Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee member and community volunteer is challenging incumbents for a seat on the Piedmont City Council.
Jen Cavenaugh’s statement:
I am running for Piedmont City Council in November because I love our city, I have a passion for community service, and I believe my background in finance and management will be an asset to the council.
I’ve been a dedicated community volunteer and leader in our community since my husband Dan and I moved here with our family in 2003. As a mother of three children, I began my volunteer career at Beach School 13 years ago; today I remain involved on the parents clubs at both the middle and high schools. My volunteering evolved into working on budget and program projects for the city. I have been able to make a positive impact in the classroom, on recreation planning, and on municipal fiscal strategy. I want to help preserve everything that makes Piedmont special, while preparing our community for the future.
I have several objectives if elected to the city council. My primary goal is to advocate for fiscal responsibility. Managing the city’s budget is a top priority and requires balanced leadership to deliver quality results with limited resources. My professional background as a consultant and manager at Accenture and Clorox has provided valuable experience mastering the technical side of fiscal management. At the same time, my ongoing role on the Budget Advisory Committee has given me a deep and realistic understanding of our city’s financial needs, resources and limitations.
In addition to working to ensure fiscal discipline and effective use of city funds, I will emphasize the importance of transparency in the council’s decision-making. This means more than maximizing openness by the council; it also means maximizing community engagement by the people of Piedmont.
A robust public process is integral to making sound municipal decisions. My connections within our community, my willingness to listen and be flexible, and my commitment to understand all sides of an issue will promote a healthy public dialogue. That approach informed a recent project for the city — leading the comprehensive effort to gather broad-based community input on Recreation Department services — and generated nearly 1,000 responses that helped guide new department programming and service improvements.
My most fundamental objective is to keep Piedmont safe. As a community, we take pride in the responsiveness, quality, and professionalism of our Police and Fire Departments. I am committed to the safety of our residents, and would work to ensure we can continue to provide quality day-to-day service while being prepared in the event of an emergency.
I want to thank the over 90 volunteers who are helping on my campaign and the almost 500 community leaders, friends and neighbors who have endorsed my candidacy. I have the time, commitment, and energy to make this my top priority.
I hope to count on your vote on November 8.
Sincerely,
Jen Cavenaugh
To learn more about me and my campaign, get involved, and share your feedback about your priorities for our city at:
www.Jen4Piedmont.com.
For photos and endorsers click above.