City Council Candidate Profile: Gerard Boulanger

Hercules Patch has asked each candidate to fill out a questionnaire to give residents information about his or her background. More election coverage.

BASIC BACKGROUND

Full, legal name: Gerard Boulanger

Employment: Owner of business located in Hercules since 1996.

What date were you born and where? 1953, born in France

Spouse or domestic partner: Elizabeth

Children: Three adult children.

Education:

Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Thermodynamics degree, Paris 1975

Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Mechanics of Fluids degree, Paris 1975

Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, MBA, Paris 1977

Military Service: None

Have you or a business you owned or had principal interest in ever filed bankruptcy? No

How long have you lived in Hercules? 16 years

As an adult, have you been convicted or charged with a crime other than a minor traffic violation? If so, please explain and include dates and locations. No

Contact information:

Campaign websites: www.gerard-william4hercules.com, www.gerard4hercules.com

Email: gerardboulanger4hercules@comcast.net

PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE

Elected offices:

City Council Member from 1981 to 1993 for a district of 115,000 people, which included two cities.

Have you run unsuccessfully for an elected public office? No

THIS CAMPAIGN

What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

I consider the remaining two City Council members from the previous council responsible for the financial mess we are facing today. The Council is the ultimate body accountable for decisions made by them and by their appointed city manager or attorney. For years, they rubber-stamped resolutions without asking questions and their lack of leadership is not acceptable. It’s time for accountability: they should go. Let’s turn this page. I am running because I want to restore trust in the council and make sure our rules of governance will be adjusted to be certain this nightmare never happens again.

What will be your top three priorities if you get elected and why?

We all need to recognize the situation we will be facing in early July: No Finance Director, no City Manager, no City Attorney, no Waterfront Consultant (unless his contract is extended), no Chief of Police, SERAF payment not paid, Balloon RDA payment due in August not addressed yet, a much lighter budget and a demoralized and anxious City staff.

• Hire a City Manager and a City Attorney ASAP. I will push to incorporate new rules of Governance and Ethics in their contract (limiting their authority on projects, contracts, amendments, payments, and negotiations without Council approval). Any breech of their contracts could lead to being fired for cause without a severance package (We will have a new council soon having the mission of defining city policies, but a city manager and a city attorney are necessary to help transform them into legal actions).

• Setup an EDA (Economic Development Agency) to be the recipient of the proceeds from the sale of our real estate assets, and a financial vehicle for the ITC development (Assuming the RDA will come to an end, I’d like to see a clear separation between the General Fund and the funds/grants meant to develop/complete our city).

• Assuming the RDA will still be in existence in July, I think it’s urgent to win time by trying to renegotiate both the SERAF and RDA balloon payments.  I also believe we must buy back some bonds at a lower rate, and thereby reduce our debt obligations to a level compatible with our current RDA revenues (We have a $1.5M deficit in the RDA. The General Fund can’t afford to pay for it. Hopefully buying back bonds could allow us to reduce our RDA debt paid by RDA revenues, not by our General Fund).

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I don’t have another candidate running against me if Mr. Kuehne is recalled.  However, let me describe my personality and how I intend to do this job if elected:

I am aware of the psychological situation in City Hall and the serious lack of trust from the Public. The best way to address that is to reinforce our foundations with honest and ethical behavior and by sharing in a vision for the next 10-20 years.

I understand the differences between private business and City Hall, but I also understand the things they should have in common: accountability, service, honesty and fiscal responsibility.

I don’t have an agenda in this election except to provide the best of my ability to our city and its residents.

I intend to live in Hercules the rest of my life and want to be involved in our City’s affairs for as long as possible.

I am an independent thinker and won’t be a follower.

I will make public any wrongdoing orchestrated or supported by any council member and senior City officials, whoever it might be.

I promise only one thing: I will work very hard to help in our recovery (financial and cultural).

I am a fiscally responsible person and will make sure taxpayer’s money will be wisely spent/invested. I am known for my energy and desire for action. I like to think outside of the box and will make sure my creativity will be shared with the other members. Whatever our problems might be, there are always good solutions to be found. This is why I am running: to get out of this mess using a positive angle.

About how much money do you expect your campaign to spend on this election?

$2,500

THE ISSUES

• Causes of the current financial crisis
• Making government more transparent
• Public safety in tough economic times
• Hercules Municipal Utility
• Market Hall deal
• Bayfront-Intermodal Transit Center
• City Council culpability
• Hercules Redevelopment Agency