| | Published September 12th, 2012
| Meet the Moraga Council Candidates: Mike Metcalf
| | By Sophie Braccini |  | | Mike Metcalf
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Mike Metcalf is currently serving as Moraga's mayor, and has held a seat on the Council for eight years. Metcalf is a member of Kiwanis and served on the Planning Commission; the former Chevron engineer derives a pride of achievement from local service.
Metcalf's main focus over the past 4 years has been the infrastructure. He was part of the committees that analyzed the state of the town's roads and is a strong supporter of Measure K. "We need to get things done," he said. "The yield of the measure will be less than what we need, but it will stop the bleed." Metcalf understands that some residents are concerned the money could be spent on other things. "The plan is to bond some of the revenue stream up to $7.1 million," he said. "That will be used to start the work that needs to be done. About half of the sales tax will serve that debt; the other half will be at the discretion of the Town Council." Metcalf says that surveys have shown that the top 5 priorities of residents are linked to infrastructure. "What Council in its right mind would spend that money on anything other than infrastructure?" he asked. He added that the ordinance requires establishing a volunteer citizens' oversight committee.
Metcalf was involved in the Rancho Laguna Park and off-leash dog issue. "There was no consensus on the Council and some people dug their heels into the sand," he said. "We need to put this question to rest. The town is tearing itself apart over this and there are more important issues to look at." Like the rest of the current Council, he supports the construction of a spatial separation between off-leash dogs and other park users.
Metcalf presents himself as supportive of minimal government and believes that the Town works amazingly well with a very frugal budget. "We budget with a little bit of cushion," explained Metcalf. "Our sales tax revenues have increased, and we've lowered expenditure by delaying some rehiring." He added that pensions and health plans are at a minimum.
Metcalf's position on protecting open space in Moraga is that the General Plan as it stands now is not enough. "The General Plan has served the Town well," said Metcalf. "The text is not ironclad and that would be the wrong approach, you need to have discretion. It's not the text that provides the regulation, it's the process, and that is what public participation is all about."
For the next 4 years Metcalf said he would love to continue to work with the top notch staff Moraga is lucky to have. He expects the relationship with Saint Mary's College to continue to improve for added synergy and rejoices that staff will soon vacate the Hacienda for 329 Rheem. He will also continue to work with the School District to improve the availability of sports fields.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA