Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide
Name: Norm Kyriss
Current job title: Realtor/lender
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: None
City where you reside: Hemet
Campaign website or social media: www.electnormankyriss.com, X, TikTok, Instagram, Nextdoor & Facebook
How can the city best meet the demand and mandates for more housing, including at lower prices, while also preserving the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents?
The city can best meet housing demand and mandates while preserving quality of life by balancing the need for new housing with maintaining the livability, environmental sustainability, and community character.
This would require pursuing a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach that balances long-term planning, regulatory changes, community engagement, and financial partners.
Several ideas that I would like to implement are preserving neighborhood character and cultural identity, balance density increases without overwhelming neighborhoods, investing in public amenities, traffic and congestion management, streamlining permitting and approval processes, public-private partnerships, noise and pollution control, and smart growth that promotes walkable communities.
By integrating these approaches, we can meet housing demand but also create environments where people enjoy a high quality of life, fostering vibrant, and sustainable communities.
How should the city balance paying off debts, such as pension liabilities, and building reserves all while meeting residents’ needs? Should a solution involve finding new revenue, trimming the budget, or something else entirely?
Balancing paying off debts, addressing pension liabilities responsibly, and building reserves are critical aspects of sound financial management. Achieving this balance requires adhering to our strategic plan, prioritizing debt management, looking for efficiencies in city operations, and a commitment to both short-term stability and long-term fiscal sustainability.
Clearly report the city’s financial obligations in public documents, ensuring that stakeholders understand the trade-offs being made. Involve the community in discussions around fiscal priorities, particularly when addressing long-term liabilities. Apply for state or federal grants that can assist with infrastructure projects, reducing the need to borrow and freeing up funds for other obligations. Work with state governments, where applicable, to address pension reform or obtain assistance in stabilizing pension funds. Improve the city’s credit rating demonstrating fiscal discipline, managing liabilities responsibly, and maintaining healthy reserve levels.
The key is to approach financial management with foresight, flexibility, and a commitment to transparency.
In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it?
Enhancing public safety and improving streets are the biggest challenges the city faces. This often requires coordination between multiple stakeholders, careful planning, and balancing competing priorities.
Municipal budgets are often stretched thin, making it difficult to allocate funds for large-scale street improvements while also addressing public safety needs. The city must balance spending on infrastructure, public safety, social services, and other community needs.
We can collaborate with private businesses, developers, and nonprofits to co-fund street improvements and safety projects. Applying for state or federal grants designed for infrastructure and safety enhancements. Prioritizing high-risk or high-need areas, we can focus on smaller more manageable projects in phases rather than trying to overhaul entire districts at once.
Addressing homelessness while improving street safety and cleanliness is particularly difficult. Partnering with nonprofit organizations or social service providers can help us address homelessness in tandem with public safety improvements, focusing on outreach and long-term solutions rather than punitive measures.
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city?
Having lived in and actively contributed to the city since 1981, this has given me a deep understanding of its unique challenges, values, and cultural dynamics. This connection gives me credibility with residents who trust leaders who are rooted in the community.
My experience and dedication demonstrate that I am committed to improving the lives of people in the city. This track record of advocacy and hands-on involvement shows that I just don’t talk about change, that I am actively working to make it happen.
The years of building relationships in the community enabled me to build trust more easily. Since people likely know me through my activism, they’ll see me as approachable and relatable, making it easier for me to connect with diverse groups. This would allow me to build coalitions and mobilize people around key issues. This is critical for addressing citywide challenges like housing, traffic, public safety, and homelessness.
This passion I have working for change shows that i am not just interested in the status quo but want to push for improvements that benefit the entire city.
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