After 24 years with the Dixon Police department and an additional eight years on the City Council, Steve Bird is looking to continue his public service on a higher level.
Rather than running for a third term on the City Council, he is running for mayor.
“I still feel I have this desire to give back to my community,” he said. “I’d like to do it this time around as the mayor.”
Bird grew up in the Central Valley, spent his adolescence in Fairfield, and moved to Dixon in 1988. He joined the Police Department as an officer and climbed the ranks until he reached the position of captain.
After retiring in 2012, he ran for a City Council seat and won. He was re-elected in 2016 and currently holds the title of vice mayor.
Bird is determined in his efforts to run for the seat, even going as far as to announce his campaign a little under a year before the filing period began. He believes he would bring a certain level of “expertise” to the position, having worked in law enforcement and as a policymaker.
“I think I bring the best of all worlds to the table,” he said.
Bird is proud of the numerous issues the council has taken on during his tenure, most notably improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.
“(The plant) was giving us serious problems,” he said. “If we didn’t get it done, we would have been in serious contention with the state of California, but we were able to make that happen and get that done.”
Bird also cited the completion of the core drainage area in the city, the Economic Development Department bringing in new businesses such as Gold Star Foods, and the continuing development of the Northwest Quadrant.
“There are a number of investors who are really interested in developing that area, bringing some more commerce, jobs, and hopefully R&D (research and development) type industry to our community,” he said.
However, Bird said the area’s “elephant in the room” remains the Parkway Boulevard overpass, a longtime planned development which seeks to connect Parkway Boulevard from Valley Glen Drive to Pitt School Road with an overpass above the railroad tracks to create easier travel for emergency vehicles and greater access to Dixon High School.
“With an uptick in our housing market here, at least, we’re seeing homes being built that haven’t been built for a long time,” he said. “Those projects will bring in the needed funding to help further that project.”
Additionally, Bird said minor progress has been made toward the overpass, including purchasing the right of way, installing underground wiring and water, and beginning to build the mound on the western side of the roadway, which he said would need to settle for 18 to 24 months before construction begins.
Bird said he is unsure if the project will be completed in the next four years, but he will continue to push for budgetary grants.
“We’re certainly gonna see some changes out there,” he said.
Bird said his primary goal is to keep the budget balanced and the local economy stable, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the city has been very supportive of local businesses through distributing CARES Act funding and providing more outdoor dining.
“We as a city…have worked very, very well together to navigate through this and keep our heads above water,” he said.
The water issue is another big one for Bird. He was opposed to the city taking over the water supply, especially after being told by staff the rates could triple.
“I thought we, as a city, were too small to run our own water company and that’s why we had our own outside providers,” he said. “The outcome of that endeavor was three members of the council chose to break away from SID.”
Bird said he is open to exploring other options, including seeking other third-party agencies to provide water at a more equitable rate. However, he is opposed to Measure S, a local ballot initiative to repeal the water rate increases that were unanimously approved by the council in 2019.
“If they don’t increase, it puts us in a predicament because the system isn’t gonna pay for itself and where do you get that other money from?” he said.
Bird said that since he is retired, he would be able to focus more on being mayor. He also said that living in the city for a long time has allowed him to build relationships, and he sees himself as an ambassador to the city when attending county events.
“Dixon is my home,” he said. “It’s where I’ve lived, worked, parented, played coach, sacrificed, built relationships over the last 32 years. I believe this qualifies me to be an integral part of city government as one of its senior leaders and policymakers.”
More information on Bird’s campaign can be found at Birdfordixon.com.
The other mayoral candidates are incumbent Thom Bogue, former Councilman Ted Hickman, and incumbent Councilman Devon Minnema.
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