Candidate Profile: Mariann Tracy For Laguna Beach City Clerk

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — The 2020 election is heating up in Orange County, and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the outcome of state representative and senate seats.

Closer to home, Patch has asked candidates for city council races to discuss their campaigns, publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Running for the office of City Clerk for the City of Laguna Beach, California.

Mariann Tracy
Age (as of Election Day)
57

Town/City of Residence
Laguna Beach

Office Sought
Municipal office

Family
My husband is Richard Tracy. We are the proud parents of two sons: Garrett Rauch (LBHS class of 2006) and Brett Tracy (LBHS class of 2015) who is a senior at UCLA.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
My brother-in-law Jarret Young is a Captain with the Anaheim Police Department and my sister Andrea Young is a dispatcher with the Placentia Police Department.

Education
I have a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal State Fullerton (go Titans!).

Occupation
I am currently the Executive Assistant for the City Manager of Laguna Beach and have been serving this community in this capacity for two and a half years. Prior to that, I served as an Administrative Assistant with the City for five years.

From 2009 to 2013 I served as the Director of Programming for Laguna Beach Seniors at the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Senior Center. I also served as the LBHS football booster president in 2014/2015.

Campaign website
www.marianntracy.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office
None

The single most pressing issue facing our (state, district, community, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
With regards to the Clerk's office, I believe the biggest issue right now is the pandemic. As a result of social distancing, the residents cannot physically attend the Council meetings.

As a result, I believe that some individuals are concerned that their voices are not being heard. I am currently working with City staff to update our technology so that residents cannot only view the Council meeting agenda on-line, but they will also have the capability to comment on an agenda item, and place an "in favor" or "against" vote electronically.

This will guarantee that every voice is heard. In addition, I am working with the IT Department and the Community Development Department to bring in new public records request software that will make the process easier for both residents and staff and more efficient so that the information a resident is requesting is delivered in a more timely manner.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
Well, there are many...I am happily a current employee at City Hall and I have excellent working relationships with my co-workers, upper management, and the Council Members. These current relationships are an asset that my opponent does not have.

As a result, I have their support as they will assist me with providing the necessary information to the public in a timely manner. In addition, I am the only candidate that has been actively working on the Municipal Clerk Certification through the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC).

This certification is an industry standard and clerks throughout the world seek the education from this organization. I am a member of the IIMC as well as the City Clerk's Association of California. As a current member, I have the networking connections with Clerk's statewide. We share best practices information and are a valuable resource to each other.

I also have the endorsement of current City Clerk Lisette Chel-Walker, current Mayor Bob Whalen, current Council Members Sue Kempf and Steve Dicterow, former Mayors Kelly Boyd and Elizabeth Pearson, former Council Member Rob Zur Schmiede as well as the Laguna Beach Police Employee Association.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)
Our current City Clerk is Lisette Chel-Walker. She has served this community proudly for 37 years!!! She is an amazing individual and has done an outstanding job for our community. She has not failed at anything, in my opinion, and I plan to continue in her footsteps.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform
Improving customer service to the residents and providing the upgraded tools necessary for the residents to access information at City Hall... the information they have a legal right to access. I want to make City Hall as transparent as possible and will use my talents to do so.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have been at City Hall for seven and a half years in positions of consistently increasing responsibility, from Administrative Assistant to Executive Assistant to the City Manager.

I hold the top Administrative position at City Hall. I enjoy juggling multiple assignments at a time while providing excellent customer service to the residents...and I never lose sight of this commitment.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

Knowing that I did everything physically possible to make the information gathering process for residents easier. Residents will see an updated City Clerk webpage, new software to access the Council agenda bills on-line with a new comment and voting feature, and new public records request software to increase speed and efficiency. After I have accomplished all of that, I will deem my term a true success.

Why should voters trust you?

I have lived in this community for 31 years as a homeowner. I have raised my two sons here...half of this town already knows me! I have volunteered by time and talents to the El Morro PTA, Thurston PTA, LBHS baseball and football boosters and the local Little League.

I have always kept my word, dedicated my time and shown up when I said I was going to. Trust must be earned over time...and I have certainly spent a lot of time giving back to this community...and I treasured every moment. I also believe that my endorsements from City leaders speaks to my trustworthiness.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

Although the Clerk position is not one that creates policy, I will responsibly manage funds allocated to my department. We are spending the resident's tax dollars and elected officials should not forget that. I don't believe in wasting money or spending foolishly. Money spent under my supervision will be to enhance the services of the office and to increase transparency. I view that as money well spent.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

Absolutely not!

The best advice ever shared with me was ...
"Work smarter, not harder!"

I interpret this to mean that I should always be open to change, if change improves the process. Remain open to change and don't become set in my ways. What new technology exists to make the process more efficient? Take time to stop and review current policies and procedures...are things as productive as possible? If not, what more can be done?

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I enjoy working for the City and its residents. I understand the issues, because I deal with the same noise, traffic, congestion, etc. I am empathetic when a resident calls City Hall with a concern. I make it a priority to provide excellent customer service and I take pride in my work. I spend my days at City Hall with many talented and hard-working individuals.

I have enjoyed seeing the "behind the scenes" efforts of staff and the Council Members and I am proud to serve this community

Do you have a question to ask your candidate? Do so in comments! or email your Patch Editor.