Welcome!
Thanks for visiting the web site to find out more about me. I‘m Greg Schmid and I am a candidate for City Council. Why? As a 35 year resident, my wife, four children, and I have benefited greatly from being part of this community. I want those benefits to be there for future generations. We are at a crossroads where the decisions the next Council makes will profoundly shape our future, and I am concerned that we are losing control of the development process ... and that the City’s development has outrun our ability to absorb higher growth rates without compromising the quality of our community.
Growth works only if we have a clear and realistic plan to maintain the uniqueness of our community. There are already clear signs of danger. Many of our schools are over crowded. Our libraries and parks are over-utilized. We are losing large parts of our commercial areas. Worse, our city revenues are declining on a per person basis.
Where can we look for a solution?
I believe we need a clear vision of what we want our community to look like 10 to 20 years from now and then we must define the concrete steps that can get us there.
The solution lies in our ability to maintain the attractiveness of our community. To do this we must maintain quality schools, expand our libraries and public spaces, and support a vibrant commercial life that boosts city revenues.
We must maintain residential neighborhoods and city services that are our great legacy for future generations.
My Checklist of Action Items:
- Develop policy decisions that enhance our two key revenue generators — property taxes and sales taxes ... this is the key to preserving and growing the infrastructure, services, and amenities ... roads, parks, libraries, playing fields, community centers, and more ... that make Palo Alto special. As a professional economist and strategic planner, I will contribute to better financial management and long range planning.
- Preserve the character and quality of Palo Alto’s residential neighborhoods.
- Formulate Neighborhood and Community plans for areas undergoing rapid change.
- Increase our spending on capital improvements from 9% of our operating budget to 10%.
- Redefine the “Palo Alto Process” to deal more effectively with dramatic community change.
- Create, closer, more constructive City-School cooperation ... we should include the school district in early planning processes. As a former School Board Member, I know how City land use decisions impact our schools and how School District decisions impact our city.
Thanks!
These are just a few of the key issues that I would like to work with you to solve. I had a successful record on the School Board, where I helped reopen schools needed to serve today’s students. With your vote and support, I can repeat that kind of success on the City Council.
