Bethel Church’s contributions to Redding police, the long-dormant Stillwater Business Park, the homeless, preventing the next Carr Fire, the city’s new cannabis industry and raising taxes were just a few of the topics that sparked discussion Wednesday during a City Council candidate forum at the Cascade Theatre.
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the forum featured incumbent council members Kristen Schreder and Francie Sullivan and challengers Erin Resner, co-owner of Dutch Bros. coffee kiosks; attorney and bankruptcy trustee Michael Dacquisto; and James Crockett, a Shasta College instructor. Susan Wilson and John Truitt were the moderators.
Susan Wilson goes over the ground rules. Photos by Jon Lewis.
Redding voters will be asked on Nov. 6 to pick three to serve four-year terms on the council.
The following are selected responses to some of the 16 questions asked. Each candidate was allotted one minute for a response.
Candidate thoughts on Bethel Church’s contribution of $500,000 to keep the Neighborhood Police Unit funded?
Crockett, who earlier described himself as a “dark horse” candidate, said he’d be willing to accept help from any organization, provided there were no strings attached. He added that he’s been a member of Bethel since 2010 and conceded that the church, due to its size, is often the target of suspicion.
James Crockett stands while responding to a question.
Dacquisto wondered aloud if Microsoft founder Bill Gates had made the donation, would people still have questions and suspicions? Bethel should not be prohibited from helping the city during challenging times, he said.
As a member of the Community Services Advisory Commission, Resner said she’s well aware of Bethel’s generous contributions of time and money. The bigger question, she said, is why Redding is in a position where it needs contributions to fund vital services.
Sullivan, who is seeking her third term on the council, said she is grateful for Bethel’s help and noted that if it weren’t for Bethel, Redding would not have the airline service to Los Angeles that is scheduled to begin in March.
Schreder, Redding’s mayor, also said she is grateful for the contribution and noted that the $500,000 contribution launched a community-wide drive that has raised a total of $985,000 and counting.
Candidate thoughts on raising sales tax to improve public safety
Resner said she supports a specific sales tax (which requires a two-thirds majority) but said the city needs to improve its communication and regain a sense of trust among voters.
Schreder said she supported sales tax measures in 2014 and 2016, which were both defeated. The lessons learned: “we need greater input from the community and improved communication.” Crockett said he didn’t care about a tax. “I want Redding to be known as the business-friendliest city” in the state.
Dacquisto said he’d rather see more economic development that would, in turn, increase the taxpaying population. If a tax hike proposal were to go to voters, the city would first need to regain trust, he added.
Sullivan said that even though she’s retired and on a fixed income, she’d support a sales tax increase. Redding currently has the lowest sales tax rate in California, she said, and a 1 percent increase would generate $24 million, or enough to fund the entire Redding Police Department.
Mayor Kristen Schreder, left, James Crockett, Mike Dacquisto, Erin Resner and Councilwoman Francie Sullivan.
What are the top three priorities for each candidate?
Crockett said his top priority would be to work with Shasta County to increase jail capacity; his second priority would be to stimulate economic activity; and third, he’d want to “change the mindset, take more risks and do things.”
“Crime, crime and crime,” said Dacquisto. “If we don’t solve the crime problem, everything else will wither away and die.” He noted that Redding police received 100,000 calls last year and made 10,000 arrests. The problem: a mere 308 people accounted for 25 percent of those arrests. An additional 500 jail beds would keep habitual offenders off the streets and still leave 200 beds available for other offenders, he said.
Resner said quality of life issues are her top priorities. Improved public safety will allow more people to enjoy Redding’s parks and trails, she said.
Sullivan urged residents to visit the transparency portal on the city’s web site to see first-hand what the council is faced with. She said her other priority is to continue encouraging innovative and cost-cutting ideas from city staff members.
Schreder said improving public safety is her top priority, followed by continued collaboration with Shasta County on increasing jail space and other services and, thirdly, encouraging the development of affordable housing.
What steps can Redding take to prevent future damage from wildfires?
Dacquisto said fuel management is the most promising avenue for reducing the devastating impacts of blazes like the recent Carr Fire. Resner said managing the city’s greenbelt areas is essential, as is meeting with foresters and other resource experts to develop a fuel-management plan.
Sullivan said a citywide landscape maintenance district could generate the money needed to manage the greenbelt areas that make up 25 percent of Redding; Schreder said the city already requires developers to mitigate fuel loads and that the council is scheduled to consider a fuel-management plan in the near future.
If funds are not available to reduce dangerous levels of brush and trees, “let’s get the community out there,” Crockett said.
The two-hour forum, including introductory and closing remarks, will be aired this weekend on the Shasta County Arts Council’s public access TV station. For schedules and other details, visit www.shastaartscouncil.org/shasta-community-access-channels/ or the station’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/scac.tv/
