City Council candidate Kevin Stevens stands next to his work van in Lodi. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Stevens aiming to 'represent working class' of the city

Kevin Stevens started working at a Waffle House restaurant in Franklin, Tenn. when he was 16 years old. The 45-year-old has been working hard ever since and said he wants to get on the Lodi City Council to represent the workers of Lodi.

"I'm a worker. I have a strong work ethic," said the telecommunications company owner. "I believe I can represent the working class, the people that want to work."

Stevens, a father of two, moved to Lodi from Tennessee with his wife 16 years ago to work for a trucking company. After the company went bankrupt, he held a few other jobs before working for the now defunct pay phone company, Pay Star. When he was laid off in 2003, Stevens and his wife started TelNet, a consulting, design and voice and data systems installation company.

Stevens said his keen financial sense — he claims his company's profits increased 300 percent in one year — can apply to the council. He said the first project he would tackle is balancing the budget.

"I think we need to go line by line through the budget and look at the relevance of each line and ask, 'Do we need whatever it is?'" he said. "Maybe we can even review city employees' salaries."

His fiscal conservatism has earned Stevens an endorsement from the California Republican Assembly. He has also been endorsed by the San Joaquin County Pro Life Council.

On his chest, Stevens proudly wears a button that reads, "Kevin Stevens Tax Fighter." He said he is tired of big government taxing the working class. On his sleeve, Stevens wears his positions on Measures H and G.

Stevens is one of only two candidates that support Measure H, which would repeal the water rate increase used to clean up Lodi's contaminated groundwater. Though the measure would cost the city $3 million per year, he said the city should find some other way of funding the cleanup.

"City Hall should not have made the decision to have the people of Lodi pay for the previous council's mistakes," he said. "To find the extra money, we will have to prioritize our expenses based on our income. We have to live within our means."

Measure G would levy a quarter-cent sales tax to pay for recreation facilities and emergency services. The self-styled "tax fighter" is opposed to the measure.

"I don't think that every time the city wants more money for whatever reason they can just raise another tax," he said.

Though he is a new comer to city politics, Stevens was the treasurer of the Republican Central Committee. He also coaches soccer with the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

Stevens, who was in favor of the proposed Reynolds Ranch development project in south Lodi, said he would like to see a greenbelt separator between Lodi and Stockton. He said Lodi's current growth rate of under two percent is fine, and he said he can draw on the experience of his hometown in Tennessee in planning Lodi's future.

"Franklin was the size of Lodi. I've seen it grow tremendously, but it has a historic downtown," said Stevens, who visits his hometown every other year. "Lodi can do the same thing. We need to keep the small town feel and yet not isolate ourselves for future growth."

On the issue of crime, Stevens said he thinks the people of the community should take responsibility for taking care of their neighborhoods. He is in favor of programs such as Neighborhood Watch and Adopt-a-Block.

"The people need to be proud of where they live. If they are not given a reason to, then why try?" he said. "So much time is spent on fixing things instead of preventative maintenance."

Stevens said his campaign is in full swing. He has raised over $2,000 from individuals, and he has been going door to door handing out lawn signs. Some of his signs have reportedly been stolen, but Stevens said people have called him looking for a replacement.

"People are supporting me enough to not just put my sign out, but to make a phone call to replace it," he said. "That's encouraging. I like that."

Contact reporter Matt Brown at mattb@lodinews.com.

First published: Thursday, October 19, 2006