I have decided to support Eric Friedman to be Santa Barbara’s next mayor.
As a councilmember, Eric has deployed a common-sense approach to Santa Barbara’s thorniest issues, including State Street, housing, and the budget. In hearings, he’s even-handed and courteous. Eric is a good listener, even as he stands by principles of good management.
Eric has fought hard to maintain city reserves, to protect against the next disaster, whether it be fire, flood, or financial. During my eight years on council, we faced the Great Recession, when the city’s reserves were critical to maintaining law enforcement, fire, and other essential services. When times improved, we quickly acted to restore those precious reserves.
Over Eric’s opposition, City Council has invaded reserves for non-emergency purposes — a serious mistake, in my opinion.
As mayor, Eric will work with colleagues and staff to restore reserves and keep Santa Barbara on a sensible fiscal path. He has the patience and vision to help us grind through planning a better future for downtown and for the dity as a whole.
I’ll be voting for Eric Friedman in this election and urge you to do the same.
Harwood “Bendy” White was a Santa Barbara city councilmember from 2010-18.
