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Rowena Turner
Monte Sereno City Council 2016-2024 

The Voice of Reason

Rowena in the News

Hello

I am honored to serve the residents of the City of Monte Sereno. I have lived in Monte Sereno for over thirty years.  I immigrated from the Philippines and met my husband at Hewlett Packard. We chose to raise our son in Monte Sereno.

 

Our city is facing increasing pressures to meet the State’s housing mandates.  This is a critical issue that could change the unique character of our community.

We continue to see pending housing legislation from Sacramento that could drastically alter the face of our community.  Our challenge is to find ways to meet the State requirements while preserving the environment that attracted us to this beautiful city.  This has been, and will continue to be, my major focus for the coming years.

 

I realize the importance of providing oversight and accountability as a good steward of the City’s finances.  I pledge to continue to work to drive sound fiscal policy, to control spending, to address the City’s unfunded pension liability, employee retirement benefits, and to control the rising cost of City administration.

 

With your help, I will continue to work to preserve our beautiful community.  

 

Rowena Turner

https://www.montesereno.org/2258

 

EXPERIENCE matterS

Fiscal Responsibility
 

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Emergency Preparedness

  • Voted against yearly automatic tax and fee increases

  • Carefully monitored the city finance and budget decisions

  • Demanded accountability and value where our tax dollars are spent

  • Brought focus to the city’s unfunded pension liabilities, and personnel and employee benefits, and drove policy changes to reduce their growth

  • Worked with the Council to reduce the rapid, unsustainable growth in administrative expense and initiated a review of the management of our investment accounts

  • With the Council, drove personnel and process changes that will pay off financially in the years to come

Digital Transition

  •  Drove the implementation of the Monte Sereno Financial Transparency Center, an online system that makes financial and demographic information more accessible

  • Promoted the transition to a digital payroll system and online bill pay

  • Project proposals and building permits can soon be submitted online for better tracking and ease of use

  • Drove the transition to the CivicPlus and ClearGov financial and budgeting systems. This makes the City's budget process more transparent and easier to understand

  • All these help to provide better service, reduce costs, and improve accountability and transparency

Improved City Services

  • Promoted increasing investments in repairing and refurbishing our City’s streets and critical infrastructure

  • With the Council, drove the implementation of a new on-line permit tracking software in line with best practices to improve customer service

  • With City Staff, implemented SeeClickFix, a new online non-emergency system to report road hazards, fallen trees, potholes, etc.

  • Implemented changes in our budgeting process and internal operations that will pay off in improved services and reduced costs

Accomplisments

 My Background

  • Leadership roles with Intel Corporation, Sun Microsystems, and Tandem Computers

  • A credentialed high-school Mathematics and Computer Science teacher

  • Councilmember 2016 - 2024, Mayor 2019

About

endorsements 

Endorsements
  • Advocated strongly for our CERT and Neighborhood Watch Programs

  • Helped organize a series of seminars for local residents to improve public safety and disaster preparedness

  • Presented before numerous local service clubs on preparing for fires, crime, earthquakes, PG&E shutdowns, and pandemics

  • A CERT trained volunteer and have participated in local training exercises

  • Promoted CERT resulting in increased citizen participation

  • Stand ready with all CERT volunteers to respond to any City emergency

  • Anita Enander, Mayor Los Altos

  • Tracey Enfantino, General Manager, Environmental Systems

  • Liang-Fang Chao, Vice Mayor Cupertino

  • Jeff Cristina, Former Mayor Campbell

  • Lynette Lee Eng, Former Mayor Los Altos

  • Lydia Kou, Vice Mayor Palo Alto

  • Rishi Kumar, Councilmember Saratoga and Candidate for Congress 2022

  • Johnny Khamis, Former Councilmember San Jose and Candidate Supervisor 2022 

  • Liz Lawler, Former Mayor Monte Sereno and Candidate Assembly 2022

  • Mike Wasserman, President Board of Supervisors Santa Clara County District 1

  • Jack Lucas, Former Mayor Monte Sereno

  • Liza Matichak, Former Mayor Mountain View

  • Ann Ravel, Federal Election Commissioner

  • Paul Resnikoff, Former Mayor Campbell

  • Michelle Wu, Former Mayor Los Altos Hills

  • Yan Zhao, Former Mayor Saratoga

  • Rich Waterman, Former Mayor Campbell

Working with our residents

WorkingWithCitizens
Jack Lucas

Jack Lucas

Jack has lived in Monte Sereno since before the City was formed. He served five terms on the City Council and was elected by his colleagues to serve as Mayor of Monte Sereno five times.

