Beaches, fiscal reforms make up the life of Kevin Faulconer

Soda in hand, Kevin Faulconer steps out of his kitchen to greet us. He doesn’t look as he normally does at the council meetings and around City Hall, that’s for sure. For one, he’s much taller up close, his tie is loosened up around his neck and he speaks to my colleague and I like we’re old friends. Of course, the fact that we’re in his Point Loma house makes a difference too. And for some reason, I get the hunch that as soon as our interview is over — he’s going to pass out on his bright red, West Elm-style-sectional.

“Hey, thanks for coming by,” he says. “Can I get you guys a Coke or water?”

We decline the offer — a move, we promise, is unrelated to our knowledge of him taking a 18 percent cut in compensation (he has not accepted the city’s pension plan since entering office and recently his staff accepted a six percent cut).

As we make ourselves comfortable in his naturally-lit living room, he tells us he’s glad council adjourned in time for our 5 p.m. interview — something unique for a council who has had to deal with heavy labor contracts, seals, deficits and now, the state’s mandated cash mooch.

Little did I know though, the next 30 minutes I would spend with the San Diego councilmember would be completely filled with talks about beaches and fiscal responsibility. A member on a powerful council, it’s difficult to describe Faulconer - he isn’t the councilmember independent voters turn to - that’s Donna Frye. Nor is he the “Golden Boy” who gets along with everyone - that’s Todd Gloria. And, he has certainly not garnered most of the media spotlight like his fellow Republican colleague - Carl DeMaio.

But the man works, and when you ask him to talk about something other than issues relating to the city (e.g. “What do you do for fun?”), it would be pushed back to the two issues Faulconer devoted his political career to: beaches and money.

Before I clamor him with questions though, he asks his daughter, Lauren, to stop stomping on the hardwood floors.

“Daddy is going to do an interview,” he tells her.

He then says, “I ran for council, really on a platform of fiscal reform, making the changes that we need to do to get our finances back in order and also in protecting our beaches and bays.”

Faulconer stepped into the political arena as a volunteer for the city’s Mission Bay Park Committee. After Michael Zucchet resigned from his council position in 2005 though, Faulconer ran for the seat in a special election against labor leader Lorena Gonazalez. Months passed in a heated campaign before he garnered support to win the District 2 seat in 2006.

It was one of the toughest times in his political career, says Faulconer’s wife of 10 years, Katherine (the couple celebrated their anniversary last Friday), as she described the campaign as “a big learning curve.”

“It never occurred to me that people could write things that were untrue and could put it in people’s mailboxes,” Katherine says. “But, you could and it is true.”

An Oxnard, Calif. native and SDSU grad, Faulconer previously worked in the public relations arena — and scored big when he became the vice president for NCG Porter Novelli. Named “40 under Forty” by San Diego Metropolitan in its local leaders’ spread in 2000, Faulconer has frequently been involved in civic, nonprofits and politically driven organizations. Now, Faulconer is focused on his current position as councilmember of District 2 and is adamant on winning the same seat again next year.

‘Protecting our beaches and bays’

As a councilmember of the majority of beach-front communities in San Diego, Faulconer recalls times when he and his family visited San Diego during the summers and would go to Mission Bay. Describing Mission Bay as a “jewel,” Faulconer says one of his biggest political accomplishments was Proposition C of 2008 — a measure that ensured revenue gained from Mission Bay be spent there and on other parks.

Faulconer says prior to the measure, the city pulled Mission Bay money to its general fund, leaving San Diegans unaware if the money was actually spent on the bay — in turn, this meant, the city would sometimes leave an unmaintained public beach and park.

“I think that was one of the most important things we could have done for Mission Bay Park — to ensure that the money stays there for the public and environmental benefit,” he says. “That will last for decades to come.”

A triathlete who has swam in the bay, Faulconer drafted the measure which was approved by 67 percent of voters. He told attendees at his “State of the District” speech in April, that it was “simply the right thing to do.”

At the same speech, Faulconer addressed a more controversial move involving beaches: a one-year trial ban on alcohol on all city beaches. The Point Loma resident aggressively lobbied for the support of this measure from his fellow councilmembers after drunken fights broke out on Labor Day last year. The council approved the proposal, 5-2, in November 2008 — collecting exactly the five votes needed to pass such a measure.

Although Faulconer lobbied for a permanent ban on the measure, he told The San Diego Union-Tribune, “I think in one year we’ll be able to get an indication of whether it’s going to be a positive change or not.”

At the same time, Faulconer understood not all his constituents would be happy.

“I couldn’t fight for Mission Bay without addressing the problems alcohol was creating at our beaches and bays,” Faulconer told constituents in April. “This wasn’t an easy decision for me. But I knew what the right choice was.”

‘An intense focus on fiscal reform’

Heading to an issue with just as much weight in Faulconer’s heart, I ask him about the city’s financial state — a hot button issue for San Diego with the recession, possible capital projects and now the state’s move to borrow some local cash.

Faulconer has chaired the city’s audit committee since entering office and since the formation of it, forced to take on a heavy role in dealing with the city’s weak credit rating and it’s lack of performing the necessary audits and financial reports. A problem that has fazed the city for years and which has given Mayor Jerry Sanders a heavy beating, Faulconer tells me there is still much for the city to do to be financially stable.

