Ray Etchegoin: A strong desire to serve the community of Lemoore

We also asked each candidate to provide background information as well. The candidates running for the Lemoore City Council are incumbent Eddie Neal, former Lemoore Recreation Director Joe Simonson, longtime Lemoore resident Ray Etchegoin, local educator Holly Blair, Navy Veteran Beverly Halliman, former City of Lemoore Planning Commissioner Dave Brown, and Kings County Administrative Assistant Angela Valenzuela.

Ray Etchegoin

The Stratford native graduated from Lemoore High School in 1974 and attended West Hills College for two years.  He’s currently employed as a plant foreman at Vandersteen Audio, in Hanford.  In June of 1986 he married Pini Madrigal and the two have lived in Lemoore for over 30 years. They have one son, Kyle, 25, who serves as a deputy at the Kings County Jail.

He keeps active in the community, having been a member of the St. Peters Council Knights of Columbus for 15 years, including a stint as grand knight for two different terms, and he has also served as a member of the Kings Lions Club where he was the club’s secretary during the club’s maiden year. He just finished a term as club president in July.  Before that, he was also a member of the Lemoore Lions for two years. His Lions’ duties included stints as the Kings Lions’ Brewfest chairperson, and he’s proud to say that these events have raised nearly $100,000, all of which is returned to the community in the form of donations.  Etchegoin was part of the Lions’ team that was instrumental in partnering with the City of Lemoore to adopt the 19th Avenue Park – now called the Kings Lions Complex.

Anyone that has been in a service organization knows the importance of cooperation and integrity, two things instilled in him many years ago which he says are key ingredients for maintaining a strong organization.  He is extremely proud of his association with the service organizations, and he says if elected he will also give 100 percent to the city. 

What or who motivated you to run for a seat on the Lemoore City Council?

I have been very involved within our community of Lemoore for many years through service organizations.   I have come to learn and see firsthand the needs of Lemoore. Now, it is fitting that I give of myself in a different capacity, as a city council member.

I have consistently attended city council meetings for the previous two years and have gained much insight and respect for the work of the council, the mayor, and city staff.   I fully understand that the decisions that the council make on behalf of its citizens are extremely important, I don’t take this responsibility lightly.  I fully intend to engage with our citizens to get a true pulse of our community’s’ wants and needs.  After all, this is OUR community, and I intend to represent everyone to the best of my abilities

What in your opinion is the most important issue facing Lemoore today?

Planning for growth!  Growth is necessary and inevitable for Lemoore.  We need to be prepared for this impending growth and ensure that we have a well thought out plan in place to ensure healthy growth is achieved while maintaining the quality of life that we all love and enjoy:  safe neighborhoods, quality city services, adequate shopping and services and family friendly recreational resources.  We need to always be aware that we have an incredible asset in Lemoore Naval Air Station.  The impact on our local economy is tremendous, and we need to always think of LNAS as a partner and to plan our city’s future transparently with them to ensure a continuation of this mutually beneficial relationship.   To ensure that we don’t encroach upon valuable airspace to the west is important.  With the expansion of LNAS with the new F-35 Strike Fighter and the increase in personnel associate with this expansion, we need to be able to provide affordable housing for these new and welcomed residents. The residents of Lemoore deserve to have economical and varied retail choices.  The development of new businesses will create tax revenue for our city.  Of course I am aware that expansion within the city needs to be done responsibly to secure the natural resources that we are limited to, such as water.  

Industrial growth is another important issue facing our city.  We are fortunate that we already have sound infrastructure at the Lemoore Industrial park and we need to take advantage of this.  Bringing in more industry will create more jobs and revenue. 

Every detail regarding direction of our city’s future growth has to be studied thoroughly before any decisions are made. There are plenty of arguments for and against all directions, but in the end we will have to stretch our boundaries in one or several directions.

In your opinion, is Lemoore in a positive place right now, or are there issues that need to be addressed that may or may not have an effect on the future of this city.

Lemoore is in a positive place right now because we have hired qualified personnel in key positions. The roles of these employees have benefited our community and citizens, and we are moving in a positive direction. While we have increased our city’s manpower capabilities, we expect a return on this investment with respect to an increase in the level of services afforded to our citizens.

Lemoore is still a desirable place to live, and the city continues to focus on making it better by delivering quality city services to its residents.  I for one, enjoy the new online billing that has recently been implemented and was way overdue.  The city recently hired John Herrera, an accountant, who revamped the city financial department.  His expertise brought new insight to the financial stability for our city. We must always be aware of our city’s budget and ensure that we keep our city financially sound and healthy at all times and to always conduct the city’s business in a fully transparent way for all of our citizens to see.

What is the first thing you would seek to change, or improve upon, if elected?

I believe we need to reinstate a planning department with a qualified city planner.  Growth within the city has been hampered due to a lack of a city planner and full-time staff.  This is one area within the city that lacks qualified personnel.  Our city is needing to grow, and without a knowledgeable, experienced expert in this position our city is falling behind other comparable municipalities.

How can Lemoore attract industrial and retail development?  Identify, if you can, current efforts to attract retail, for example CrisCom and its contract with the city. Is this a good thing?

Having a full time planning department and a city planner would be a good start. Lemoore has to be business friendly to attract development.  A more practical business application process and shorter waiting period would be more attractive to any incoming business.   CrisCom did draw interest for a section in the industrial park, but I’d like to see reports on what they are actually out there doing for us. I’m not convinced that they’ve done any better at drawing interest than EDC would have.

Do you feel Lemoore is a safe community? Why or why not?

 No city is free from crime; however, thanks to Chief Darrell Smith, the Lemoore Police Department and the Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department, Lemoore is still one of the safest cities in the state. There are some proposals in the upcoming election that could very well directly impact the safety of our town and citizens. Proposition 64 (legalization of marijuana) and Proposition 57 could lead to more criminals roaming our streets, making department’s job more difficult. Measure K passing is one way of making it easier for law enforcement by allowing them to hire more officers to patrol our streets.

What program or programs would you immediately seek to implement if elected?

I would like to see a committee created with representatives from variousservice organizations to meet with city officials regularly to seek out and identify the needs of the city and help these organizations along with the city better serve our community. To have the city once again work hand in hand with our service organizations to help improve the quality of life for our citizens.

Any final thoughts that may not have been asked, but that you feel is an important issue, program, or need?

The citizens of Lemoore have a right to be heard, and if I am elected to the council I will actively listen to their concerns and let them know that their views are valued. My ability to cooperate, my integrity, and my stability would be a welcome addition to the Lemoore City Council.