District 3 Candidates at Burney Lions Club

Four candidates running for District 3 Board of Supervisors were at the Burney Lions Club on Thursday evening May 18 for the final candidates night before the June 7 primary election. Three of the candidates, Pam Giacomini, Janet Chandler, and Mary Rickert, will have their names on the ballot. Cathy Cresser from Oak Run has entered the race as a write-in candidate.

Janet Chandler, Pam Giacomini, Mary Rickert, and Cathy Cresser

The event was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Redding Area, the Burney Chamber of Commerce, and the Burney Lions. Susan Wilson from the League of Women Voters moderated the event.

Susan Wilson explains the evening’s format

The hall was filled with voters eager to hear the candidates. As people entered they were given a card on which to write down a question they would like to have asked. Out of the questions submitted, 12 were selected.

After Ms. Wilson introduced the participants and explained the format, each candidate had 3 minutes to make an opening statement.

Then, Ms. Wilson read the questions, allowing each candidate one minute to give their view on that issue.

The twelve questions asked concerned:

1. What issue the candidate considered to be of primary importance
2. Balancing the rural and urban issues of the district
3. The State of Jefferson
4. Gun rights and open carry
5. The county budget, what percentage is discretionary, and what spending is mandatory
6. Natural resources
7. Surface and land water use
8. Public housing and housing for the mentally ill
9. Homelessness
10. The California Air Resources Board (CARB)
11. Problems relating to Absentee Property Owners
12. Experience of the candidates demonstrating leadership in action

Candidates gave detailed answers to each question. Discussion was animated and full of information reflecting the experience and political philosophy of each candidate. In the course of answering the questions, the candidates also discussed the rising crime rate in the district; substance abuse; constitutional government; the relations amongst county, state, and federal agencies; fire prevention and forest management; business regulation; and various county ordinances.

After all the questions were discussed, the candidates each had 2 minutes to make a closing statement.

In order to best understand the background and the positions of the candidates visit their websites:

Janet Chandler:  http://chandlerforshastasupervisor3.org/
Pam Giacomini: http://www.co.shasta.ca.us/index/bos_index/district3.aspx
Mary Rickert: http://voterickert.com/
Cathy Cresser:  https://www.facebook.com/cresserforsupervisor

The websites also provide contact information to ask specific questions or express concerns.

This was the final public candidates night before the June 7 primary. The primary election will be very important because if any candidate gets 51% of the vote that candidate will be the next Supervisor for District 3. If no candidate gets 51% of the vote, then the two top candidates will run against each other in the general election in November. Other candidates will not qualify for the November election.