City Council Candidate Profile: Joanne Ward

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: Joanne Marie Ward

Employment:  City of Hercules, mayor

Age: 68; born in Norwalk, Ohio

Spouse or domestic partner: None

Children: Julie Ann Horton, 40; Charlene Marie Johnson, 39.

Education:
Berea High School, Berea, Ohio, high school diploma, 1960
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, bachelor of arts, mathematics and physics, 1964
Saint Mary's College, Moraga, California, masters in business administration, 1994

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?  26 years

As an adult, have you been convicted or charged with a crime other than a minor traffic violation? No.

Campaign website: www.joanneward.com

PREVIOUS ELECTED AND APPOINTED POSITIONS

Elected offices:

Hercules City Council – elected 2000; re-elected 2004 and 2008
Hercules mayor (selection by City Council) – 2004, 2008 and 2011

Unsuccessful campaigns for public office: none

Appointed positions:

• Three consecutive two-year terms on the Hercules Community Services Commission, 1994, 1996, and 1998
• Hercules Library Commission, 2000

THIS CAMPAIGN

What is the primary reason you are running for this office?
The primary reason that I am running for this office is to be able to help make the best possible decisions to stabilize the City of Hercules.  I would like to help put the City of Hercules back on track to achieve the vision for the City which was established at the charettes that were held in the spring of 2000. 

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

• To re-set all of the Parks and Recreation fees to fully cover the costs of providing programs and services for seniors, teens, tiny tots, child care, aquatics, etc.  In this way, all of the current Parks and Recreation programs and services can continue and would be fully paid for by the individuals and families who use them.
• To adopt a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2011-2012 which is based upon the City of Hercules' anticipated revenue stream of about $12 million.  In addition, I would work to establish a process to adopt a separate budget for the major capital projects.
• To hire a new City Manager and a new City Attorney for the City of Hercules.  It is extremely important to have talented individuals possessing the necessary education and skills to be able to implement the goals of the City of Hercules.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I have served the City of Hercules for 17 consecutive years now as I was first appointed to the Hercules Community Services Commission in March, 1994.  I received two more two-year appointments to the Hercules Community Services Commission (March, 1996, and March, 1998) and then one two-year appointment to the Hercules Library Commission (March, 2000) prior to being elected to the Hercules City Council in November, 2000, November, 2004, and November, 2008.  I have been honored to serve as the Mayor of Hercules in 2004, 2008, and 2011.  I believe that my 17 years of continuous service to the City of Hercules gives me some experience, history, knowledge, and perspective that sets me apart from the other candidates.

About how much money do you expect your campaign to spend on this election?  $15,000

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