Tracy Press

 
Filing period opens for the new Mountain House Community Services District governing board.

Mountain House is ready for its independent board. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

Mountain House residents voted last year to create their own governing board. On Nov. 4, the community will for the first time choose elected officials who will assume responsibilities akin to municipal council members in other cities.

The board will take responsibility for the district’s budget and policy — which, until the year’s end, is led by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. County supervisors will still hold authority over land use, planning and permits.

To date, the Mountain House candidates include the following: outgoing Lammersville Elementary School District Board president Matthew Balzarini; software engineer Thomas Lee III; information security analyst Doug Stephens; parent Carl Hutchings; teacher and real estate agent Martin Kanu; retiree Michael Klinkner; and local businessman Jim Lamb.

The pool of opponents cited the district budget, schools, public safety, culture and raising property values as priorities, to name some.

Balzarini, a San Francisco police officer, said he would like to see better contracts written up between the master-planned community and the fire and county sheriff’s departments.

“Public safety is my main concern,” said the 33-year-old father, who moved to the unincorporated town of 7,800 four years ago with his wife and three kids.

He said he’d also like to see more activities for children in town.

Mississippi-born Stephens, 51, also moved to Mountain House four years ago, where he now lives with his partner and in-laws.

The utilities company security analyst and former professional singer said he’d like to see more culture in the young community. He plans to form an arts council in August and said he wants to see public art in the district.

Software engineer and five-year Mountain House resident Lee, 57, has a vision to bring more public transportation to the growing town, he said, and take steps to bring in a high school and the Delta College satellite campus.

Retired Union City public works superintendent Klinkner, 59, who spoke to all the registered candidates, agreed.

“I think we’re pretty much all on the same page,” he said. “But I’ve have to say that I think the budget will be the main issue.”

Having worked as a Union City higher-up, he said he has extensive responsibility working with a public budget.

Lamb, 41, was last year one of the first to announce his intent to run.

He said he wants to strike up healthy communication between residents and the Mountain House Community Services District, the town’s governing agency. And like Balzarini, he said he’d like to see improved public safety.

Kanu, 41, moved to Mountain House last year, where he lives with his wife and four children.

He said that if elected he wants to hold the district accountable to the community’s master plan, which lays out how the town should grow into the next decade.

Hutchings is a parent active in local schools, according to the candidate filings.

Mountain House will have an information meeting at 7 p.m. July 31 to prep candidates on the Ralph M. Brown Act and other laws relating to public office. The briefing will take place at Bethany Elementary School.

Residents have until Aug. 8 to register as a candidate with the San Joaquin Registrar of Voters Office. The registrar’s office expects to see up to 20 candidates registered by the first week of August.

Once elected, two members will be assigned two-year terms, and three will get four-year terms, to stagger the election every two years, according to district officials.

WHAT: Mountain House governing board briefing

WHEN: 7 p.m. July 31

WHERE: Bethany Elementary School, 560 Escula Dr.

INFO: 831-2300

Candidate info: http://wiki.mhvillages.com/~wiki17/index.php?title=Board_of_Directors. 

• To reach Tracy Press reporter Jennifer Wadsworth, call 830-4225 or e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (6)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

...
written by Tracy RealNews , July 24, 2008

Jim,

This isn't a sales gimmick from the MH Sales Department? Is it?

If we purchase a home, are we automatically entered into the raffle?


(ok, ok, just kidding, it was out there just waiting, and with no other takers too)

...
written by Tom Benigno , July 24, 2008

To whom it may concern:

I think TRN news does not apply at Mountain House. Change your tag to MHN or something.

t. b

...
written by Dave Hardesty , July 25, 2008

Tom
Lighten up will ya? The article is posted in the Tracy Press and on their web site. You might be correct if Mountain House had their own news site.

Actually I would like to hear a little more about the candidates in Tracy by the Tracy Press but the paper also services Mountain House so an article about their local government elections is appropriate.

Now if you had been elected South County Supervisor, would you just concentrate on Tracy issues or all of the South County? Tracy Press and TRN are just doing the same. What happens to our neighbors has an effect on Tracy as well don't you think?

Dave Hardesty

...
written by Tom Benigno , July 25, 2008

To whom it may concern:

If Ornellas would have been an honest candidate, he would have demanded a debate with me. If so I would have won the debate, and you would have had your answers to your questions.

I still might be able to answer your questions as your supervisor. Lets work on it?

t. b

...
written by Tracy RealNews , July 25, 2008

Tom Benigno,

Most people may think that "Mountain House RealNews" sounds too difficult for others to remember. Not as catchy, like "Tracy RealNews".


May have to live in Tracy for a while. Ride out the economy.

Thanks!

...
written by Tom Benigno , July 25, 2008

To whom it may concern:

Is that not what I wrote?


t. b