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  Sanders, Jerry
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationNo Party Affiliation  
 
NameJerry Sanders
Address
San Diego, California , United States
EmailNone
Website [Link]
Born July 14, 1950 (73 years)
ContributorSummer Intern
Last ModifedIndyGeorgia
Jun 21, 2021 09:05pm
Tags Caucasian - Married - Straight -
InfoJerry Sanders became mayor of San Diego on December 5, 2005, in the midst of the worst financial crisis in the city's history. Since then, he's made steady progress in getting our city's finances back on track and restoring trust in city government.
Sanders established Five-Year Financial Plan, forcing the city council to address long-ignored problems and rein in spending; he secured a settlement with the federal Securities Exchange Commission after a lengthy investigation and instituted tough new financial controls recommended by the independent Kroll report on city finances.

Under Sanders leadership, the city has completed 4 long-delayed budget audits to help restore the city's credit rating. He secured voter approval for a ballot measure that requires a public vote for any future employee benefit increases, and is creating a new employee pension system that limits taxpayer liability.

Sanders has dedicated over $100 million to long-deferred maintenance and infrastructure projects – an increase of over 4,000 percent. He increased equipment funding for the San Diego Fire Rescue Department by 60% and raised pay for police officers to more competitive levels so the city can recruit and retain qualified officers.

Mayor Sanders helped secure over $1 billion in new federal and state funds for transportation infrastructure, emergency preparedness and long-delayed environmental projects, and established a retiree healthcare trust fund so this $1 billion obligation – long ignored by the city council – would be honestly addressed, not just passed on to future generations. And after lawsuits he supported failed to roll back employee pension benefits, he established a financially sound schedule for paying off the debt.

And he accomplished all that without raising taxes.

As promised, Mayor Sanders has streamlined city operations to save over $50 million annually, eliminated approximately 670 staff positions, and secured voter approval for Managed Competition; moving forward with 26 city functions that have been targeted for potential efficiencies and savings.

Sanders re-organized Real Estate Assets Department to monitor and make better use of surplus city property to benefit taxpayers – earning commendation from the San Diego County Grand Jury.

Prior to being sworn in as Mayor, Jerry Sanders served as Chief of Police from 1993 until 1999, capping a 26-year career with the department. During his tenure, he and the department's employees gained national recognition for their pioneering work with community policing and, with active assistance from the community, achieved a more than 40% decrease in crime during the six-year period he led the department. He also re-organized the department, making it more responsive to the community, reaching out to neighborhoods, and utilizing more than 1,000 volunteers to address San Diego's public safety needs.

Sanders left the Police Department to become president and CEO of the United Way of San Diego County (April 1999) at a time when the agency was being criticized for a bloated bureaucracy and a decline in contributions. During his tenure, the local United Way dramatically increased fundraising and decreased overhead costs. In addition, he served as the United Way Community Campaign Chair in 2002.

Sanders was appointed to the board of the American Red Cross San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapters (July 2002) after the local CEO was fired by the national headquarters in the aftermath of controversy concerning the Alpine Fire. He helped recruit Ronne Froman as the organization's CEO and oversaw the turnaround of the local chapter, which resulted in support for victims of the Cedar Fire, praise from former critics for the transparency of fundraising efforts, and a staff re-organization that substantially reduced overhead costs.

Sanders has also been active in the private sector, serving as founding partner and consultant for local high-tech start-ups involved with homeland security and infrastructure assessment.

Sanders, 57, and his wife Rana Sampson, live in Kensington. He has two daughters, Lisa, 23, and
Jamie, 21.


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NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Sep 19, 2007 10:00pm News [San Diego Mayor] Sanders Makes Emotional Statement In Support Of Gay Marriage  Article mtrz 

DISCUSSION
Importance? 3.00000 Average

FAMILY

INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
  06/03/2008 San Diego Mayor - Open Primary Won 53.87% (+18.77%)
  11/08/2005 San Diego Mayor - Special Election Won 53.77% (+7.53%)
  07/26/2005 San Diego Mayor - Special Election Primary Won 27.05% (+0.00%)
ENDORSEMENTS
San Diego Mayor - Nov 06, 2012 R Carl D. DeMaio
San Diego Mayor - Open Primary - Jun 05, 2012 R Bonnie Dumanis
CA Proposition 8 - Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry - Nov 04, 2008 NO No
CA US President - R Primary - Feb 05, 2008 R John McCain