(October 6) Given the challenge Adelanto faces, incumbent city councilman Steve Baisden said he believes his understanding of the ins and outs of city government and the difficulty the city will have in merely staying afloat recommends his retention by the voters in this year’s election.
Baisden and another incumbent councilman, Charles Valvo, are vying for reelection. They face challenges from Charlie Glasper, a former mayor and councilman who was voted out of office in 2010, John “Bug” Woodard and Jeremiah Thompson.
The city of 31,765 finds itself in something of a fix, having declared a fiscal state of emergency 16 months ago and city officials decrying the fact that city residents are unwilling to impose on themselves some form of taxing arrangement that will help stave off what the city’s finance director says is a likely bankruptcy.
“Right now, the possibility of bankruptcy is pretty much the hurdle we have to overcome,” Baisden said. “Our plans consist of putting a utility tax on the ballot as a short term fix. The longer term goal is to bring in more commercial development to the city. What we need to do is bring them in without incentives, because we don’t have any money to spare. We need more buying power. We need more rooftops in the city. We can maybe work with [residential] developers. Maybe we can incentivize them with less impact fees. If we get more roof tops, get more house built, then maybe we can bring in stores and the sales tax that will bring. Our choices are pretty limited. Pretty much all we have going right now is the tax idea.”
In explaining what he has accomplished as a councilman so far, Baisden pointed to “The Adelanto Marketplace. That is the only major shopping center we have, with Stater Bros. as an anchor.” His other accomplishments, he said, were “the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant and Marconi Park. Right now we are working on rewriting our standards for construction within the city.”
Baisden’s first stint on the council ran from 2005 to 2008, when he replaced Ted Hartz and then replaced Cuban-born Zoila Mayer after she was removed from her position because she was not a citizen and not eligible to hold office. He was elected in his own right in 2010.
“I believe I have more experience than the people I am running against,” Baisden said. “I have the knowledge and the ability to get done what needs to get done.”
He is employed as a warehouse manager. He graduated from Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park and attended Mount San Antonio College, where he majored in accounting. He was formerly on Adelanto’s park and recreation and planning commissions. He is married with three children.