LAKE COUNTY — Robert “Bob” Hesterberg said District 3 voters could trust him to be their Lake County supervisor because he”s invested in the county.
Hesterberg, 50, was born in Lakeport, his family lives here, and he supports fiscal responsibility coupled with slow, well-planned growth in the county.
“In short, I love it here,” he said. “If I didn”t, I would move.”
Hesterberg works for a subcontractor with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service branch to help farmers and ranchers with resource concerns. He graduated from Upper Lake High School in 1978. Hesterberg received an associate”s degree in business from the College of the Redwoods.
His partner, Tonja Dailey, started the Sea Breeze Foundation in memory of their daughter, Brianne, to support children and families in need.
Hesterberg said he has never held an elected position in the county.
“I”ve always said I”m not a politician,” Hesterberg said. “Even if elected, I won”t become a politician per se. I”m just an ordinary citizen who wants to do the right thing for this county.”
He said working hands-on on the Clear Lake hydrilla program was rewarding.
“So I know Clear Lake very well from the job, the biology, plant life, flora and fauna,” he said. “I know Clear Lake inside and out compared with my opponents.”
If elected, he wants to look at each department”s budget with the department head to see where the county can find savings, Hesterberg said.
“I don”t believe some department heads are as fiscally responsible as they should be,” Hesterberg said.
Constituents told Hesterberg they want fewer taxes and to reduce spending, he said.
“I”ve been hearing this, time and time again,” Hesterberg said. “And I agree with these people.”
He thinks a lot of prime agriculture land has been turned into ranchettes in the county, which can”t be turned back, Hesterberg said.
“I”m not for prime ag land being destroyed needlessly,” he said.
Many of the people Hesterberg talked to said they moved to Lake County because it”s rural and they would like it to stay that way, he said.
“I would like more of a slowed, controlled development with a well-thought out plan,” Hesterberg said.
The tipping point for Hesterberg came when he heard during a radio interview that a department head didn”t know how much an expense cost.
“It was very concerning to me,” Hesterberg said. “It was even alarming to me that a department head didn”t know what a major cost of the department was.”
So he decided to run for supervisor.
He said he”s not receiving campaign funding from special interests or anyone else.
“I”m doing this all on my own dime,” Hesterberg said. “I haven”t taken a penny from any special interests or any other person.”
He said after the primary he might consider donations, because the campaign is a hardship on his family.
As Hesterberg is living within his means, he thinks the county should too, he said.
“I”m being fiscally responsible in my own campaign using my own money and I”m trying to, if elected, carry that on to the county”s fiscal responsibility,” Hesterberg said.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
