This is the KensingtonCA.org position on our local 2018 election candidates.
For many of us, this election is focused on re electing the incumbents for both the KPPCSD and KFPD boards so that they can continue the work that has been started, and one new member for the KPPCSD board.
And here are the Election results:
2018 Election Results
PUBLISHED: October 17, 2018 at 6:15 am | UPDATED: October 17, 2018 at 6:19 am
Finally, there are grownups at the helm of Kensington’s Police Protection and Community Services District.
Voters in the town should keep them there by re-electing Director Rachelle Sherris-Watt; electing software developer Christopher Deppe, who was appointed about a year ago to a board vacancy, to a full term; and choosing financial advisor Mike Logan for the third seat on the Nov. 6 ballot.
It took years to oust the dysfunctional former board majority that presided over scandals, mismanagement of town finances, intimidation of dissenting board members, systemic secrecy and police retaliation against residents who speak up.
The new board majority of the past two years has brought in a new administrator, a former city manager who has run the district like a professional organization.
Finally, the district has a five-year financial forecast. There is honest and open discussion about serious unfunded liabilities for workers’ retirement plans. Conversation at board meetings is civil. The district has raised enough money to earthquake retrofit the community center. And no cops have lost their guns during encounters with prostitutes in Nevada.
It’s hard to imagine that Kensington residents would want to return to the chaos of just a few years ago. Yet there’s a slate of three other candidates aligned with the leaders of the past. They didn’t even bother to show up to answer our questions about their candidacies.
This shouldn’t be a close call for voters. Sherris-Watt, Deppe and Logan are the candidates for voters who want to keep moving forward and leave Kensington’s troubled past behind.
Rachelle Sherris-Watt, and Chris Deppe the incumbents have worked to improve the district’s functioning by authorizing assessments and following up on consultants’ recommendations to improve the efficiency of the district as well as ensuring government requirements for compliance. They have split the GM/COP, are completing the process for a policy and procedures manual, are in the process of a staff and job function reorganization to bring in highly specialized staff to modernize bookkeeping and accounting functions, financial planning etc.
Mike Logan is campaigning to work on the team to continue to bring well needed changes to the district, and with his financial planning background and creative arts skills, he would bring a flexibility in thinking and his finance skill set that is necessary to create change.
The KFPD has been exceptionally well managed on multiple levels, it has large reserves that have come from prudent spending. The KFPD board of directors has focused on infrastructure improvements (piping and hydrants) to improve water pressure and give a better response to a wildfire on the hill. They have saved over the years to buy expensive replacement fire engines, which demonstrated their ability to plan for long term goals.
Janice Kosel and Joe DeVille are the incumbents with years of experience who are running for re election.
Kensingtonca.org is not supporting any type of money grab by the KPPCSD from the KFPD.