NOOZHAWK: What experiences from your professional or personal life make you uniquely qualified to be a Santa Barbara City Council member?
JOHN GIBBS: I am beholden to no one who does business with the city. I learned while a member of the Santa Barbara County civil Grand Jury to ask probing questions regarding the economics of city government. I can say NO without fear of retribution. I’m not afraid of confrontation, yet I am willing to listen to both sides of an argument. I’m currently retired and thus can fulfill my duties as a council member without worrying about that “day job.” I can take my suggested 20 percent pay cut and still make ends meet. In fact, if the council doesn’t approve a reduction I promise to contribute 20 percent to a local charity.
NOOZHAWK: With all of the city’s fiscal challenges, why are you running now?
JG: It is because of these fiscal challenges that I’m running. I’m tired of watching Santa Barbara burn while seven Neros fiddle!
NOOZHAWK: What three steps would you take first to resolve Santa Barbara’s financial crisis?
JG: 1. It’s time for the council to take the lead in income concessions. In my campaign I suggest a 20 percent pay cut for the council members. Only by starting with the council can we confidently approach others on the city payroll and expect to extract concessions. I’m not suggesting everyone forgo the same percentage, but it has to be significant enough to make a dent in the deficit.
2. We ned to scrap the defined-benefits retirement program. During boom times it made questionable sense but in this recession it is now an albatross around our necks. A defined-contribution retirement program makes better sense because the city payout is more predictable.
3. It’s time to remove all the fat from our employment base. Over-staffing has to be eliminated. All departments need to examine in detail just where it’s occurring and act accordingly. It is important to note that I expect highly compensated positions to be included in this review.
NOOZHAWK: Public safety accounts for more than 50 percent of the city’s operating budget. With more spending cuts likely, how much would you trim from fire and police services?
JG: The answer to this question is complex and should wait until the true deficit is known. I don’t believe these two agencies will be granted more money this year than the year before, no matter who is elected. Police Chief Cam Sanchez runs a tight ship and the council should defer to his judgment and not get involved with day-to-day activities, beyond stressing to him that the city needs to cut costs. The same reasoning holds true for the Fire Department.
NOOZHAWK: Would you support increasing or adding new municipal taxes as a revenue source?
JG: No!
NOOZHAWK: Should any municipal services be privatized? If so, which ones?
JG: At first blush it sounds like a reasonable idea. Often, it turns out that, after a brief honeymoon period, the servicing agency raises fees until it becomes even more costly than when the city performed the service. We may free the city from the expense but not the oversight. Trash pickup has been a notable exception. Having two companies divide up the city has worked well, to date.
NOOZHAWK: Why do you support or oppose Measure B, the ballot measure that would restrict downtown building heights to 40 feet?
JG: I wholeheartedly support Measure B. The most important part of this referendum isn’t building heights per se. It is the sending of a subliminal message to architects, planners and the council that they need to pay more attention to what is being approved. Mayor Marty Blum and I don’t often agree, but in this matter we are like Siamese twins. We both would like to see the lower Chapala building razed!
NOOZHAWK: Do you feel the direction of the General Plan update is consistent with your vision? What kind of city will Santa Barbara be in 30 years?
JG: Not really. There is nothing wrong with slow — no — very slow growth of our city. One plus in this recession is that very high-priced houses are no longer in demand. Additionally, home prices have decreased more than personal income so that affordability has been enhanced. If we are fortunate the real estate market will remain stable for the foreseeable future. The less Santa Barbara meddles with housing the better it will be.
NOOZHAWK: The General Plan update will have consequences for housing, transportation and other key issues in the region. Does the city have a responsibility to think regionally when it makes policy decisions? How would you rate the city’s record?
JG: It appears that the General Plan is being designed by dreamers with their heads in the clouds. Consider this scenario: A large segment of the population isn’t into bicycling. Parts of the residential zones are too hilly. If Santa Barbara limits driving and parking downtown under the guise of clean energy we are simply going to motor out to Goleta for shopping, and the downtown corridor will suffer an inevitable decline and perhaps ultimate demise. A case in point: Upper Chapala Street was reconfigured to a single car lane and a very wide bicycle lane yet I rarely see bikes use this street.
NOOZHAWK: If elected, what is the one issue on which you would focus to improve Santa Barbara’s quality of life?
JG: Until we get city finances under control we can’t address the myriad other problems facing the community.
NOOZHAWK: What is Santa Barbara’s most neglected neighborhood?
JG: The downtown sector and the waterfront area are the most neglected areas. Tourism is a major industry in Santa Barbara. We’ll never get that second chance to make a good first impression by neglecting this area. Trash in the streets, aggressive panhandling and brown-bag drinking are what visitors remember after visiting Santa Barbara. High-priced hotels, motels and restaurants deserve the best views we can provide. The transient-occupancy tax infuses millions of dollars into the city coffers and a significant portion has to be earmarked for this locale. It’s just plain good business.
NOOZHAWK: How would you control aggressive panhandling?
JG: Enforce all the laws on the books regarding antisocial behavior in public, right down to jaywalking! Advertise to our guests that giving cash to the homeless is to be discouraged. For people intent on donating, we could suggest they give directly to a charity such as the Salvation Army. Money in the hands of a homeless person only goes for cigarettes and alcohol. Beware the “donation boxes.” The city has the keys and I think any collections will get lost in the general fund account.
NOOZHAWK: Santa Barbara has a plethora of medical-marijuana dispensaries, relative to other tri-county cities of similar size, but has yet to reject a single application. Why? Is that in the public’s interest?
JG: I’d love to hear the honest answer to this question. No, it is not in the public interest to have so many. I believe marijuana will one day be as legal as alcohol but I don’t think Santa Barbara should be at the forefront in deregulating this addictive drug. In a recent editorial, I suggested marijuana be packaged for sale in mailing containers. Wow! You should have seen the reactions! Most prominent was the declaration that it was against federal law to use the U.S. mail for this purpose. Now there is a true non sequitur. Marijuana is a federally forbidden narcotic and that doesn’t bother users, so why should sending it through the mail frighten them?
NOOZHAWK: Even with two catastrophic wildfires within the city limits in the last year, the danger is hardly diminished. What can the city do differently to prepare for the next one?
JG: Mandate a brush-clear area around homes in high fire zones. Ensure that property owners know of two escape routes. Rebuilt homes need fire-resistant modifications. The city shouldn’t charge for these fire-protection design changes. Where fire hydrants are too far apart, the city needs to add more. I’m sure insurance companies will be mandating changes in construction for high fire areas, perhaps even to the point of refusing to insure homes in select areas.
NOOZHAWK: A grocery clerk asks you, “Paper or plastic?” You say:
JG: I brought my own reusable bags.
NOOZHAWK: How often do you use alternative transportation?
JG: Rarely. I walk for exercise and often combine it with small purchases.
NOOZHAWK: What is Santa Barbara’s most precious asset?
JG: A caring, generous citizenry. Unfortunately, I feel they are beginning to feel put upon.
NOOZHAWK: What’s your favorite view?
JG: The view of the mountains from our kitchen window.
NOOZHAWK: Health care is all over the news these days. What do you do to stay fit?
JG: I walk two miles a day and bowl four times a week.
NOOZHAWK: The Coast Village Road roundabout is slowly nearing completion, but the island inside it is missing something. Do you support our plan to erect a Noozhawk statue there?
JG: Only if you pay for it!
Additional Resources
Click here for Noozhawk’s candidate interview
Click here for SBCityVote.org’s candidate statement video