Election 2018: Meet the candidates for Fountain Valley City Council

Eight candidates are running for three available seats on Fountain Valley’s City Council in the Nov. 6 election.

Mayor Michael Vo is the only incumbent in the race.

The Daily Pilot sent a questionnaire to all council candidates on the ballot to get a better idea of who they are, why they’re running and what issues they feel are most pressing. All replied except Vo and Nick Lecong.

Some responses have been edited for formatting, brevity or clarity.

Kim Constantine

Age: 52

Professional occupation: Businesswoman

Education: High school

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 22 years

Neighborhood in which you reside and how long you’ve lived there: Green Valley, since 1998

Public service, activism and volunteerism: Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce (Ambassador of the Year in 2011), Fountain Valley Community Foundation, Summer Campout 2016, Fountain Valley Friends of the Library, Fountain Valley Historical Society, Fountain Valley Woman’s Club, Women’s Business Connection

Immediate family members: “They love me, support me and so much more.”

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why.

1. The 405 improvement project is on and means the city of Fountain Valley will be impacted for a minimum of five years for the 405 Freeway expansion, onramp/offramp work, Fountain Valley bridges going down, street work, etc. I will help out in all ways I can, to include getting the latest updates to the people, so they may maneuver themselves around and deal with freeway lane closures, city street detours ... more traffic on our streets, etc.

2. I will ensure the city of Fountain Valley pays down much more unfunded staff pension liability with the additional $11.5 million in annual Measure HH revenue (the sales tax increase that took effect in April 2017).

3. I will ensure the longtime and profitable light manufacturing/industrial businesses in the 162-acre Fountain Valley Crossings area are not replaced with super-expensive, six-story-high Bella Terra-style housing and that the area does not become all housing, since the still tremendously defective approved plan now gives the planning director much power over the people. I am fine with new housing elsewhere in Fountain Valley, with traditional zoning, if a proposed project is feasible.

Glenn Grandis

Age: 54

Professional occupation: High-technology account manager

Education: Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in accounting

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 38 years

Neighborhood in which you reside and how long you’ve lived there: Solana Walk, five years

Public service, activism and volunteerism: Fountain Valley Community Foundation, Fountain Valley Kiwanis Club, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Walk Now for Autism

Immediate family members: Sons Philip and Alex

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why.

1. City debt: Our city has over $95 million in debt that needs to be paid off as quickly as possible. I am a fiscal conservative and will spend within the means of the city.

2. Homelessness: The city of Fountain Valley must work with neighboring cities who will have shelters to make sure the homeless population is directed to this resource in a humane and compassionate way. We need to make sure to protect our parks and community from people sleeping in unauthorized places.

3. Responsible and measured growth: The Crossings zoning has been approved and we will all benefit from quality businesses and restaurants in this area. I do not support high-density housing.

Patrick Harper

Age: 54

Professional occupation: Certified public accountant

Education: Bachelor of Arts in business economics, UC Santa Barbara

Time lived in Fountain Valley: Since 2010

Neighborhood in which you reside and how long you’ve lived there: Cordata Park, two years

Public service, activism and volunteerism: Fountain Valley Planning Commission, 2014 to present

Immediate family members: Wife Hang, children Curtis, Colin and Clint

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why.

1. Keep our community safe. A safe and well-maintained community attracts families, protects businesses and enhances our overall quality of life. We must continue to recruit and retain the best police, fire and public works personnel to deliver the high service level that our residents and businesses have come to expect.

2. Balance the budget with no new taxes. Measure HH, the 1% sales tax increase, will provide extra money for the next 20 years to help maintain services and pay down the city’s pension debt. One focus for me will be to actively manage the revenue and expenses so the city can balance the budget without HH after the sunset date in 2037.

3. Attract and retain businesses. Businesses bring jobs and prosperity to our residents. Also, sales tax accounts for a large part of the city’s revenue, so we must stay business-friendly to keep this revenue stream.

Nick Lecong

Did not respond

Tom Nguyen

Age: Did not answer

Professional occupation: Fountain Valley small-business owner (Integrity Escrow) and real estate broker

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration with emphasis on real estate, Cal State Fullerton

Time lived in Fountain Valley: Over 20 years

Public service, activism and volunteerism: Cox Elementary School PTA, Living Waters Christian Church, Achievement Institute for Scientific Studies Foundation, Asia Pacific Foundation, Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, Escrow Agents’ Fidelity Corp., Better Business Bureau Los Angeles, Better Business Bureau Orange County, Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, Westminster Chamber of Commerce, Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club, Business Owners Advisory Team

Immediate family members: Three children

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why.

1. Financial responsibility: Providing responsible leadership on our City Council to plan and guide a balanced budget for Fountain Valley is a top priority.

2. Safe neighborhoods: Working closely in support of our first responders and strengthening our police and emergency services is essential for our community security

3. Business opportunity: I will work to support a low-regulation, low-tax environment that creates opportunity for business to provide quality jobs to our residents.

Dave Osborn

Age: 68

Professional occupation: Retired from operations at Fountain Bowl, though still co-owner

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business (marketing), Miami University

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 30 years

Neighborhood in which you reside and how long you’ve lived there: Across from Westmont tract

Public service, activism and volunteerism: Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, Fountain Valley Rotary Club, Coastline Community College Foundation, many city committees

Immediate family members: Wife Mona, son Donald, granddaughter Tricia

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why.

1. Making sure we keep our city fiscally sound.

2. Making sure we keep our city very safe and well-maintained.

3. Properly planning and executing to ensure we continue to improve the quality of life in F.V.

Patrick Tucker

Age: 54

Professional occupation: Vice president of sales and operations

Education: “Lots of college”

Time lived in Fountain Valley: 25 years

Neighborhood in which you reside and how long you’ve lived there: Stardust

Public service, activism and volunteerism: Fountain Valley Planning Commission

Immediate family members: Bonnie, Michael, Ellie

Name the three issues you believe are the most important facing the city and why.

1. Fountain Valley Crossings

2. Integrity in government

3. Fiscal restraint

Michael Vo (incumbent)

Did not respond

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