Ridgecrest! We have some serious business in front of us. It is election time and we have to choose a mayor and a couple of city council members. We have many critical issues to address in our community and we need a city government that is up to the task. So, I hope you are doing your homework checking out our candidates and have taken the opportunity to hear them talk about their ideas and interests in the many forums that have been offered.
The city council slate is hugely important. We are facing water issues. We need to figure out how to generate adequate revenue streams to meet our future needs…this goes beyond Measure P. We need strategies on how to leverage the monumental investment the Congress and US Navy are making in modernizing the China Lake laboratory and test ranges. We have to integrate the county, east-to-west, and work to get our fair share of the county’s tax revenues. And, we have to make Ridgecrest a place where people choose to live and come to recreate. This takes ideas, relationships, energy, and leadership.
Chris Ellis is running for city council. Chris is one person who can be trusted, who has energy and ideas, and who is a leader. Chris has worked at the Coso Geothermal Power Plant, on China Lake’s north range since 1988. He has led Coso Operating Company since 2002. Chris is highly engaged and respected in our community and, consequently, is on numerous local companies’ boards of directors. He gives, professionally and personally, to many local fundraising efforts. He is always supporting our kids and local sports. Chris builds strong and lasting relationships with governmental and industrial leaders across Kern County.
He has been active in local and regional water topics in both Kern and Inyo Counties. Here again he has strong and vital relationships up and down the eastern Sierra region. Lastly, being an ex-Navy nuke and with Coso being on Navy property he understands the importance of building a strong partnership with the local Navy commands. A partnership that helps promote the Navy’s mission and our community; and, one that also strengthens our response to the challenges we face.
Issues like water and energy cannot be addressed only within the IWV, he deeply understands that the importance of these issues dictates they be addressed regionally, at the state-level, and nationally. Chris has the ideas, relationships, energy, and the leadership qualities to build these coalitions. Please join me in voting for Chris Ellis for Ridgecrest City Council.
Scott O’Neil, Ridgecrest