Bob Gardner not seeking re-election to Redlands City Council By Sandra Emerson, Redlands Daily Facts REDLANDS>> Councilman Bob Gardner will not seek re-election to the City Council in November. Gardner, who was elected to the council in 2010, announced late Sunday that he will not be seeking re-election in November. Gardner is set to retire on Sept. 1 from his position as vice president of administration and finance at Cal State San Bernardino. His wife, Karen, has retired from her position as associate pastor at Redlands First United Methodist Church. They have plans to travel and spend time at their second home in the Eastern Sierra. “I really think someone who’s going to be on the City Council needs to be a full-time resident,” Gardner said. “I also really think it’s an opportunity for other people to step up and lead the city.” Gardner was elected to the City Council in 2010, along with incumbents Jon Harrison and Paul Foster. Harrison and Foster are both seeking re-election. During his term on the council, Gardner said the most important priority was balancing the budget. Gardner participated on the budget subcommittee, which reviewed the budget with the city manager, department heads and city employees prior to full council adoption. “Protecting our reserves, paying down loans, making sure we get the maximum value for the dollar, that’s been my goal and proudest achievement,” he said. Gardner has been a chief financial officer for NASA, the Transportation Security Administration in the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gardner graduated from the University of Redlands in 1973 with a degree in government. He received a Masters in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 1975. Gardner said he hopes that the future City Council will continue its practice of keeping an eye on city finances. “Well, I hope that the council continues the strong practice of watching the bottom line and make sure that we don’t spend money we don’t have and protect the taxpayers’ investment all the time and as much as possible,” Gardner said. “I think that some of the current council has been focused on that and I think in the future they will continue to be.” Gardner’s retirement means there will be at least one new face on the City Council after Nov. 4. Jane Dreher, former spokeswoman for San Bernardino Associated Governments and the city, has announced her run for City Council. She said Gardner’s expertise in finance has been beneficial to the city. “He’s done a wonderful job and so I would think this opens the doors for others to come in and get involved in Redlands city government,” she said. “That’s kind of why I was looking at it too.” Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry and Paul Barich, owner of Barich & Associates Insurance in Redlands, have also announced their intent to run for City Council. Harrison said he is sorry to see Gardner is leaving. “He made just a tremendous contribution in terms of a fresh perspective on how we’ve maintained our fiscal stability in the city,” he said. “Equally important was his tremendous sense of humor and candor that he brought to the meetings. I think he definitely made the process very personable and I’m going to miss that along with the great skills that he brought to the job.” Foster said he is disappointed that Gardner is not returning to the council and the council has worked very well as a team. “I’m concerned about the next council having the same complement of folks that have had a philosophy of working successfully together, and I hope that we do because we need that again,” Foster said. “We will also miss Bob’s humor and we will miss Bob’s financial expertise on the council.” Gardner added that he is appreciative of the city’s employees and the work they do. “I really do salute all the men and women who work for the city,” he said. “I really feel fortunate to have gotten to know many of them from the city manager down throughout the ranks. They’re dedicated people that don’t get enough credit and really do a great job.” Since Gardner is an incumbent not running for re-election, residents interested in running for City Council have until Aug. 13 to file. redlandsdailyfacts/government-and-politics/20140804/bob-gardner-not-seeking-re-election-to-redlands-city-council
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 19:17:01 +0000
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