-use issues,” he said. “If an individual only has government experience, that means you don't have life experience to draw from to make decisions on big policy issues for the county.”
Rabbitt opposes the Dutra asphalt plant as it's currently proposed but said it would be irresponsible to issue a blanket opposition “regardless of where it is.”
“In theory,” he said, he supports a quarry on Roblar Road because it would create jobs and a locally produced product. But, he said, it hasn't been determined whether the impacts could be mitigated.
Rabbitt highlights his endorsement by current Supervisor Shirlee Zane, who also endorsed Torliatt.
“Shirlee is looking at who she wants to work with,” he said. “We need to break the cycle of environment vs. business. All these problems are too big to be couched that way.”
PAM TORLIATT
Pam Torliatt, 43, has spent nearly her entire adult life working in Petaluma city government.
She boasts of more than 18 years on the city Planning Commission, City Council, regional boards and as mayor for the past three years.
After an unsuccessful Assembly bid in 2006, Torliatt was elected mayor over council colleague and supervisorial opponent Mike Healy.
She said her experience in local government is critical to the supervisor's seat.
“Clearly, it's what differentiates me from the others,” she said, citing her experience with multimillion-dollar budgets and leadership roles.
“I've already done that.”
Torliatt, with endorsements from Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma, state Sens. Mark Leno of San Francisco and Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro of Eureka and Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa, among others, is a favorite of longtime North Coast Democratic leaders.
But others in Petaluma, including her opponents for the 2nd District supervisor's seat, have called her an obstructionist who is not just slow-growth, but no-growth.
Torliatt counters that she has high standards, forcing development proposals to fit into how Petaluma, a town with a rich agricultural history, envisions itself.
In that vein, she has vigorously opposed the Dutra asphalt plant proposal just south of Petaluma and has raised concerns about a quarry on Roblar Road.
To close the county's $62 million deficit, Torliatt said she would have “discussions with the stakeholders” before pursuing layoffs or benefits cuts.
“The workers on the ground, they see the inefficiencies,” she said.
A two-tier system of benefits is “a conversation that needs to be had in a more collaborative way,” she said.
Torliatt said a reorganization of the Sonoma County Water Agency is a priority, and she would encourage more use of gray water, reverse osmosis systems and agricultural reuse of wastewater.
The agency, managed by the supervisors, needs to be more transparent in how it sets water rates and work better with the cities that buy its water. She said the agency has lost sight of its original mission, to control flooding and work with water contractors.
She said she would concentrate job-creation efforts on tourism, health care and green technology.
The SMART train could become “a huge economic engine” to boost tourism in Sonoma County, she said.
Retiring south county supervisor Mike Kerns has some advice for his replacement, whomever it turns out to be:
-- Don't start with ideological barriers already built.
-- Stop campaigning.
-- Listen more and talk less.
-- Don't take things personally.
-- Be professional, courteous, kind and considerate.
“And when the votes are over with, forget it,” he said. “This is business.”
In the June 8 primary election, four candidates are vying to replace Kerns, who has represented southern Sonoma County on the Board of Supervisors for 12 years. Kerns has not endorsed a candidate but said he may for the November election.
If no single candidate wins a majority of votes next month, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.
The four candidates, Petaluma City Councilmen David Rabbitt and Mike Healy, Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt and Penn-grove accountant John King, are stepping up their campaigns as the race enters the final three weeks.
“The challenges that are facing us now and in the future are greater than ever before,” Kerns said. “With the budget situation the way it is, it's worse this year than it was last, and I don't know if next year is going to be any better.”
With two new supervisors starting next year, two who have only been around for two years and another on the board since 2002, one challenge will be a lack of institutional knowledge, Kerns said.
“When I got on the board, it was almost overwhelming, so I tried to keep my mouth shut, listen and learn,” he said.
The next 2nd District supervisor, whose constituency includes Petaluma and stretches from Cotati to the Marin border, will be faced with a projected $62 million deficit in the county's $430 million general fund next fiscal year, skyrocketing employee pension costs and proposals for an asphalt plant and a rock quarry in the south county.
In general, Rabbitt, King and Healy say they support individuals' property rights and development that adheres to guidelines in the county's general plan, while Torliatt says she is more environmentally friendly and slow-growth oriented.
