Scott Newton
Pismo Beach City Council
| Website: | NewtonForPismo.com |
| Facebook: | facebook.com/newtonpismobeachcitycouncil |
| Why are you running for office?: | My wife and I have been blessed by being able to raise our family here. Pismo Beach is a treasure that I want to see protected now and for our future generations. I want to see our City work to enhance the quality of life for our residents. I have watched our community's concerns go ignored too long. We have spent years discussing problems such as traffic, littering, road conditions, public safety, and yet no progress has been made. I will make our resident's priorities, my priorities. |
| What makes you qualified for the job?: | I have been self employed for over 25 years. This experience includes growing a business from our garage to employing over 40 people, holding a Contractors License, and helping struggling businesses learn how to thrive. My diverse background gives me experience with budgets, project management, short & long-term planning, and construction. This will allow me to ensure that our city is ran efficiently, practices fiscal responsibility, and be able to thoroughly examine small & large scale projects. |
| What are your two main priorities if you win?: | My top priority is to listen to our residents. The overwhelming concern I hear is that the voices of our locals have grown tired of being ignored. I will strive to grow our public interaction so that the city's priorities align with those of our community. I do not believe in "pet projects" for it is not about what I want, it is about what our city as a whole wants. I also want to see our city be one who the public respects and has professional interactions with at all times. This starts at the top where we must all understand that we are here to serve our city and its residents. It is time to make our city known as one that works in the best interest of its residents at all times. |
| How will you interact with other governments?: | My primary role is to interact with our community and be their voice and advocate. My interaction will be with our City, neighboring cities, and the County for the most part. |
| What are your plans to help overcome COVID-19?: | COVID-19 has created challenges for our families, businesses and our community as a whole. We must do everything we reasonably can to help our businesses survive that due to no fault of their own, have became financial victims. Our City leaders must be committed to listening to our businesses and learn from them on how we can better serve them and help them survive, all while ensuring that the public safety is addressed. We are fortunate to have our beaches that serve as our primary entertainment venue. This outdoor space combined with social distancing has allowed us to have some sense of normalcy. We continue to have some of the lowest COVID rates in the County and that can be much credited to our community that practices such great personal responsibility. |
| Which two issues are most important to you?: | Top two issues for me are water and public safety. Water has to be a concern at all times since it is our greatest resource that we do not have 100% control of. Most of our water is from the State and our City's wells on their own could not provide enough water for our demand. I support the Central Coast Blue water project, however we should also be practicing exchange programs for items like shower heads and toilets since it provides such a high return on the dollar. Public Safety has to be a constant focus. Our city can grow from a population of 9,000 to 50,000 on a busy weekend. Our police department must be funded to handle this unique situation. Having the proper funding can ensure that our police are able to hire the best, receive continuous training, and have the proper equipment for everyone's protection. I will also strive to find creative ways to involve our police in the community where we can build relationships and mutual respect. |
