Bill Clarkson reveals his future goals as mayor
City of San Ramon
Bill Clarkson was recently re-elected to his position as mayor of San Ramon.
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, Mayor Bill Clarkson was re-elected as mayor for his fourth and final term, defeating opposing candidate Sanat Sethy in the midterm mayor election.
Clarkson won with 75 percent of the votes, the largest election percentage for any mayoral contestant in the Bay Area.
“It was very gratifying to have that confidence from the residents. It is very delightful to see that people want to do what we always do — to prioritize public safety and preserve open spaces,” Clarkson said.
Clarkson’s first priority has always been to ensure public safety during his tenure as mayor of San Ramon. He continues to emphasize the importance of this aspect of society.
“We don’t plan to do anything new or different. We will make sure that we are hiring police officers, but there are no real initiatives that we have around that,” Clarkson said.
Clarkson also desires to preserve the open green space that San Ramon currently maintains. These spaces include parks, golf courses, and other fun family places. The mayor specifically pointed out the homes off the hills infringing on the green spaces.
“We want to identify those properties at risk and are working with property owners to form agreements about conservation,” Clarkson explained. “It will allow them to receive the money for protecting the land going forward.”.
In addition, the new Bishop Ranch City Center recently opened. Clarkson also wishes to build a walking district in the vicinity of the mall since it promotes community gatherings, especially during weekends along with the opportunity for exercise by walking and biking on the trails.
“The City Center is a private enterprise, so it’s up to them [City Center managers] to fill those spots. We are developing a walking district around 200 acres. It includes 50 acres of central park. We are creating a 2 mile path that goes through all those areas that allows people to walk. We are encouraging people to walk and bike in that area,” Clarkson said.
Clarkson also mentioned his goal to slow growth as the recent surge of migrants into San Ramon has been a slight factor in the way the city operates. Due to the superior school district, many parents have moved to San Ramon for the future of their children. Clarkson also clarifies that the city did not construct as many houses for new residents as people usually perceive.
“We have only approved 144 homes in the last 7 years. Only 48 have been built. All of Dougherty Valley was approved in 1994. The housing near the City Center was approved in 2008,” Clarkson clarified. “We are trying to protect existing neighborhoods from the impact of development. There hasn’t been any growth in the past seven years. We want to develop away from existing neighborhoods to reduce traffic.”
Clarkson also pointed out that the city is currently not rebuilding their finances but is hoping to maintain their strong economic position. During Bill Clarkson’s tenure as mayor, many successful entrepreneurs have managed their businesses in the city.
“The City Center and sales tax provide a strong base already. We are very conservative about spending money. We will be very cautious looking forward and not try to have any new spending,” Clarkson said.
Overall, Clarkson’s goals didn’t change very much during the election as he already had previous experience in this position. As a result, San Ramon looks toward a bright future for the next two years with Mayor Bill Clarkson.
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