I will be on the November 8, 2022 ballot to continue my public service as a Councilmember for the City of Big Bear Lake. I had planned to take a break from the role, but ultimately decided continuing was the right thing to do under our current circumstances. I am grateful for, and humbled by, the outpouring of support. Now we just have to get me re-elected. Please consider my Candidate Statement:

I have faithfully served Big Bear Lake for 14 years as an elected City Councilmember and School Board Trustee. My many leadership positions, including Mayor, Chairman of Big Bear Fire Authority and Mountain Transit, as well as regional leadership roles at the Southern California Association of Governments and the League of California Cities, is a demonstration of the trust and confidence placed in me by my community and my peers. I am valued for my calm demeanor and common sense. I take a balanced, rational approach to problem solving, always striving to represent all members of the community, working to find consensus and a positive way forward.

I raised my children in Big Bear Lake, and have deep roots in the community as a local businessman, 23-year resident, and founding member of both the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation and the Big Bear Valley Education Trust.

My experience counts and helps our community rise to the challenges ahead. Please support thoughtful, reasonable, and respectful public service. Please support me, and help me help Big Bear Lake. Help me help you.

Also consider my 3 personal goals for an ongoing role in the City, recognizing that they are only possible when I can effectively work with my fellow Councilmembers, City Staff, and community members:

1. Mending fences & building bridges – focus on our strengths and capacity for significant accomplishments when we work together.
2. Fiscal Responsibility – maintain the City’s capacity to provide critical public services and invest wisely in the things people need and care about.
3. A Collective Vision for the City – create a new 20 year roadmap that reflects Big Bear Lake’s values, requirements, and reality.

I also hope to continue to tackle thorny issues that include affordable workforce housing and a balanced approach to Private Home Rentals. This is difficult work, made harder recently by an unprecedented Pandemic and self-centered, polarizing politics. I will continue to push forward, but I do need your support. Wanna help? Call me at 909-752-5342. Thank you for being the best part of Big Bear Lake.

As we continue to consider the impacts of local Big Bear Lake tourism, here are some interesting articles for reference, collected over the last several years:

• Utah Wanted All the Tourists. Then It Got Them
• Popular medieval Belgian town Bruges makes moves to restrict tourism
• The future of sustainable tourism may lie with all-inclusive resorts
• Prague Aims to Restrict Airbnb to Curb Overtourism
• Madrid takes on Airbnb and overtourism
• Airbnb subpoenaed by New York City for data on listings
• ‘They killed our city’: Locals feel helpless as vacation rentals overrun Sedona, Arizona
• After a year without tourists, Kauai’s rugged coast reopens
• 5 American mountain towns want tourists to be more responsible when they visit
• California ‘Daffodil Hill’ closing because of overtourism
• Essential California: Taking on overtourism, from the poppy fields to Big Sur
• Note to Selfies: Big Sur residents are not fans of bad guest behavior
• Big Sur shuttle seeks to alleviate the crush of tourist traffic
• Snowplay Overwhelms Dumpsters
• Venice, Italy to Charge Entrance Fee for Tourists
• Strict ticket policy introduced at Machu Picchu
• Bald eagles feeling the pinch in Big Bear area
• Can the world be saved from overtourism?
• Local governments can’t collect taxes from online travel firms
• How to fix exclusive resort towns

I have been honored and proud to serve our Valley for the last 10 years, first as a School Board Trustee for Bear Valley Unified School District, and most recently as Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Big Bear Lake. I will be seeking re-election this Fall to City Council so that I can continue to build on the work of those before me and help our local government agencies continue towards greater efficiency and effectiveness. Most people don’t realize that our local Councilmembers have a variety or other responsibilities, which in my case have included overseeing Mountain Transit, chairing the Big Bear Fire Authority, directing the Mojave Desert / Mountain Recycling JPA, and representing us at the League of California Cities. I am very proud of our little City, which enjoys disproportionately large regional influence and stature, and continues to evolve in many positive ways. But much hard work remains, including balancing the demands of a visitor-based resort economy with a high quality of life for residents. I look forward to again rolling up my sleeves and helping model good responsive local government. Thank you for your continued support.

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.