Bob Botts, City Councilman and current Mayor of the City of Banning, announced that he will be a candidate for reelection to the Council at the November 2010 Election.

Botts, elected to the Council in 2006, was elected by his colleagues to serve as the Chairman of the Redevelopment Agency for the years 2007 and 2008.  He was elected by his colleagues to serve as Mayor during 2009 and reelected as Mayor for 2010.

Botts said, “When I chose to run four years ago my campaign was based on using my knowledge and experience and working with my fellow Council Members to get Banning moving forward, and despite the last two years of the “Great Recession”, I believe we have made significant progress”.

“Our vision and plan for revitalizing Downtown is moving ahead rapidly with the refurbishing of many buildings and new businesses coming downtown.  These improvements helped lead to the State’s decision to locate the new six court Mid County Justice Center in the downtown area just east of the new Banning Police Department Headquarters”.  “The Construction investment is pegged at $60,000,000” Botts continued.

“During these challenging economic times the City has continued to improve our water, wastewater and electric utility infrastructure in order to insure reliable services to our residents and to be able to meet the demands of future residential and industrial growth as the economy improves”.

“We completed the new public swimming pool and skate park at Repplier Park and are in the process of completing  a Master Plan for improvement and expansion of our City Parks and Programs.  Also initiated and completed is a Master Plan for the Banning Airport and  are recruiting for a Master Developer and Fixed Base Operator for the airport and surrounding industrial land”,  Botts said.

As with many other cities and counties the economic downturn has been devastating.  “The Council reduced our general fund budget and expenditures by $5,000,000.00 and our expenses City-wide by $14,000,000.00”, Botts explained.   “To move toward a balanced budget  thirty employees were laid off, City Hall was closed on Fridays and employee working hours were reduced.  .  The Council continues to work on the structural deficit and have asked staff to bring us a balanced budget within the next eighteen months while working to minimize any reduction in services to the public”, Botts continued.

“Despite the great progress the City has made, there is so much yet to be accomplished”, said Botts.    “I would like to see us expand our economic development staff and efforts in recruiting more retail businesses downtown as well as throughout the City of Banning.  The City needs to expand its recruiting of more upscale restaurants for all of our local citizens”, Botts emphasized.  “This includes a special focus on the forty seven acres adjacent to the freeway and close to Sun Lakes.  This would be a great area for a mini “Victoria Gardens” retail shopping area for residents from around the Pass and would produce a very good stream of new sales tax to Banning”.

“I would also like us to focus on industrial development that will bring clean manufacturing companies to the area and produce jobs for our local citizens.  Companies need a well trained work force and the City has recently partnered with Mount San Jacinto College and committed to contributing $750,000 to get the MSJC Pass Campus open in late 2010.  The College property is located on Sunset just south of the freeway” Botts added.

We need to continue our efforts to clean up Banning as well as maintaining our streets and roads and work on the extension of Sun Lakes Blvd. through to Sunset.  We also need to redouble our efforts to fix the traffic problems on Highland Springs Road from First Street up to and including the Westbound on ramp of the I-10.

I would like to continue to be a part of leading and improving our city and making it a better place in which to live, work and play and I am asking Banning voters to support me in this effort”, Botts concluded”.

For more information or anyone wishing to volunteer to help in the campaign can call 951.295.3950 or go online bobbotts.com for more information or volunteer signup.