Mark West announces candidacy for City Council
Mark West, a lifelong Davis resident, former local business owner and Davis High School alumnus, has announced his candidacy for the Davis City Council Election. He has previously served the public as a Site Council member at the Valley Oaks Elementary School in Davis. In addition, West is a local activist and commentator, writing articles for the Davis Vanguard and appealing decisions made by the City Council and the city’s Planning Commission.
“His priorities are going to be fiscal sustainability,” said Michael Bisch, the owner of Davis Commercial Properties and a friend of West’s. “A big problem the city government is facing is how to fund our services going forward. He’s also looking to improve our economic development effort so we have jobs and opportunities for our residents. Another issue that he’s spoken a lot about is alleviating the housing crisis, and he’s written quite a bit about social and economic equity and how critical it is that the community does far, far more in that regard.”
West has a B.A. from Berkeley and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University. He has two daughters and four foster children that have all worked or are working their way through Davis’s public school system. West worked at the university before co-founding the Rominger West Winery in 2004 and operating it for eight years until its closing in 2012. West is joined in the race for the council by eight other candidates.
“I like this field — I think it is very strong in a lot of ways,” wrote David Greenwald, the founder and a writer of the Davis Vanguard. “They are an indication that the political lines that divided this community for years are really gone […] There is also a solid contingent of fiscally-conscious candidates […] Mark West [is] clearly going to push for fiscal responsibility.”
The election for the Davis City Council will be held in June 2018, with the seats of Councilwoman Rochelle Swanson and Mayor Robb Davis to be decided. To learn more about the General Municipal Election process, visit the city website, and to register to vote, visit the Yolo County elections website.
“I think we have a really good city, and we have to move in the right direction if we want to stay a good city,” West said. “I’m not beholden to anyone […] but it’s for the people to decide. As for me, this is who I am, this is what I believe and this is how I’ll operate if I’m elected.”
Written by: Ahash Francis — city@theaggie.org