"Experience counts! It takes at least a year for a newly elected councilmember to thoroughly understand the mechanics of city government. Rowena was thrust into the Mayor's position in her second year and quickly became one of the most effective mayors in recent years. She should be proud of her accomplishments that she and the Council achieved throughout her first term. We need to leverage her experience and re-elect Rowena Turner in 2020."



Skip Pearson

Skip Pearson

Skip has lived in Monte Sereno since 1972. He owns his own real-estate business.

"Rowena is very intelligent and eminently reasonable. She has worked to rein-in wasteful spending. Thanks to Rowena, we can still use natural gas in new construction. She is working to make City government work for the people. Vote for Rowena in 2020."







Roopa Shekar

Roopa Shekar

Roopa has lived in Monte Sereno since 2016. She held executive positions with high-technology companies.

"Monte Sereno is a unique town, country living set-up in a modern world. We are lucky to call it home. It is our responsibility to preserve tranquility not only for us but also for future generations by maintaining an eco-friendly environment. Our City needs strong and special leadership to preserve the serenity while leveraging the benefits that 21st century can offer. It requires strategy, experience, patience, principles, and the ability to bring people together. I am convinced that Rowena possesses all the required qualities. She is dedicated to helping the town flourish, keep it safe, and facilitate positive transformations by challenging status-quo. Re-elect Rowena."

Philippa Alvis

Philippa Alvis

Philippa has been a resident since 1972. She is a retired school teacher.

"Rowena works very hard on the Council. She understands the issues and she is always prepared. We worked together on the housing legislation from the State that would severely impact the character of our community. Her courage and honesty when working with important issues is vital. Re-electing Rowena assures continuity on the council."





Tracey Enfantino

Tracey Enfantino

Tracey has lived in Monte Sereno since 1993. She is the General Manager and co-owner of Environmental Systems.

"Rowena is a strong leader. She has brought focus to the City's finances and worked to ensure transparency and accountability. She recognized the growth in our administrative expense was unsustainable and drove policy changes to flatten that curve. She spearheaded the implementation of new computer applications and drove the automation of our payroll and accounts payable operations. Re-elect Rowena so she can continue to bring best practices and methods from the tech industry to our City government."



Fred Nooteboom

Fred Nooteboom

Fred has been a resident of Monte Sereno since 2000. He is retired and worked at FMC.

"I appreciate the work that Rowena has been doing with Emergency Preparedness. She has recruited new members for the CERT team and has promoted supporting additional Command Posts in Monte Sereno as we get more residents trained. She is working diligently to help our community be prepared for wildfires or earthquakes. Let's re-elect Rowena Turner."





Memberships
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Edgardo Laber, CERT trained member of the Monte Sereno/Los Gatos Emergency Preparedness Program.   Edgardo is an Amateur Ham Radio operator, an Electrical Engineer by profession, and a Monte Sereno resident since 2010.

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Join me, become a CERT member

CERT is one of the most visible group in the Emergency Preparedness Program. 

Learn and be part of:

  • Disaster preparedness

  • Light search and rescue

  • Damage assessment

  • Disaster fire suppression

  • Disaster medical operations

  • Neighborhood preparedness

  • Terrorism/Hazmat

Join the Neighborhood Watch Group

This group is part of the Emergency Preparedness Program.  Join as a member or volunteer as a block leader.

my coffee & candidates interview

Contact Me

Schedule a Phone Call or Zoom Meeting

  Call Rowena at (408) 502-6808

Thanks! I will get back to you as soon as possible!

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