3) Good candidate.  Over the past four years I have:
*Reinstituted the Parks and Rec Committee which subsequently proposed a Park Master Plan adopted by council.
*Supported Victoria's five-year road reconstruction plan.
*Brought new ideas to Victoria, such as the Kid's Klub, and heartily supported the first annual Concerts in the Park.
*Participated as a liaison/member on all major city committees.
*Proposed the establishment of the Business Development Committee, which is in its second year of helping businesses prosper and develop in our city.
*Demonstrated that I am fiscally res-ponsible and a good steward of the city's fiscal resources as an active and decisive participant on the Finance Committee.
*Promoted partnerships, which I believe are in the best interest of our city.
*Supported redevelopment of areas in our city that will add value to our commu-nity - both now and in the future, without putting a major burden on our taxpayers.
4) Government functions.  *Ensure a safe infrastructure - such as roads, water, and sewer.  *Provide protection to citizens - such as police and fire services.  *Hire professional staff members who are dedi-cated to service and carry out council decisions.  *Impose appropriate taxes on residents and businesses in order to pro-vide the necessary infrastructure, police, and fire protection.  *Plan for the future and safekeeping of the environment.
5) Overstepping.  Let me preface with the caveat that the constitutional rights and privacy of citizens should never be violated by any level of government.  But specifically, areas in which I believe gov-ernment can potentially overstep its bounds are:  *Interference in citizens' personal lives.  *Interference with oppor-tunities for businesses to "make a living."  *Excessive taxation.
6) City's direction.  The City of Vic-toria is in the center of population growth.  We are not only experiencing growth around us, but we are growing - to a city of almost 6,000 residents in 2007.  For example, I think we are moving in the right direction when we:
*Encourage commercial development that can be supported by our citizens.
*Support new business development to provide needed services to our citizens.
*Actively inform/engage our citizens.
*Build upon our infrastructure to pro-vide a foundation for our future.  Specifics include our new water plant, Victoria-based police protection, road reconstruc-tion plans, appropriate facilities for our firefighters, and well thought-out develop-ment of our open spaces.
7) Next four years.  I would like to lead Victoria to consider the following:
*Expand partnerships with business, educational, and private entities.  I do not support being an island unto ourselves.
*Engage in active discussions to potentially increase our financial leverage.
*Encourage strong, healthy neighbor-hoods within communities by considering "clusters" in our comprehensive plan, so services might be located closer to our citizens as our boundaries expand.
*Continue to support a revitalized and expanding downtown area.
*Support a discussion about what kinds of recreation and park activities our community is willing to support and at what dollar level.
*Communicate and update citizens through a monthly "Mayor's Column" in the Victoria Gazette and through my website, www.hershbergerthun.org.
*And finally, I would like to move a little faster. 
8) Vision.  I see a vibrant city made up of neighborhoods and people who respect ideas and discussion.  There is no one right way of doing things.  But at the same time, we need to use common sense and move ahead to position our communi-ty to be one which offers services and recreational opportunities which we can afford at any given stage of our growth.
I don't want us to lose our way just because all of the facts may not be on the table.  Frankly, in this "Information Age," there is a never-ending supply of facts, figures, and research.  I believe we can progress and move forward and still main-tain a unique identity in which we can all be proud and comfortable.
9a) Like to be known for.  I would like my epitaph to read that I was respect-ful of our past but had an eye and vision towards the future.  A mayor of another city recently told me that cities are mak-ing decisions for constituents who are not yet born.  This is so true.
I want people to remember that I was willing to take some calculated, fiscally responsible, and sometimes unpopular risk or positions to ensure a prosperous Victoria for those who will someday follow in our footsteps.
9b)Personal goals.  To be happy in life with my family and friends, take care of my health, contribute to others through volunteering my time, and continue to travel to interesting places.
10) Favorite reads.  Any political or historical autobiographies.  I've been through Adams, Truman, Roosevelt (to name a few), and am beginning Doris Kearns Goodwin's recent book on the political genius of Abraham Lincoln.  For light reading I like to read about animals - almost any animals except amphibians!

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