Torliatt has raised the most money, $111,870 as of March 17, and has the endorsements of the elected Democratic establishment, including state Sens. Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa and Mark Leno of San Francisco, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa and Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma.
Rabbitt is second in the money race, having received $66,081 and endorsements from several business, agriculture and public safety interests.
Healy, who has raised $14,767, said he has enough name recognition and good will that he doesn't have to raise much money.
King, who calls himself the only rural candidate, reported $23,624 in contributions.
The supervisor's job is a four-year term and pays $169,000 a year.
Here are the candidates:
MIKE HEALY
Mike Healy, 52, is a civil attorney, an engineer and has been on the Petaluma City Council for 10 years.
Although he typically ends up on the same side as David Rabbitt on council votes related to development and opposite Pam Torliatt, Healy paints himself as more moderate than his ally.
“All the conservative interests line up behind one candidate, all the liberals line up behind another candidate, then we endure an election that is primarily about platitudes and who has fewer skeletons in their closet,” he said.
He said he can bring a more collegial atmosphere to the Board of Supervisors than residents have seen during City Council discussions, which can devolve into political gamesmanship.
Healy said if elected, he intends to remove “bottlenecks” to job creation by fighting for funding for the widening of Highway 101 to Novato and stabilizing the county's water supply.
He supports the SMART commuter rail plan and a Rainier Avenue interchange and cross-town connector, a controversial issue in Petaluma for years.
Healy said he opposes a sales tax increase to help ease the county's budget woes, caused by falling property and sales taxes. Instead, he said the county needs to rethink its middle management numbers.
“We need surgical cuts, not meat ax cuts,” he said.
The costly retirement benefits enjoyed by some county employees can't continue, he said.
“We need to be moving toward ... a second tier for new hires,” he said.
Supervisors should be leading by example, he said. Healy is one of two Petaluma City Council members who return 10 percent of their city wages in solidarity with workers who've taken unpaid furloughs.
“If county supervisors want to ask voters for a tax increase, they had better be prepared to demonstrate that they've taken extraordinary measures and sacrificed first,” he said.
Healy has fought the proposed Graton Rancheria casino in Rohnert Park and is pushing for an advisory vote on whether local voters support the plan.
He opposes the current Dutra asphalt plant proposal, but said a local plant would be helpful if a suitable site could be identified.
“If someone comes forward with a proposal that's consistent with the general plan, that should be supported,” he said.
JOHN KING
John King, 53, is an accountant and Penngrove rancher who is most passionate about water issues. He led a lawsuit against Rohnert Park over water use and won a settlement in 2002 that forced the city to cap its well water consumption.
As his campaign signs say, King has “had enough” and says change is needed at the top.
“The supervisors we have today aren't managing the county,” he said.
He said he would pursue an overhaul in the way county government operates — from an audit of the general fund, which funds most vital county services, to restructuring the land-use permitting process for more efficiency.
To cut the massive budget deficit, he said he would restructure retirement benefits for county employees: “Benefits should not be paid by the county until age 65, no exceptions.”
King said he would seek an end to the county selling water to Marin County, freeing up billions of gallons for Sonoma County agriculture and residential use.
“It is my commitment to see this through if I'm elected,” he said. “They (Marin) are going to have to become self-sufficient.”
Countering charges that water is his only issue, King said since the lawsuit, he has spent years researching county land-use guidelines, traffic issues and county finances.
He opposes the SMART train as too expensive to maintain. He said for it to be viable it would need to be reformulated into a BART-style system extending across the Golden Gate Bridge.
King said the proposed Dutra asphalt plant along the Petaluma River has value in terms of transportation costs, but he isn't convinced the plant could operate safely and within standards acceptable to the community.
“I would like to see a solution for Dutra,” he said. “But I have safety concerns.”
King emphasizes he is the only rural candidate of the four. His family has 100-year-plus roots in Sonoma County and he lives on a hay farm that has been in his family for generations.
“I will be the first person in 40 years to come from rural Sonoma County and represent rural Sonoma County,” he said.
“I'm smart. I have a great vision. I'm aggressive and I will tell you, the public, the truth.”
DAVID RABBITT
David Rabbitt, 49, said a year ago running for county supervisor wasn't on his radar.
But after Pam Torliatt announced she was seeking the 2nd District seat Rabbitt was recruited by people in the business community as a counterpoint to Torliatt's candidacy.
