2008 Woodie Awards
Lee running for District 3
Kelly Truong
Issue date: 6/2/08 Section: News
June 3 marks the date of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors election, in which Sunnyvale Council Member Otto Lee is running against San Jose Vice Mayor Dave Cortese and Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves for the open position in District 3. The district comprises the cities of Milpitas and Sunnyvale, as well as the Alviso, Berreyessa and Evergreen areas of San Jose.
The Board of Supervisors oversees the county's clinics and hospitals, sheriff and city police departments and county emergencies. The District 3 supervisor position opened up following the retirement of Pete McHugh, who served three terms.
As the former planning commissioner and mayor of Sunnyvale, Lee's record includes 10 years of public service.
One of his highest priorities has been fiscal responsibility: Santa Clara County's debt currently amounts to $172 million per year, something he plans to combat as county supervisor.
"Unless we can fix this structural deficit, every year it's going to get worse," he said.
He says he is the most interested of all candidates in not raising sales taxes, listing the following reasons behind his stance: its strong likelihood to be rejected by voters, potential damage to business and harm to senior citizens. "If you raise the sales tax, those are the ones who'll be paying," says Lee.
Lee has experience in the field of balancing budgets. As mayor, he oversaw the balancing of Sunnyvale's budget, turning the city's $15 million deficit into a small surplus He also promoted conservation and sustainability, highlighting the environment as a major issue.
His concern is reflected in his campaign logo, which features green hillsides as a representation of his pro-conservation stance.
"I want to keep our green areas green," he said, "These are not city lands."
As mayor, he established a Green Ribbon Committee that hired a city sustainability coordinator and imposed environmental minimum standards on construction. According to Lee, the idea behind the committee was to bring in residents with good ideas about helping the city.
The Board of Supervisors oversees the county's clinics and hospitals, sheriff and city police departments and county emergencies. The District 3 supervisor position opened up following the retirement of Pete McHugh, who served three terms.
As the former planning commissioner and mayor of Sunnyvale, Lee's record includes 10 years of public service.
One of his highest priorities has been fiscal responsibility: Santa Clara County's debt currently amounts to $172 million per year, something he plans to combat as county supervisor.
"Unless we can fix this structural deficit, every year it's going to get worse," he said.
He says he is the most interested of all candidates in not raising sales taxes, listing the following reasons behind his stance: its strong likelihood to be rejected by voters, potential damage to business and harm to senior citizens. "If you raise the sales tax, those are the ones who'll be paying," says Lee.
Lee has experience in the field of balancing budgets. As mayor, he oversaw the balancing of Sunnyvale's budget, turning the city's $15 million deficit into a small surplus He also promoted conservation and sustainability, highlighting the environment as a major issue.
His concern is reflected in his campaign logo, which features green hillsides as a representation of his pro-conservation stance.
"I want to keep our green areas green," he said, "These are not city lands."
As mayor, he established a Green Ribbon Committee that hired a city sustainability coordinator and imposed environmental minimum standards on construction. According to Lee, the idea behind the committee was to bring in residents with good ideas about helping the city.
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