Adrienne Gladson, Orange District 6 City Council Candidate, 2022 Election Questionnaire – Orange County Register

Ahead of the November election, The Orange County Register has compiled a list of questions to ask the candidates you wish to represent. The full questionnaire is below, with answers edited for grammar and punctuation only.

MORE: Read all candidate responses in our Voter Guide

Surname: Adrian Gladson

Current job title: main planner

Age: N / A

Official: no

Other political offices held: City of Orange Planning Commission – 8 years (Chair 2 years) and Design Review Committee for over 4 years (Vice Chair 1 year)

City where you live: orange

Campaign website or social media: www.gladsonfororange.com and Facebook.com/Gladson4Orange

How can the city best meet the demand and mandate for more housing, including at lower prices, while maintaining the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents?

I doubt the data on what the real number for California housing needs is. A recent state audit determined that current RHNA cycle allocations do not comply with state law, resulting in a massive overrun and incorrect count. We need to have the correct number before any local authority or citizens will trust the procedure. Once corrected, we must respect existing land use law and zoning to ensure that any new development close to existing neighborhoods and residents is a good fit and honors those communities. I support proper planning and responsible development. I do not support living on properties that are designated as open spaces.

What better way can the city do to fund and address aging roads, water and sanitation systems and prepare for future infrastructure needs?

Save for it. We already do this through our CIP budget process and planning. The only solution is to prepare and plan for our future infrastructure needs now, while securing our share of state and federal dollars for these critical public safety needs. For example, a key goal of mine for transportation infrastructure is to prioritize efforts to address local traffic impacts along Highway 55 (particularly the ramps to Katella Avenue) and the required mitigation of Cannon, Serrano, and Santiago Canyon Roads as quickly as possible.

How should the city balance paying down debt, such as pension liabilities, and building up reserves while meeting the needs of residents? Should a solution be finding new revenue, cutting the budget, or something else entirely?

Continue to strive to meet our agency obligations; continue to work with our employee groups to find a win-win solution to this critically important impact on our budget. All efforts should be directed towards creating new revenue streams by expanding our business base and ensuring that we budget and spend only within our means and without waste or fraud.

What do you think is your city’s greatest need and how would you address it?

There are three: 1) Put public safety first. 2) Addressing the issues surrounding homelessness. 3) Restoring public confidence in City Hall. Trust in our local leaders is low and needs to be strengthened to move Orange forward. Every citizen wants those they elect to represent them, not special interests or an exclusive cabal. Selecting a candidate based on humility, experience, community spirit and doing the right thing is the reasoning I use when filling out my ballot.

Why would you make a good leader and how would you represent your city’s diverse communities?

As a woman and a leader, I will widen the table to include everyone and make sure no one is missing or left behind. I was proud to have served on the Orange Planning Commission for 8 years (2 of which as Chair) and have a proven track record of leadership from my 3 decades of community service in Orange. I am specially qualified to serve on the city council. Because of my education and experience, I will bring the necessary visibility and balance to the City Council and advocate for the East Orange neighborhoods. It’s time for change and to move Orange forward!