Q&A with Concord City Council Candidate Dan Helix

On Nov. 6, Concordians will have the chance to nominate two candidates to the Concord City Council. 

In an effort to help inform voters about who their 11 candidates are and what they stand for, Concord Patch asked each one to answer three questions. The candidates were invited to do this in person or via email. The following responses were sent via email by Dan Helix and is published here as it was received. 

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Why are you running for Concord City Council?

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I am running for re-election to the Concord City Council to finish the job that was started in 2004, when I served on Governor Schwarzenegger's Military Retention Council. The one base I did not want to keep in the inventory was the Concord Naval Weapons Station which the Navy had declared excess. The Council let me write the portion of the report dealing with the Weapons Station because they understood the Base was already closed, at least the inland (approx 5,000 acres) portion. I then co-chaired the Citizen's Committee which developed the plan currently approved by the Concord City Council serving as the LRA (Land Reuse Authority) which makes decisions of this nature.

What are the top three issues you would want to focus on as a council member? 

This is also one of my three main issues I intend to focus on. Of course there are many more important issues, but the Weapons Station land is of critical importance because once we acquire the land we can lease the land to a developer and create a long-term source of reliable income for the City. This will negate the need for future Measure Q type taxes. Wouldn't it be great for Concord to have enough money to pay for vital services without cutting jobs and requiring furloughs? The answer is a resounding, YES.

My second goal is to aggressively market the downtown development opportunities. Prior to the demise of the Redevelopment Agency we saw how having funds can prime the pump for businesses in the downtown. We need to continue these initiatives. 

My third major goal is to revive the Youth Council. We are losing the resources of capturing the ideas and enthusiasm of the younger generation, our future leaders. This has to change. I will work very hard to make sure that it does, beginning with a City-wide Forum on Local Government in January. I have already started the planning on this goal.

What makes you different from the current council and the 10 other city council candidates? 

I know that one of the main differences between others running for the City Council and myself is that I have ten years experience service the people of Concord as a member of the Concord City Council. Two of these years were served as the Mayor. I know there is a lot of talent inherent in the many candidates, but I think having actually served in his capacity is a significant, valuable, and important distinction. I am grateful for the past opportunities to service and I am asking for the honor of continuing to serve the people of Concord.

I am prepared to discuss a number of other issues, many of them dealing with the paucity of dollars for City services. However, because I know you have ten other candidates vying for space I will limit my comments to the three questions you posed. Again, thank you for the opportunity to present, albeit somewhat superficially, some of my goals and ideas.

Other Concord City Council candidate Q&As:

Marnie Sheehan-Carter
Robert Camacho
Carol Longshore
Harmesh Kumar
Vernon Kurpieski 
Terry Kremin
Edi Birsan

Concord Patch contacted all 11 city council candidates, giving them an opportunity to answer these questions in person. The questions have also been sent out via email for candidates to respond to in writing. Concord Patch will publish answers if and when they come in. For an email notification when candidate Q&As are published, click "keep me posted" below.