Labeled business-friendly, Rabbitt said he simply realizes the need to encourage businesses to build or expand in Sonoma County, bringing with them their sales-tax dollars and jobs to a lagging economy.
“The truth is, supervisors don't create jobs,” he said. “The important thing is the whole business sector needs to survive and prosper. My background gives me the insight to know which things can create jobs and which are detrimental to that.”
He said he is leery of taxing a population that is already hurting and has concerns about raising development fees on builders.
Rabbitt said “everything has to be on the table,” including employee pensions and a two-tier benefit program, in cutting costs to reduce the county's $62 million deficit.
“And I think everyone knows that,” he said. “It's going to be very unpopular with a lot of people. But we have to make the right decisions to make the county move forward.”
An architect and father of three, Rabbitt emphasizes his small-business experience and community commitment.
“I have government experience on the council and boards. I have business experience, which is vital. I am an architect, which is important for land-use issues,” he said. “If an individual only has government experience, that means you don't have life experience to draw from to make decisions on big policy issues for the county.”
Rabbitt opposes the Dutra asphalt plant as it's currently proposed but said it would be irresponsible to issue a blanket opposition “regardless of where it is.”
“In theory,” he said, he supports a quarry on Roblar Road because it would create jobs and a locally produced product. But, he said, it hasn't been determined whether the impacts could be mitigated.
Rabbitt highlights his endorsement by current Supervisor Shirlee Zane, who also endorsed Torliatt.
“Shirlee is looking at who she wants to work with,” he said. “We need to break the cycle of environment vs. business. All these problems are too big to be couched that way.”
PAM TORLIATT
Pam Torliatt, 43, has spent nearly her entire adult life working in Petaluma city government.
She boasts of more than 18 years on the city Planning Commission, City Council, regional boards and as mayor for the past three years.
After an unsuccessful Assembly bid in 2006, Torliatt was elected mayor over council colleague and supervisorial opponent Mike Healy.
She said her experience in local government is critical to the supervisor's seat.
“Clearly, it's what differentiates me from the others,” she said, citing her experience with multimillion-dollar budgets and leadership roles.
“I've already done that.”
Torliatt, with endorsements from Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma, state Sens. Mark Leno of San Francisco and Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro of Eureka and Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa, among others, is a favorite of longtime North Coast Democratic leaders.
But others in Petaluma, including her opponents for the 2nd District supervisor's seat, have called her an obstructionist who is not just slow-growth, but no-growth.
Torliatt counters that she has high standards, forcing development proposals to fit into how Petaluma, a town with a rich agricultural history, envisions itself.
In that vein, she has vigorously opposed the Dutra asphalt plant proposal just south of Petaluma and has raised concerns about a quarry on Roblar Road.
To close the county's $62 million deficit, Torliatt said she would have “discussions with the stakeholders” before pursuing layoffs or benefits cuts.
“The workers on the ground, they see the inefficiencies,” she said.
A two-tier system of benefits is “a conversation that needs to be had in a more collaborative way,” she said.
Torliatt said a reorganization of the Sonoma County Water Agency is a priority, and she would encourage more use of gray water, reverse osmosis systems and agricultural reuse of wastewater.
The agency, managed by the supervisors, needs to be more transparent in how it sets water rates and work better with the cities that buy its water. She said the agency has lost sight of its original mission, to control flooding and work with water contractors.
She said she would concentrate job-creation efforts on tourism, health care and green technology.
The SMART train could become “a huge economic engine” to boost tourism in Sonoma County, she said.
Retiring south county supervisor Mike Kerns has some advice for his replacement, whomever it turns out to be:
-- Don't start with ideological barriers already built.
-- Stop campaigning.
-- Listen more and talk less.
-- Don't take things personally.
-- Be professional, courteous, kind and considerate.
“And when the votes are over with, forget it,” he said. “This is business.”
In the June 8 primary election, four candidates are vying to replace Kerns, who has represented southern Sonoma County on the Board of Supervisors for 12 years. Kerns has not endorsed a candidate but said he may for the November election.
If no single candidate wins a majority of votes next month, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.
The four candidates, Petaluma City Councilmen David Rabbitt and Mike Healy, Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt and Penn-grove accountant John King, are stepping up their campaigns as the race enters the final three weeks.
“The challenges that are facing us now and in the future are greater than ever before,” Kerns said. “With the budget situation the way it is, it's worse this year than it was last, and I don't know if next year is going to be any better.”
