Lionel Dew said he is running for city council in Victorville because of what he and others believe he can accomplish in that position.
“I am a proven leader of twenty-one years in the United States Air Force with executive experience in the private and public sector,” he said.
His qualifications for the post consist of his experience and accomplishments in volunteer and civic positions which have given him experience with the same issues the council deals with, most notably that of regulating land use in the City of Victorville.
“Currently, I am a planning commissioner of the City of Victorville,” Dew said. “Locally, I’ve served as president of several boards, elected, appointed and/or selected. My tenure of service on the County Sheriff Information Exchange and Education Committee is of great value. Additionally, I have served in the administrations of Governor [Gray] Davis and [Arnold] Schwarzenegger.”

Lionel Dew

He is distinguished from others running for the council position, Dew said, by his mental agility and practical experience which he consistently applies to achieve positive results. “Being known as an independent thinker and problem solver has afforded me to work well with colleagues,” he said. “Issues are addressed and problems are solved by involving other stakeholders in utilizing their expertise.”
The major issues facing the city and his primary objectives in seeking a council position, he said, is “safety, security and a thriving economy that produces jobs and careers.”
Ensuring that the city has adequate financial resources to provide basic services and carry out programs that are beneficial to the city’s residents can be done by adhering to sensible budgetary restraints and not living beyond the city’s financial means, Dew said. “I think checks and balances are essential,” Dew said. “Plans warrant review, adjustments and implementation with diligence and safety concerns.”
He is not a wild-eyed revolutionary looking to make radical reform of local government, but rather someone who believes the community should steadily build upon the foundation of the improvements and progress it has made in the past, Dew said.
“We have a competent staff of experts and an excellent new city manager who adheres to the expectations of the governing body,” Dew said.
Dew said his military experience, business experience and time as a city official on the planning commission has provided him with an understanding of how government works and a realistic expectation of what can be accomplished within the parameters of government. This will afford him and the constituents he is seeking to serve an efficiency in governance, he said. “As an executive it will be my responsibility to assess complicated and detailed information,” he said. “As a governing official my responsibilities are executive, administrative, legislative and judicial.”
He has lived in Victorville for more than two decades, Dew said, and his civic and community involvement makes him intimately familiar with the city’s institutions and officials. “More than living in Victorvile over twenty years, I have contributed with others for the betterment of Victorville,” he said.
Dew is a graduate of Victor Valley College and attended Southern Illinois University.
Retired out of the Air Force, he is currently employed as a real estate investor. He has a wife and children but no grandchildren, yet.
“It’s known that some individuals pursue public office as a result of their personal agendas,” Dew said. “I am committed to the well-being of every child, every family and every person in Victorville. It is an honor to serve others.”
–M.G.