This week, the Sun-Star sat down with Merced Mayor Bill Spriggs and Mayor Pro Tem Bill Blake to talk about their decision to run for mayor in the November election. Spriggs won in 2009; it is Blake's first time running for mayor. Four candidates have filed for the race, though the deadline isn't until next month. The Sun-Star will have a running Q&A series with Merced mayoral candidates as they file.
Sun-Star: So both of you sit on the Merced City Council together. What has that been like?
Spriggs: It has been very challenging the last year. I had the pleasure of serving eight years on the council before being elected to the mayor's position. The first eight were a lot more fun than the last two. We deal with some economic realities which are really out of our control, and I think we have done really an outstanding job of managing. This coming year is going to be equally difficult.
Blake: I walked in two years ago and we walked into a very, very bad financial situation — almost a damage-control situation. There was no money to spend, losing personnel and having to balance the budget and dwindling reserves. It was a very difficult position to walk into and required a lot of catching up. When I came aboard, the money was dwindling quickly and we had to do the best we can with dwindling resources. We've done a very, very good job. We've been very good stewards with the city's money.
SS: Both of you are going to be running for mayor this time. Is it going to be harder for incumbents to win the election with what's happened with layoffs. Do people want a fresh start?
Spriggs: I think it's going to be tough for incumbents this time around. I think the mood is not real good out there right now. And I think there could be a part of the electorate that wants a change. I think we saw that in the last congressional round and you can see that going down to the local level. On the other hand, maybe from what I'm hearing, folks out in the public appreciate what we've done and appreciate we had a very balanced approach. Our cuts, in some areas, were larger than we would have liked. We still are trying to maintain as broad a level of service as we can to the people who elected us. Maintaining our roads is very important, providing youth and recreation services. And maintaining our parks. The challenge is how do we do all of those things and still maintain all of those core services of police and fire. I think we've struck a really good balance.
Blake: I'll let you know Nov. 9. I don't know. It's hard to read the electorate. It cannot be done and I don't have a feel whether or not there is anger toward incumbents. On a local level, I don't think so, I hope not. We are a city, and a city is more than just one thing. We do a lot of things — all the way from waste-water to tree-trimming to mowing lawns to police and fire and on and on and on. We get back to the biggest challenge — money. Do we have money to spend? Not really, in the general fund. We are doing well in the other funds and we are doing some very, very good things. Downtown looks good, the G Street project ... it looks marvelous, the roads are improving tremendously.
SS: Besides the economy and trying to create jobs in the city, what are some of your other issues?
Spriggs: I think I'm going to focus on maintaining a real balanced approach. And again we talked about police and fire and how vital they are. And I would like to see Merced grow to the point that we can change our economic base and do not need to rely on as many police officers as we do. That's kind of a direct result of our economic situation. We really need to focus on improving our local economy, diversifying our local economy, and we had just started to scratch the surface of the University of California. Over the next 20 years, it will be a game-changer. Businesses want to know what kind of amenities your city has to offer. What cultural things you have available for the employees, what recreational opportunities you have for the children of the employees. We need to make sure we have good police and fire protection, but at the same time are providing the amenities and services businesses are looking for when they make decisions.
Blake: One of the first things is prepare to run for mayor and prepare to get elected in November. I do anticipate the major focus to be the budget and I do anticipate doing our very best to create jobs in a balanced environment for the city and a balanced growth plan for the city. It's necessary to be stable financially and to create an environment here that is welcoming to people from outside the area. I want Merced to grow — but not grow too fast. I want jobs, good-paying jobs, not minimum-paying jobs. UC Merced is a great thing, but it is something that is going to take time to come to fruition to really benefit the community. In the coming year, not just in November but the years ahead, we have to maintain a balance of all the things we provide.
For the rest of the interview, please listen to "Off the 99" on KYOS 1480 AM Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. or online at www.mercedsunstar.com/podcasts.
Reporter Ameera Butt can be reached at (209) 385-2477 or abutt@mercedsun-star.com.
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