With two new supervisors starting next year, two who have only been around for two years and another on the board since 2002, one challenge will be a lack of institutional knowledge, Kerns said.
“When I got on the board, it was almost overwhelming, so I tried to keep my mouth shut, listen and learn,” he said.
The next 2nd District supervisor, whose constituency includes Petaluma and stretches from Cotati to the Marin border, will be faced with a projected $62 million deficit in the county's $430 million general fund next fiscal year, skyrocketing employee pension costs and proposals for an asphalt plant and a rock quarry in the south county.
In general, Rabbitt, King and Healy say they support individuals' property rights and development that adheres to guidelines in the county's general plan, while Torliatt says she is more environmentally friendly and slow-growth oriented.
Torliatt has raised the most money, $111,870 as of March 17, and has the endorsements of the elected Democratic establishment, including state Sens. Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa and Mark Leno of San Francisco, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa and Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma.
Rabbitt is second in the money race, having received $66,081 and endorsements from several business, agriculture and public safety interests.
Healy, who has raised $14,767, said he has enough name recognition and good will that he doesn't have to raise much money.
King, who calls himself the only rural candidate, reported $23,624 in contributions.
The supervisor's job is a four-year term and pays $169,000 a year.
Here are the candidates:
MIKE HEALY
Mike Healy, 52, is a civil attorney, an engineer and has been on the Petaluma City Council for 10 years.
Although he typically ends up on the same side as David Rabbitt on council votes related to development and opposite Pam Torliatt, Healy paints himself as more moderate than his ally.
“All the conservative interests line up behind one candidate, all the liberals line up behind another candidate, then we endure an election that is primarily about platitudes and who has fewer skeletons in their closet,” he said.
He said he can bring a more collegial atmosphere to the Board of Supervisors than residents have seen during City Council discussions, which can devolve into political gamesmanship.
Healy said if elected, he intends to remove “bottlenecks” to job creation by fighting for funding for the widening of Highway 101 to Novato and stabilizing the county's water supply.
He supports the SMART commuter rail plan and a Rainier Avenue interchange and cross-town connector, a controversial issue in Petaluma for years.
Healy said he opposes a sales tax increase to help ease the county's budget woes, caused by falling property and sales taxes. Instead, he said the county needs to rethink its middle management numbers.
“We need surgical cuts, not meat ax cuts,” he said.
The costly retirement benefits enjoyed by some county employees can't continue, he said.
“We need to be moving toward ... a second tier for new hires,” he said.
Supervisors should be leading by example, he said. Healy is one of two Petaluma City Council members who return 10 percent of their city wages in solidarity with workers who've taken unpaid furloughs.
“If county supervisors want to ask voters for a tax increase, they had better be prepared to demonstrate that they've taken extraordinary measures and sacrificed first,” he said.
Healy has fought the proposed Graton Rancheria casino in Rohnert Park and is pushing for an advisory vote on whether local voters support the plan.
He opposes the current Dutra asphalt plant proposal, but said a local plant would be helpful if a suitable site could be identified.
“If someone comes forward with a proposal that's consistent with the general plan, that should be supported,” he said.
JOHN KING
John King, 53, is an accountant and Penngrove rancher who is most passionate about water issues. He led a lawsuit against Rohnert Park over water use and won a settlement in 2002 that forced the city to cap its well water consumption.
As his campaign signs say, King has “had enough” and says change is needed at the top.
“The supervisors we have today aren't managing the county,” he said.
He said he would pursue an overhaul in the way county government operates — from an audit of the general fund, which funds most vital county services, to restructuring the land-use permitting process for more efficiency.
To cut the massive budget deficit, he said he would restructure retirement benefits for county employees: “Benefits should not be paid by the county until age 65, no exceptions.”
King said he would seek an end to the county selling water to Marin County, freeing up billions of gallons for Sonoma County agriculture and residential use.
“It is my commitment to see this through if I'm elected,” he said. “They (Marin) are going to have to become self-sufficient.”
Countering charges that water is his only issue, King said since the lawsuit, he has spent years researching county land-use guidelines, traffic issues and county finances.
He opposes the SMART train as too expensive to maintain. He said for it to be viable it would need to be reformulated into a BART-style system extending across the Golden Gate Bridge.
