Little more than a year after departing from one of the highest profile and most dynamic positions within Chino government, Karen Comstock is seeking a berth on the city’s highest decision-making panel.
“I made the decision to run for city council as part of my calling to return to serving the City of Chino in a new leadership role,” Comstock said. “I started volunteering at the Chino Police Department as a teenager while attending Don Antonio Lugo High School. I was hired as a police cadet upon graduating from high school and enjoyed a lengthy career with the police department. I retired honorably in July of 2019 as the department’s first female chief of police. I am proud and grateful to have been raised, mentored by many community members, teachers, coaches and to serve as an example of the success hard work can deliver. I also believe that holding a position of public trust or office is not about serving myself; my priority has in the past and in the future will be to serve the people of Chino.”
Her intimate knowledge of the community and professional experience qualify her to hold the position of city councilwoman, Comstock said.
“As a police officer, I was trusted throughout my career to provide the service of delivering public safety to the Chino community,” she said. “My career combined with my volunteer work in the community has provided me the opportunity to demonstrate a proven record of being honest, reliable and committed to serving the people of Chino. My personal and professional interactions with the residents and business owners in the city has provided me with a clear understanding of what people expect from public servants who hold positions of trust.”
She continued, “I rose through the ranks and into the position of chief of police. This assignment required me to work closely with the city manager, every department director, the sitting members of the city council, and the residents and business owners in order to deliver effective governing to Chino, while also leading the men and women of the Chino Police Department. My professional experience has provided me with knowledge of nearly every aspect of city government, including participating in the comprehensive budget preparation process. This included having to submit an annual operational budget for the police department.”
She is distinguished from her three opponents for the Fourth District council position – Anthony Honoré, Brandy Jones and Erskine Dunson – by “my professional experience with the City of Chino and my long-term commitment to serving and volunteering in the community. I have been serving Chino in some capacity as either a volunteer or as an employee for most of my life. My parents, my aunt and uncle, my cousins and many friends and professional acquaintances live and work in every part of Chino. Chino is my home and I care about this community. I believe my professional experience, my connection to the people of Chino along with my volunteer work in the city are the most significant qualities that distinguish me from my opponents for this position.”
Comstock assessed what she considers to be the major issues facing the city. “In the immediate, the city will be facing a financial shortfall with the current pandemic that has permanently closed some businesses in Chino and will adversely impact the sales revenues from other businesses that will affect the general fund balance,” she said. “The city will have to carefully navigate its budget expenditures and reduce as much spending as possible. Chino is a great city. It’s not perfect, but it is a great city to live, work, raise a family and enjoy the many parks, services, restaurants and amenities under normal operations outside of the impacts of the pandemic. The residents and business owners of Chino are extremely fortunate to have such a well-governed city comprised of an exceptional leadership team that includes the city council, the executive management team, and the many hardworking employees from every city department that powers Chino every day without fail. While this is an exceptional quality, there will be many opportunities to improve the quality of life for our residents through future planning and governing.”
Comstock said, “I submit that Chino should maintain ongoing community public safety and accountability, fiscal responsibility, proper infrastructure and development. City leaders should also develop an attainable vision for the future in collaboration with our residents and business owners. They must do so by listening to their concerns and develop plans to lead Chino to a proud future that we can all enjoy. These issues are further explained as part of my campaign platform at Comstock4Chino.com.”
She said, “As it pertains to the current budget shortfall caused by the pandemic, I recommend the leaders of the city use every method available to curtail spending while being mindful to not adversely impact service levels to the residents or business owners. A recommendation will likely have to be brought before the city council to consider using the city’s general fund reserves to augment the sales revenue shortages.”
Comstock said, “I have always respected the conservative financial approach in which the City of Chino has long been governed. I will use the same fiscally responsible practices if I am elected to the council. Under normal economic operations, the City of Chino is fortunate to have a balanced base of sales and revenue taxes and resident property taxes. Chino leaders have successfully used development fees to provide for responsible annual budgeting in order to deliver improvements and expand services to Chino. As a member of the city council, I will participate in this same process to ensure proper budgeting for our future success and oversight of the taxpayers’ money.”
Comstock pointed out that “As the former chief of police, I was the Region 15 representative for the California Police Chiefs Association. This assignment required me to occasionally travel to Sacramento with police chiefs from across the state in order to collaborate on public safety legislation. This provided me with relevant experience to the operations of our state senators and Assembly representatives and the impact that legislative policy and mandates have to our communities. I also maintained a cooperative working relationship with our congresswoman in order to properly communicate the impacts of federal legislation as it pertains to governing our local community.”
Noting, “I wasn’t born in Chino,” Comstock nevertheless asserted, “I have lived in Chino for the majority of my life and consider it my hometown. I attended elementary school at Doris Dickson Elementary School, Ramona Junior High School, and I am an alumna of Don Antonio Lugo High School, Class of 1987.”
Comstock holds both an undergraduate degree in business management and a graduate degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix. She was employed by the Chino Police Department for over three decades.
Married with no children, Comstock said, “I am the proud aunt to several nieces and nephews. My family has always been very supportive of my career. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.”
Comstock said “I demonstrated during my service as the chief of police that I will listen and collaborate with the Chino community in order to deliver effective public service. If I am fortunate enough to be elected as a councilwoman, I want to assure the entire community, specifically my constituents living in District 4, that I will serve as an advocate for them at City Hall. District 4 is diverse in that it is home to some of our oldest neighborhoods, and conversely, the newest neighborhoods in our community. These communities require an understanding of the current and future needs specific to their neighborhoods. I understand this and as your councilwoman, I intend to be successful in delivering services and good governing to your area of concern. I was accountable and responsive to the entire community of Chino as the chief of police. I will serve in the same manner as a councilwoman. I hold institutional knowledge from my many years of experience at the police department that includes what the City of Chino promised to deliver to our newest residents in an area that now includes residents and the students, faculty and parents of the Cal Aero Academy. I directly advocated for your safety as your chief of police. I met, listened and addressed your concerns regarding crime, traffic safety and circulation, and worked hard to implement a new policing sector to serve your community. As chief, I ensured that police personnel were stationed in your community during heavy rain storms – storms that brought flooding and road closures to those sections of our city that are subject to flooding. As councilwoman, I will serve to ensure your infrastructure, roadways and retail are constructed and delivered to your community as promised when you purchased your homes. I will work hard to ensure our newest homeowners feel inclusive to the City of Chino as a vibrant and growing part of our community, while also protecting and balancing the interests of the residents of our more mature neighborhoods.”
-M.G.