Supervisor candidates debate budget issues

Poochigian, Magsig agree that Fresno County doesn't get fair share of tax dollars.

Published online on Wednesday, Apr. 30, 2008

Fresno County's budget turmoil dominated a debate Tuesday with the two candidates running for the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors offering different ideas for how to fix the problem.

Clovis City Council Member Nathan Magsig said the county needs to invest in industrial parks that can generate additional revenues for county services and bring more jobs into the county. Community activist Debbie Poochigian said the county can't continue to "overspend and overpromise" and needs to streamline and consolidate services.

The two candidates spent about an hour discussing issues -- from ag preservation to the energy crisis -- and also shared stories about their families and backgrounds in front of about 40 business and community members. The debate was sponsored by the Fresno Business Council in partnership with the Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno.

"Obviously, this is a very critical race because the county has a lot of issues right now," said the Fresno Business Council's CEO, Deborah Nankivell, who moderated the debate. "There are no term limits for this job."

The candidates are vying in the June 3 election to replace Supervisor Bob Waterston, who chose not to seek another term. The District 5 seat -- the largest in the county -- covers 3,000 square miles that includes most of Clovis and the foothill communities.

The candidates remained civil throughout the debate but occasionally sought to pick apart each other's arguments. Poochigian said Magsig's industrial park idea is one that "a lot of people are talking about." She also pointed out that the county has not traditionally been in the development business.

Magsig said that he is the only candidate in the race with any background in budgeting -- having balanced seven budgets in the city of Clovis. He also said he is the only candidate who understands how county finances work.

Some of the questions forced the candidates to share insight into their personal lives. The candidates were asked, for example, what books or authors have guided their political thinking.

Poochigian, 55, seemed to struggle with the question and said she's not a "huge reader." She said most of her time is spent reading the Bible and books to her grandchild. Magsig, 31, said that in addition to reading the Bible, his favorite authors are the late management guru Peter Drucker and Marty Linsky, a Harvard University professor who writes about leadership.

The candidates agreed on most issues. They said the county needs to preserve agricultural land and ensure there is an adequate water supply in the mountain communities before more development occurs. They also said the county needs to partner with nonprofits and private agencies to help pay for health, social service and law enforcement programs.

The candidates also agreed that the county isn't receiving its fair share of state and federal tax dollars to pay for required programs and services. Poochigian said she would work with legislators in Sacramento to fix that. Magsig said he would continue to collaborate with other governmental groups, such as the One-Voice effort -- a delegation of Valley politicians -- to lobby for more federal and state money.