Albany Today

Peggy Thomsen, a senior community leader, is running for Albany City Council again in the 2008 election. Six candidates are competing for three seats on the council. Each of them will be introduced by Albany Today in the following weeks.  Watch a video message from Thomsen:

Read about her campaign ideas:

My name is Peggy Thomsen. I am a candidate for the Albany City Council because I believe citizens deserve open, responsive government. I pledge open, responsive government if elected. Citizens deserve a voice. During my 8 years on the City Council and 16 years on the School Board, I made sure that anyone who wanted to speak on an issue had that opportunity, and I listened carefully before making important decisions.

We will need to make important decisions in the future. These include maintaining Albany’s small-town character and ensuring that infrastructure needs are met, sound fiscal and land-use decisions are made, development is balanced with significant open and recreational space, and zoning laws protect current residents.

During my previous terms of office, we obtained a steady revenue stream in the redevelopment area, beautified lower Solano Avenue, obtained the Buchanan Street overpass, purchased land on Albany Hill, improved parks and infrastructure; for example, increasing traffic safety measures, obtained a revised closure order which eliminates a $5 million liability at the Albany landfill, planted hundreds of trees, and began the process to seismically retrofit city buildings. We selected the current city administrator and the first appointed police chief. My experience prepares me to take on major projects if elected to the council.

Currently my Albany community service includes membership on the Social and Economic Justice Commission, of which I was the first chair. I also chair the AUSD Bond A Oversight Committee and am a member of the newly formed Bond E Oversight Committee, which are charged with ensuring students receive voter-approved facilities and taxpayers’ dollars are correctly spent. My past experience representing Albany includes Alameda County Congestion Management Agency, Waste Management Authority, and Recycling Board Boards of Directors, and League of California Cities, East Bay Division President.

I am truly heartened and humbled by the many ways people have given their support to my campaign. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. To all the voters of Albany, I ask your support of my candidacy so your voice can be heard in Albany’s government. Please vote on November 4.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 5:51 pm and is filed under Meet election candidates, People in Albany. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.