This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Election Profile: Don Tatzin - Lafayette City Council Candidate

Watch this space for a series of introductory profiles of local candidates running for office in Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. Lamorinda Patch will be providing more in-depth interviews with the candidates as the election progresses.

Don Tatzin has served on the Lafayette City Council for 25 years.  He has been mayor five times and has represented the city on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, the Contra Costa Mayors' Conference, the Local Area Formation Commission, the Lamorinda School Bus Program, and the joint powers authority that reduced consumer rates for garbage and recyclables collection. Tatzin was a management consultant focused on helping private sector and government clients develop strategic plans and improve operational performance for approximately 20 years. He served as Executive Vice President for a client in the entertainment business and helped launch and manage a new business in Australia with investment of approximately $700 million and annual revenue of approximately $300 million.  He has served as Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer of a high-tech manufacturing firm located in Fremont and, most recently, as a Grant Director for a major philanthropic foundation based in the Bay Area.

Lamorinda Patch: Do you have a particular platform or issue of interest?

"My interest is the well-being of Lafayette.  During my council service, I have participated in most aspects of what city government does.  I served as chair of the committee that protected Lafayette's neighborhoods and our semi-rural environment by limiting development of our hillsides and ridges.  I have also advocated for an improvement in the downtown, which looks better and is far more vibrant than when I joined the council.  I served as a member of the Council Finance Subcommittee, proposed creation of our first citizen Finance Review Committee, managed our budget carefully, and have seen Lafayette improve its financial position so that we are now one of only 169 cities nationwide that has a top (AAA) credit rating.  I participated in several groups that created and successfully opened the Lafayette Library and Learning Center and developed a financial plan that should enable us to maintain this facility as a public-private venture with minimal cost increases to the City.  I co-chaired two ballot measures that would have improved roads and police protection, both of which won more than 60 percent approval from voters.  I helped create the Lafayette Redevelopment Agency, which keeps our tax dollars in Lafayette.  I serve as Co-Chair of the Roads Committee, which improves road conditions through planned reconstruction and maintenance.  I am council liaison to our Youth Commission, the school districts, the Chamber of Commerce, and homeowners' groups and supported increased services for seniors. 

Find out what's happening in Lamorindawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

LamorindaPatch: What are your plans for Lafayette if you are elected?

"I want to preserve Lafayette's ability to remain a semi-rural community in the face of significant regional development pressures; find a winning funding solution to fix our remaining failed roads; manage city finances carefully so that we can provide the services citizens desire; and continue to enhance the small-town feel of Lafayette's downtown."

Find out what's happening in Lamorindawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?