King said the proposed Dutra asphalt plant along the Petaluma River has value in terms of transportation costs, but he isn't convinced the plant could operate safely and within standards acceptable to the community.
“I would like to see a solution for Dutra,” he said. “But I have safety concerns.”
King emphasizes he is the only rural candidate of the four. His family has 100-year-plus roots in Sonoma County and he lives on a hay farm that has been in his family for generations.
“I will be the first person in 40 years to come from rural Sonoma County and represent rural Sonoma County,” he said.
“I'm smart. I have a great vision. I'm aggressive and I will tell you, the public, the truth.”
DAVID RABBITT
David Rabbitt, 49, said a year ago running for county supervisor wasn't on his radar.
But after Pam Torliatt announced she was seeking the 2nd District seat Rabbitt was recruited by people in the business community as a counterpoint to Torliatt's candidacy.
Labeled business-friendly, Rabbitt said he simply realizes the need to encourage businesses to build or expand in Sonoma County, bringing with them their sales-tax dollars and jobs to a lagging economy.
“The truth is, supervisors don't create jobs,” he said. “The important thing is the whole business sector needs to survive and prosper. My background gives me the insight to know which things can create jobs and which are detrimental to that.”
He said he is leery of taxing a population that is already hurting and has concerns about raising development fees on builders.
Rabbitt said “everything has to be on the table,” including employee pensions and a two-tier benefit program, in cutting costs to reduce the county's $62 million deficit.
“And I think everyone knows that,” he said. “It's going to be very unpopular with a lot of people. But we have to make the right decisions to make the county move forward.”
An architect and father of three, Rabbitt emphasizes his small-business experience and community commitment.
“I have government experience on the council and boards. I have business experience, which is vital. I am an architect, which is important for land-use issues,” he said. “If an individual only has government experience, that means you don't have life experience to draw from to make decisions on big policy issues for the county.”
Rabbitt opposes the Dutra asphalt plant as it's currently proposed but said it would be irresponsible to issue a blanket opposition “regardless of where it is.”
“In theory,” he said, he supports a quarry on Roblar Road because it would create jobs and a locally produced product. But, he said, it hasn't been determined whether the impacts could be mitigated.
Rabbitt highlights his endorsement by current Supervisor Shirlee Zane, who also endorsed Torliatt.
“Shirlee is looking at who she wants to work with,” he said. “We need to break the cycle of environment vs. business. All these problems are too big to be couched that way.”
PAM TORLIATT
Pam Torliatt, 43, has spent nearly her entire adult life working in Petaluma city government.
She boasts of more than 18 years on the city Planning Commission, City Council, regional boards and as mayor for the past three years.
After an unsuccessful Assembly bid in 2006, Torliatt was elected mayor over council colleague and supervisorial opponent Mike Healy.
She said her experience in local government is critical to the supervisor's seat.
“Clearly, it's what differentiates me from the others,” she said, citing her experience with multimillion-dollar budgets and leadership roles.
“I've already done that.”
Torliatt, with endorsements from Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma, state Sens. Mark Leno of San Francisco and Pat Wiggins of Santa Rosa, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro of Eureka and Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa, among others, is a favorite of longtime North Coast Democratic leaders.
But others in Petaluma, including her opponents for the 2nd District supervisor's seat, have called her an obstructionist who is not just slow-growth, but no-growth.
Torliatt counters that she has high standards, forcing development proposals to fit into how Petaluma, a town with a rich agricultural history, envisions itself.
In that vein, she has vigorously opposed the Dutra asphalt plant proposal just south of Petaluma and has raised concerns about a quarry on Roblar Road.
To close the county's $62 million deficit, Torliatt said she would have “discussions with the stakeholders” before pursuing layoffs or benefits cuts.
“The workers on the ground, they see the inefficiencies,” she said.
A two-tier system of benefits is “a conversation that needs to be had in a more collaborative way,” she said.
Torliatt said a reorganization of the Sonoma County Water Agency is a priority, and she would encourage more use of gray water, reverse osmosis systems and agricultural reuse of wastewater.
The agency, managed by the supervisors, needs to be more transparent in how it sets water rates and work better with the cities that buy its water. She said the agency has lost sight of its original mission, to control flooding and work with water contractors.
She said she would concentrate job-creation efforts on tourism, health care and green technology.
The SMART train could become “a huge economic engine” to boost tourism in Sonoma County, she said.
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