On a separate day, I ask his colleague, Councilmember Anthony Young, for his thoughts on Faulconer.

“As you know, I’m a Democrat and Mr. Faulconer is a Republican but we have similar styles,” Young tells me. “He’s a very thoughtful, pragmatic and sincere person and has spent a lot of time on the audit and budget process.”

“He really fostered the audit committee.”

Moving away from the committee, Faulconer touches on some of the heavy budget issues the city has had to face like labor contracts and its brawny unions. He says the city had to “make do with less” because of the drop in revenue. So, I ask him: “If economists say the recession won’t end until the final quarter of 2010, what cuts should San Diegans expect next fiscal year?”

Undistressed by the question, he says the cuts will be based on the money the city has.

“We’re still going to have to look at in terms of revenue…basing our budget on the money we have, not the money we hope is going to come through,” he answers. “I don’t think anybody could have predicted the recession, in terms of its level but it’s reality. While it’s frusturating that the city is in that position, we’re making the incremental and methodical changes that are going to serve the city well.

“Think of it this way, when the economy recovers, the city will be in a much stronger position.”

In the meantime, the city is considering ways to make what he calls “structural reforms” to a “bloated” budget. Like making permanent cuts or having “managed competition.” He says he’s looking at ways the city could become more efficient and save some bucks by offering managed compeititon in areas such as printing and other services that could be offered the same way but in a private sector.

While on the topic of fiscal responsiblity, I push the conversation to the possible projects of the Schoolbary, the expansion of the convention center and a new city hall, or what he calls “a lot of big ticket items.”

I ask,”‘Why would the city consider these projects when there are homeless people on the streets and a lack of funds in our education systems?”

“They all have to be looked at in the prism of what the city could afford,” he says. “You have to look at each project on an individual basis and ask two questions: How can we get the return on investment? Does it make sense?”

He says the most important thing to do when evaluating these projects is to ask if each wil ultimately save the city money and if they don’t, “then we shouldn’t be talking about.”

The interview then turns to the California budget crisis, where just hours later — the state’s Big 5 announces it will borrow and take local cash in three areas (the gas tax proposal would eventually fail in the Assembly, leaving the state to borrow in two areas).

The next day, we speak via telephone, as he expressed his frustration and disappointment in the state legislators. He says, now local governments will be forced to cut more services, services where “the rubber meets the road.” He also tells me he’s given up hope on the state and will look to his councilmembers, to work on re-building an effective budget.

Back on the day of the interview, I tell him that a councilmember once told me if a problem were to arise, a citizen wouldn’t call the president or the governor — that he would call his councilmember.

He smiles before saying: “As a councilmember I can tell you, not only do they call you but they talk to you when you’re out and about — at the grocery store on the weekends — people certainly know what services they get from local government and they want those services. They want to be ensured that the parks are open, they can take their kids to the libraries and there’s going to be adequate books there on the shelves.”

“We are working very hard, we are spending every single nickle as wisely and efficiently as we can.”

‘The type of person I’m trying to be’

With six-year-old Lauren and eight-year-old Jack, Faulconer has a busy home life too and when combined with his career… well, it takes a lot juggling, he says.

Faulconer says when entering the political scene three years ago and even during his campaign, he and wife Katherine, learned that time would be the biggest constraint on the family.

“I’m certainly not as home as much as I probably used to be,” he says. “But I knew that going into the job and so I try my best to make time for the family and things that are important.”

A typical day, he says, is really not typical as all his days are different. He could have a breakfast meeting, an audit meeting, a lunch meeting with staff or he could be in the council chambers for hours discussing labor contracts. The nights don’t calm down either. Each night, Faulconer goes to a community meeting or gathering to show support and to interact with constituents one-on-one, he says.

“What I like most about the job, is the opportunity to interact with people,” Falconer says. “This is a people job, people want a councilmember that’s out there, that’s getting things done. That’s the type of person I’m trying to be.”

When he’s not focused on his constituents, he’s with a much harder and honest audience — his family. Faulconer says he’s thankful for his wife, who has been able to juggle the commitments with him — something he says is his biggest weakness. He says he enjoys attending Jack’s Little League games and Lauren’s dance classes.

“[Katherine] is much too smart,” Faulconer says while looking at his wife across the room. “I’m very proud of Katherine and what’s she been able to do.”

The family, who has lived in Point Loma for 10 years, can also be seen at the beach sometimes too. And, when Faulconer gets some alone time — which is in the mornings for him, he can be seen training for his next triatholon set in September.

Before ending the interview, I have one more question for the councilmember.

“What the biggest misconception about you?”

He pauses for a second and says: “I would say people that don’t know me, think I’m too serious. And, I’m actually funny.”

I ask him to tell me a joke, ready to be impressed.

“I don’t have one,” he says, laughing.

“Oh no,” I say. “And, you’re on the record.”

Hoa Quach is the SDNN political editor and she thanks Lauren Faulconer for not stomping on the floors while her father does the interview. She can be reached at Politics(a)SDNN.com

Tags: anthony young, carl demaio, Donna Frye, Jerry Sanders, mission bay park committee, san diego audit committee, San Diego City Council, san diego city halls, san diego convention center, san diego credit rating, san diego fiscal problems, san diego schoolbrary, SDNN, todd gloria

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