Dear Friends,
It's election time and again I am reaching out to you and asking you to support me with your vote in the upcoming November election.
When I first ran in 1996, I said it was paramount to restore Placentia's reputation as a well-managed, safe, inviting place to live, go to school, work and shop. This is still true today.
Despite some turbulent times, I'm proud of my accomplishments over the years and hope you, too, will feel that Placentia is better for my being on council. I count the following as my main personal accomplishments and am thankful for the support from staff, the community, and other council members in bringing them to fruition.
- Most local 911 cell phone calls now go directly to our police instead of the Highway Patrol
- Got the 18-wheeler trucks off Kraemer
- We have School Resource Officers (SROs) in our high schools helping to bring down crime on the campuses and reduce truancy
- You can cross the tracks on Placentia Avenue without rattling your teeth
- An audit oversight committee was formed
- The unbridled OnTrac spending was finally curtailed
- Efforts to force eminent domain on our local businesses failed
- We kept our police department
- City complex was refurbished
- Many train issues have been mitigated. The quiet zone is finished. The Melrose Underpass is finished. The Bradford pedestrian bridge is almost completed. OCTA will manage future construction of all overpasses/underpasses at the train crossings.
Placentia, I now believe, is finally moving in the right direction.
- The hole in the ground called OnTrac is history.
- All relationships with TOD (the master developer) were severed.
- Our parks are being rehabbed.
- We finally have a finance director who knows what he's doing.
- We have a new police chief with high standards.
- A dynamic new city administrator was recently hired.
- The structural deficit is being addressed.
- The budget is balanced.
- There's a fiscal recovery plan in place.
- Staff is looking for revenue streams that don't call for new taxes or assessments.
- We're getting a Metrolink station.
There are still some major challenges:
- The CalTrans audit is not resolved.
- OnTrac gobbled up $13 Million before we had a council willing to apply the brakes leaving no reserve for emergencies.
- The State is always trying to balance its budget on the backs of cities. (If this happens I will work to ensure we maintain the highest level of basic services possible.)
- We don't have a community center/senior center.
- We have a huge backlog of infrastructure projects.
It has been, and continues to be, an honor to give back to this city and those who have stood with me. I will continue to do my best to serve and make a difference for all through strong, conservative, common sense leadership.
My reputation as fiscally conservative, practical, responsive and involved in the community is well documented. I only support sound, well-managed projects that sustain our economy and help our schools. You can count on me to
- Keep public safety my priority number one
- Be aggressive about gangs, drugs and graffiti
- Act promptly to remedy problems
- Support uniform code enforcement
- Support responsible, market-driven development and revitalization that enhances our city
- Continue asking the tough questions
It only takes three votes to pass or veto an agenda item. The three people elected in November will have a huge impact on Placentia! I ask that you please cast one of your three votes for Connie Underhill, and tell your friends to do the same, so I can continue working to keep Placentia a Pleasant Place.
Feel free to contact me to discuss your concerns or answer your questions.
Thank you,
Connie Underhill
