Sachs for San Ramon City Council 2013

San Ramon resident Harry Sachs has announced his candidacy for the San Ramon City Council.  Sachs has been on the Planning Commission since 2006 and has lived in San Ramon since 1999 with his wife Diana and their three children. 

Sachs has made “Putting San Ramon First” his campaign theme.  He believes that while the city enjoys fine parks, schools, open spaces and trails, there are challenges which must be addressed going forward.  Financial stability, public safety, traffic, school enrollment impacts and the continued growth of Dougherty Valley are areas of concern for the 48 year old Sachs. 

He states that “for the first time San Ramon’s 30 year history, we face structural deficits projected over the next several years.  Additionally, San Ramon’s population growth has doubled in the past 10 years.  This is straining our service levels in police services, park maintenance and city employee responsibilities.  Furthermore, regional planning bureaucracies are making demands which continue to place pressure on San Ramon and threaten our quality of life.” 

On his website, www.sachsforcitycouncil.com, Sachs has focused on the need to reduce future housing development due to traffic and school impacts.  He states his opposition to the proposed HOV ramps on Norris Canyon that Caltrans is currently proposing.  Sachs cites impacts to neighborhoods and safety concerns as his main reasons for opposing the proposed project.  “There are better and cheaper options which do more for traffic congestion than this costly boondoggle from CalTrans” says Sachs. 

“I believe the residents of San Ramon want their City Council to focus on maintaining our quality of life standards.  Regional and state mandates on how cities grow are nothing new.  But there are ways to meet mandates, yet protect what we enjoy: a small -town feel with low crime and high amenities.” 

In 2012, Sachs was the only Planning Commissioner to vote no on the 2012 North Camino Ramon Specific Plan (NCRSP) citing his concerns about the number of housing units and traffic impacts that could occur in the downtown area.  “I have always worked hard and voted to protect our quality of life standards in San Ramon.”  The City Council ultimately voted to accept Sachs’ recommendations to lower housing units in the plan.

“I believe I offer San Ramon residents new leadership, new ideas and a fresh perspective with which to face our city’s many challenges. “ 

Harry Sachs has been a teacher in Fremont USD since 1998. He is a middle school history teacher.  He enjoys scouting activities with his sons and daughter as well as reading books about US History, especially the revolutionary and civil war periods.