Strickland Opens New Santa Barbara Office
http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/0227_strickland_opens_new_santa_barbara_office/
By Sonia Fernandez, Noozhawk Staff Writer
State senator establishes local headquarters at the corner of Anacapa and Cota streets
Supporters and well-wishers gathered Friday afternoon for the opening of state Sen. Tony Strickland’s new Santa Barbara headquarters.
Located at 610 Anacapa St., Suite B-4, above the Melting Pot Restaurant, the modest office space will be the Moorpark Republican’s base of operations when he travels to the Santa Barbara area.
“To be a good representative you actually have to meet the people in your district that you represent,” said Strickland, whose 19th District includes large portions of Santa Barbara and Ventura vounties, and a smaller section of Los Angeles County. “I think it’s important to have a presence here in Santa Barbara so people know I’m going to be very accessible.”
“With their limited budget it’s tough to have two district offices in addition to your Capitol office,” said former Santa Barbara County Supervisor Mike Stoker, who was a key figure in Strickland’s Senate campaign. Stoker also helped find the office space on the second floor of the Anacota building on the corner of Anacapa and Cota streets.
Strickland’s main district office is in Simi Valley, said Stoker, but he “was committed” to having an office in the Santa Barbara area as well. To keep costs low, they chose the suites at the Anacota building, which allows them to avail of shared administrative services and office resources, he said.
Among those pleased with the Santa Barbara presence was Bill Gilbert, a conservative Republican from Goleta who actively campaigned for Strickland.
“I’ll be down here quite a bit,” said Gilbert. “I’ve offered to help where I can.”
Strickland won’t be holding formal office hours at his new satellite location, but people can leave messages with the receptionist or drop off mail at the office, said Stoker.
Strickland said he is looking forward to speaking with locals as he tours his district, typically during the second half of the week. His new office location in downtown Santa Barbara, a block way from State Street and above a recently opened fondue restaurant, “is ideal,” he said.
“I’ll be eating some of that fondue,” he said. “But I lost a lot of weight during the campaign and I don’t need to gain it all back.”
Strickland, a former Assemblyman whose wife is Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Moorpark, defeated former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, in a hard-fought campaign that wasn’t decided until weeks after the November election. He succeeds Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, who was elected to Congress after being termed-out of the Legislature last year.
On Thursday, the Senate Republican Caucus named Strickland assistant Senate minority leader under newly elected Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sonia Fernandez can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/0227_strickland_opens_new_santa_barbara_office/