Political newcomer seeks council seat in Rohnert Park

Political newcomer David Grundman is seeking to unseat one of two City Council incumbents this fall in Rohnert Park, a city still emerging from tough financial times during the recession.

Grundman, a 67-year-old civil engineer, is challenging council members Pam Stafford and Amy Ahanotu for one of two open seats on a council that will shape future growth in Sonoma County’s third-largest city and manage a windfall in new revenue from the Graton Resort and Casino.

The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which owns the casino that opened in November just outside the city, has agreed to pay Rohnert Park about $8 million per year to offset the gambling complex’s impacts on municipal services. Grundman, who opposed the casino, said the money is not enough.

“The amount of money the casino is paying to the city is chump change compared with what it’s going to cost us,” he said.

The former North Marin Water District and Sonoma County Water Agency engineer has been a frequent critic of the current council, but he has never held public office. He accused current council members of being poor fiscal managers.

“They squander lots of money,” he said, citing as an example the city spending on an election to extend a sales tax two years before it was set to expire. Such pre-emptive moves are common among local governments seeking to extend tax measures.

“I don’t like people who squander money and demand more,” Grundman said.

Stafford and Ahanotu have touted their stewardship of city finances, pointing to their work this year on the city’s budget - the first in a decade that builds reserves instead of draining them or leaving them flat. They also led negotiations for new public employee contracts that they say will save the city $8.5 million.

Grundman, who has lived in Rohnert Park for 38 years with his wife and has a grown son and daughter, said he supports a controversial Wal-Mart proposal to expand its Rohnert Park store by 35,000 square feet, but said he is not a fan of the store.

“I am in favor of the Wal-Mart project simply because Wal-Mart followed the rules laid down by the city, unlike the casino,” he said. “I do not like the Wal-Mart business model. If the city had denied Wal-Mart, the result would have been a fast trip to court with the citizens footing the bill.”

He said he supports a campaign that is trying to shut down the casino by suing the state over its agreement with the Graton tribe.

“Supporting the casino was the worst decision the council has made,” he said. “It’s a scary state of affairs, the way the city has been run in the past 20 years.”

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Brown at 521-5206 or matt.brown@pressdemocrat.com.