I will be on the ballot again in November, this time running for Jay Obernolte‘s Big Bear Lake City Council seat as a result of his moving forward in the Primary Election for State Assembly.

Why I want to serve on City Council:

I love our Valley and want to help the City of Big Bear Lake be even better. I want to insure the best parts of Big Bear remain the same. The reasons we live here, and the reasons why so many guests visit each year, must be preserved. At the same time, the existing Big Bear qualities we cherish must be balanced with evolving economic, environmental, and cultural realities to insure a viable and vibrant future. I will build on the good work already done so that we can continue to benefit from the promise Big Bear holds, so that our families and our visitors can safely enjoy a peaceful, enriching, and beautiful Big Bear Lake. It would be an honor to continue to represent you. I hope you will help me deliver on that Big Bear promise.

Randy’s Big Bear Equation:

Maintain the Big Bear we love + Continue to update & innovate = Viable & Vibrant Community

The Experience Randy Brings to City Council:

I have helped lead and initiate meaningful change in our Valley, most recently serving as a twice-elected Bear Valley Unified School Board Member, with 6 years of experience in public service, lobbying on behalf of Big Bear at the County and State levels. I have deep roots in our Valley as a longtime resident and local businessman, and raised my children here. I was also a founding Board Member of both the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation and the Bear Valley Education Trust. My love of our Valley, combined with my experience, positions me to hit the ground running as a City Councilman.

I was invited to testify before the California State Board of Education on July 10, 2014, to share our Bear Valley Unified School District‘s experience creating its first Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) as mandated by the recent Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) legislation.

While I had been to Sacramento before to lobby our State lawmakers on behalf of our schools and Valley, I had never provided testimony before the State. It was quite a production – we were lined up and I was speaker #46, given just 1 minute to speak. It was a good reminder for me of how intimidating it can be to address a Board.

I wanted to let the State Board members know that it is important to keep the “Local” in the LCFF and LCAP, as I believe our local community knows what is best for its local children. (See my testimony below.) As an example of innovative work that can come from the local level, I also mentioned our District’s LCAP Infographic, to find out later that the State Board members specifically mentioned it during their discussion as a good tool to reach out to parents and the community. I must say it is gratifying when the State of California takes notice of your School District’s hard work.

Here’s my testimony:

Hello, I’m Randall Putz, a School Board Trustee from Bear Valley Unified, a small rural district in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains.

Thank you for being brave enough to trust local elected officials and their communities to determine what is best for their local children.