CHARLIE HALFORD

I’m running because I believe that it is time for a change on the City Council. I believe the City Council has made a number of poor decisions including:
1. The gift of an extra 3 days off during the Christmas Holiday period to every city employee by the City Council.
2. The $984,826 mistake resulting from granting one employee group a higher raise than the others which had previously signed agreements with a “me too” clause by the City Council.
3. The adding of 16 new employee positions at a cost of more that $1.8 Million dollars annually, 2 days after the COVID-19 Emergency was declared by the City Council. At the time there was no Finance Director and no clear understanding of the fiscal condition of the City.
4. Since July 2019 every Department Director and the City Manager in the city with the exception of the Fire Chief, Director of Administrative Services (the now City Manager) and the Former City Clerk (the now Assistant City Manager) have either been released, resigned or demoted.

I believe that I will bring a unique mix of experience and knowledge to the City Council. My years of experience at the Police Department and the Boys and Girls Club of Manteca and Lathrop, my leadership roles in Manteca Rotary, Give Every Child a Chance, Great Valley Bookrest, Manteca Thanksgiving Dinner, United Way of San Joaquin and the Manteca Hall of Fame will help me to make decisions that are best for all of Manteca.

During my career as a civil servant, I witnessed the needs of our community as well as the challenges we face each day. Public safety must be Manteca’s top priority and I am running for City Council to continue making our city a safe and great place to live, work and raise families.

After graduating from Cal State Sacramento, I knew I wanted to live a life of service to others and could dedicate my skills to uplifting my hometown Manteca Through my roles as firefighter/EMT, Manteca Police Officer (11 years as Police Chief), and Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club, I gained invaluable “on-the-ground” insight that makes me uniquely aware of our strengths and opportunities as a City.

Now that I am retired, I am blessed with even more time to give back to the community that has given me so much. I continue to be involved with the Second Harvest Food Bank, United Way of San Joaquin, Manteca Rotary, Give Every Child a Chance, Boys & Girls Club of Manteca and Lathrop, Manteca Hall of Fame, and the Great Valley Bookfest. I’ve been honored to serve as the Board Chair or President of Rotary, Boys and Girls Club, Hall of Fame, and United Way of San Joaquin.

I have always been a strong supporter of youth activities and sports. I was on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club for many years and am a Past President. After retiring from the Police Department in May of 2008, I became the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Manteca and Lathrop. I retired from the Boys and Girls Club in July of 2012 and have continued to volunteer there since.

I was involved in the founding of Give Every Child a Chance with Antone Raymus, Bill Jones and others, serving on the board several years and served as Treasurer.

I have been involved with the Great Valley Bookfest since its inception. One of the goals of the Bookfest is to increase literacy and encourage reading by all age groups but particularly our youth.

One of the most important things I learned during my 32-year career in law enforcement was that Public Safety is much larger than just the Police and Fire Departments. It encompasses many more factors, including youth recreation and sports. Activities for kids, whether sports, academics, recreation and many others, enables our kids to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. That being said, we must continue to fund and increase funding for Police and Fire. The Police Department staffing is barely back to where it was 10 years ago.

While these volunteer experiences are extremely fulfilling, I know I can do more…

Now more than ever, our local government needs experienced leadership with a vision to promote collaboration between government, its citizens, and the volunteer agencies which provide safety, educational, recreational and emergency services to our community. I, Charlie Halford, am that leader.

I believe in an open, transparent government that treats everyone with respect and fairness. Local government should provide the highest level of service at the lowest cost – maximizing your tax dollars for the greatest good! Public safety must always be a top priority. With your vote, we can continue to make Manteca a great city to live, work, and raise a family. A vote for Charlie Halford is a vote for honesty, integrity, and leadership.