Candidate for
County Supervisor; Marin County; Supervisorial District 4

Diane Furst is committed to bringing people together to address the many challenges we face as a community. This is exactly what Diane has done as a Councilmember and Vice Mayor in Corte Madera, and it is what she will do as your next County Supervisor.

Protecting the Health & Safety of our Coastal & Inland Environments

As Supervisor, Diane will ensure that environmental protection issues are a priority when considering land use or development proposals, and she will continue to support our County's landmark environmental policies, such as the Marin Energy Authority and the plastic bag ban. Committed to conservation, Diane is also prepared to lead the way on exploring the implementation of greywater technology in new developments, and other ways to move toward more sustainable water use. She also supports and will work to promote GMO labeling to ensure the safety of food for all Californians.

Replacing Ineffective & Unrealistic Housing Mandates with a More Sensible, Community-Based Approach

As Vice Mayor of Corte Madera, Diane has shown real leadership and a commitment to opposing unrealistic, ever-changing state and regional housing mandates by leading the charge to terminate the Town's relationship with ABAG. Diane supports replacing overly aggressive and faulty mandates with a more sensible, community-based approach to meet our housing needs. Diane has shown leadership as a Councilmember and Vice Mayor in Corte Madera, and a Transportation Authority of Marin Board Member, and she will do it as County Supervisor as well.

Providing Better Solutions to Transportation Issues

In our district, we face potholes and road closures in West Marin, too much congestion on Highway 101 and woefully inadequate transit service in much of the district.

Whether you drive, bike, walk or take public transit, deteriorating roads are a safety hazard and drive up vehicle maintenance costs, especially in West Marin. Diane will ensure that our roadways are given the attention they need, and she is showing leadership in her work on the TAM Board to ensure that a proposed major freeway project is handled prudently and does not create result in a blight on our natural environment. Diane is also committed to increasing local and commuter bus service to relieve traffic congestion, improve transit options in West Marin, and reduce our carbon footprint.

Committed to More Transparent & Accessible Government

Diane is committed to ensuring that Marin residents are not kept in the dark on issues that impact our community. Too often, important issues fly under the radar and are either handled behind closed doors or simply placed on the County's consent calendar + with the intent of suppressing public debate- often resulting in a public outcry once projects are approved. As a Councilmember and Vice Mayor of Corte Madera, Diane has led the charge on creating an environment of openness and transparency. As County Supervisor, Diane pledges to engage stakeholders and work collaboratively and out in the open to address problems. She will also ensure that residents are informed and engaged by holding weekly open office hours in both the Civic Center and in West Marin to ensure that residents in all corners of her vast district are able to talk to her about the issues that matter most to them. And like she did in Corte Madera, Diane will work to make government more accessible to the public by promoting more user-friendly reports and presentations.

Providing Sound Fiscal Management of our County's Finances

Diane's background in accounting and finance makes her the perfect candidate to bring Marin County's budget obligations back into balance while maintaining our most vital services. As Councilmember and Vice Mayor in Corte Madera, Diane helped bring the Town's budget back into balance after years of deficit spending. For years, the County has wasted taxpayer dollars on overpriced and ineffective IT consultants and has doled out hundreds of thousands of dollars in "discretionary funds" to Supervisors with no strings attached. In these tough economic times, our County Supervisors need to spend taxpayers' money more wisely. As County Supervisor, Diane will ensure that the County's budgets are balanced, on time and are able to fully support the most vital services our residents count on.

Implementing Fair & Responsible Pension Reform

Diane believes that our County's elected leaders and public employee unions must work together to create meaningful pension reform. Marin County's current pension system is unsustainable and threatens to erode public services as more and more of our tax dollars go to make up pension fund shortfalls. Diane supports a collaborative approach that is both fair and responsible and results in the long-term financial sustainability of Marin County and its pension obligations.