PROFILE for Don Taylor, candidate for Garden Grove Mayor.

Name: Donald Taylor

Office being sought: Mayor of Garden Grove.

City of Residence: Garden Grove

Age: 56

DON TAYLOR

Occupation: Retired Business Owner

Family: Married to my high school sweetheart for 33 years, we have three sons and a daughter and three grandchildren

Education: Specialists certificate in photolithography from the U.S. Defense Mapping School, one semester remaining to complete an A.S. in film and entertainment.

Other public service: Currently serve as a city commissioner on the Downtown Commission, former Commissioner on the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission. I also volunteer as an advisor on the VA Insight Advisory Panel and on the Bank of America Community Advisory Panel. I am also a volunteer with Team Rubicon Region IX, a veteran-run disaster relief and response organization of 68,000 veterans. I am also a volunteer DJ on Garden Grove’s radio station KLIE 90.3 FM Radio Suerte.

Why do you want to run for office?:

Like many Garden Grove residents I see the rising crime and other issues in our city. My two younger sons graduated from Bolsa Grande High School. We are growing from a bedroom community into a large city and with that we have growing pains. I believe I can help make a real difference in our city and at City Hall by bringing a fresh outlook and solutions to our problems and issues.

My philosophy is “Residents and Neighborhoods First” when it comes to leadership. We have great potential to utilize our abilities to increase revenues, improve neighborhood safety as well as infrastructure, and most importantly increase the number of police officers needed for a city of 179,000 residents. We can accomplish this without needing to raise taxes or cut services but only if we have leadership ready and willing to look outside the box and break away from norms that have not been working. I believe as mayor I can bring about real change and improve our future outlook while working hand in hand with our City Council and city staff to development and implement a new plan of action that benefits all residents, all districts and our community spirit.

What do you think are the major issues facing your city, and what would you do about

them?:  Our city budget is in dire need of a complete cost analysis and rethinking. We have amajor giveaway/rebate issue to developers including rebating 50 percent of sales tax revenues for 10‐ 20 years while expecting residents to understand why our leaders are asking for a tax increase.

We need to thoughtfully and carefully revitalize our entire city and all districts. West Garden Grove has been wrongfully neglected and solutions so far have not worked at increasing revenues and attracting businesses. We need a new direction for our city’s development and revitalization if we are to be fiscally responsible to our residents.

Rising crime in our city is a big issue. We must find a way to increase our GGPD to levels

consistent with a city our size as well as or Fire and other public safety needs. It is possible to do this without raising taxes if we are willing to look at all the alternatives available. Another issue is a lack of affordable housing and the issues caused by high density housing. We simply cannot keep packing more residents into limited spaces without properly addressing the increased traffic and parking that accompanies these developments. Simply put smaller developments cost less, provide greater property tax revenues and traditionally provide greater affordability to renters. I should also point out our city’s lack of oversight for the animal shelter we currently contract with.

GGAC has improved yet the shelter has received over 100 complaints from residents and lacks inspections from the city. We must find an alternative solution that provides far better services and results for residents and our furry friends care.

It’s not just a few issues, but many that compound our growth and if we are going to accomplish change we need fresh new leadership on the City Council to head us in a newdirection that puts our residents and neighborhoods first, increases revenues while being fiscally responsible and transparent.