SYV Star Local Candidate Voter Guide: Solvang City Council

By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Tue Mar 17 2020

1. Why are you a candidate? What issues are important to you? 2. Should Solvang diversify its economy to make it less dependent on tourism? If so, how? If not, what is the City Council’s role in supporting the tourism economy? 3. Future annexations to Solvang have been a topic recently. Should Solvang expand its borders? If so, by how much? And how should that growth be accomplished?   SOLVANG CITY COUNCIL, 4-YEAR TERMS (VOTE FOR 2)

Niels “Chris” Djernaes Financial and economic advisor Question 1: I’m candidate because I know we can do better. The Council has waited too long to address critical operating problems and has no explicit plans for well-documented issues. Council meetings have demonstrated that the Council and Staff must do more to inform and engage voters on issues that could require higher taxes and or cuts to City services, e.g., the exploding CalPERS pension deficits. Finally, voters want to feel the City is working for them instead of the other way around. I have 20 years of executive management expertise in working with government agencies and businesses. I have spent more than a year studying Solvang’s policies, management, operations and issues. I know we can: