Submitted Wednesday, Feb. 4:
Ever notice that you don’t see things about Arcadia city government in the newspapers very often? Ever notice that you probably rarely think about Arcadia City government? Well, I think that’s a good thing.
This city is so well-run that the average citizen just doesn’t have to think about it. Count your blessings. Many cities in our area have one controversy after another. Public officials are indicted on bribery charges, Councilmembers are openly fighting with each other, Council meetings are filled with angry residents. Arcadia just goes along swimmingly.
Our streets are repaired and swept, our fire department is one of only 51 in the nation with a “Class 1” rating, our police are professional and well-equipped, parents are lining up to enroll their children in our recreation programs, Arcadia’s library is the finest in the area, our public green areas are beautiful, when you turn on the faucet water comes out, when you pull the plug it goes away, and on and on. Our budget is balanced and our reserves are strong. Arcadia city government works!
A quiet, efficient city is what I’ve strived to provide since I was first elected in 1986. And that’s exactly what I plan to provide in the future. There’s an old saying that goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Despite the claims you will be hearing over the next couple of months of this campaign, Arcadia isn’t broken. Don’t “fix” it! I hope you’ll return me to office so I can continue to insure that this city is one of the best in California.
Application statement filed with City Clerk’s office:
Bob Harbicht Occupation: City Council Member
When first elected to City Council I was pleased to learn that Arcadia reserves (savings accounts) totaled $12.5 million. Since then we have built:
The community center
A new library
A new police station
A new headquarters fire station
Another fire station
7 new water reservoirs
7 new water wells
Joint-use gymnasium (under construction)
And that $12.5 million in reserves when I took office? It now totals $91.3 million!
I’m proud of the accomplishments in Arcadia during my terms in office, most recently:
* Named “Best place in California to raise kids” a second year in a row by Business Week
* Crime has shown an 8% decrease this year, continuing the trend of recent years.
* The Arcadia Fire Department is one of only 51 in the nation with Class 1 rating.
There’s an old saying that contains a lot of truth: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Arcadia is anything but broken. We have arguably the best-run city in California.
I would appreciate your vote so I can continue to provide the excellent representation I have in the past. Thank you.
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