They hold many like beliefs, but their pasts differ

By Democrat Staff
Daily Democrat : http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_4458173
 
In the race for a seat on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, former Woodland Mayor Matt Rexroad has faced a considerable amount of criticism.

Many have called into question his motives for wanting to hold the title of District 3 Supervisor, but when asked why he wants the position he's likely to say "to represent the people of Woodland."

And one thing that can't be disputed is the guy's love for his hometown.

As a Woodland native, Rexroad holds deep ties to the community in which he grew up, and he expresses a passion for almost everything that goes on in the town he calls home.

"Even when I had difficult times, what I remember is Woodland," he said.

One of the difficult times Rexroad refers to was his military service in Iraq.

"My wife didn't know that many people here and I was gone for seven months," Rexroad said.

Because of his public presence, the former Mayor said he "had security issues" and was nervous about his wife being alone in the house.

Rexroad is a former staff sergeant who 13 years with the U.S. Marine Corps 4th Force Reconnaissance unit in Reno, Nev.

In 2003, he spent six months in Kuwait and Iraq with the USMC 1st Force Reconnaissance unit.

For his service in Iraq, the National Conference of State Legislators awarded him the Medal of Civic Honor.

"People (in Woodland) really rallied around my wife when I was in Iraq," he said. "And they sent me care packages."

The small-town feeling where neighbors rally around neighbors and people care for one another is what Rexroad is all about, he said.

The District 3 supervisor hopeful takes a realistic view of his candidacy.

"Some people support me because I made a good catch in high school, some support me because I was nice to their kid," he said. "And some people won't support me for those reasons."

Rexroad said, like everyone else on the planet, he is not without weaknesses.

"I've lost some support because I'm drive oriented," he said. "I try to get from 'a' to 'b,' and some people don't like that."

Rexroad said he speaks his mind, even when he knows it's not going to be the most popular opinion, which is what he said the town of Woodland needs.

"You can train a monkey to vote 'yes' or 'no,'" he said, adding that holding a public position requires going above and beyond the call of duty to serve the people you represent.

About his competition for the District 3 Supervisor seat, he said Frank Sieferman Jr. is just not cutting it.

"He's not bad, not dishonest," Rexroad said about the District 3 supervisor that he hopes to unseat come November. "But you have to have someone with the right skill set."

According to Rexroad, Sieferman is simply punching a time-clock, not going out of his way to serve the people of Woodland.

Rexroad said even if he loses the race for supervisor, he would still be just as involved in the community as he will if he wins.

Rexroad said his plan for Woodland will be to increase social services so that people in need will have the proper training, assistance and in-home support to succeed in life.

"We don't provide social services," Rexroad said, adding that he will work tirelessly to support Woodland's Wayfarer Center.

In 2003, he co-founded the Sacramento political consulting firm Meridian Pacific.

If elected, Rexroad said he would strive to represent the interests of his district, which extends east from Woodland to the county border.

He spoke of a critical need for flood protection for Woodland residents. Little progress has been made, he said, and the city is now seeking a solution through the Water Resources Association, a partnership of local governments.

Rexroad also said county management ought to be changed to utilize the chief executive officer structure common in business. The change would give the CEO more freedom and authority than the current county administrative officer has. That would allow a more efficient organization, he said, since the Board of Supervisors meets only a couple times a month.

"The people who elect (an official) aren't doing it on management skills, they're doing it on broad policy statements," he said. "That's not why you choose your managers."

In terms of politics, Rexroad said he is disappointed that his status as a republican has entered into the race.

"It's really backfired and I'm disappointed," he said.

Rexroad said he has backed many Democrats such as Woodland Mayor Dave Flory and former city councilwoman Martie Dotie because he felt they were doing the right thing, politics aside.

"It should be all about competence," Rexroad said.

Ask Frank Sieferman Jr. about his accomplishments in office and he's more likely to talk about people he has helped than grants he lined up or projects he took the lead on.

Sieferman is running for his second term as supervisor of the third district, which includes most of Woodland and parts of unincorporated Yolo County. Business owner Brenda Cedarblade out of the race.

His opponents have criticized him for weak or invisible leadership on major issues, but Sieferman countered that his priority is providing help to individuals for their problems.

"It's when the person calls and says 'Frank, I'm at my wits end, I've got nowhere to go' ... and we end up with them getting (the problem) resolved," he explained. "It's not really part of what some folks feel is the job description, but it is what I said I would do."

Though he was born in Woodland and attended school there, Sieferman grew up in Zamora, where he continues to live. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1968, during the Vietnam War.

After returning in September 1971, Sieferman spent a year in Alaska. Once back in California, he enrolled at Cosumnes Community College where he studied Chemistry and Agriculture. In 1973, Sieferman started working on his own ranch and became a full-time farmer until 1980, when he became a full-time professional millwright.

Sieferman also argues that he has been involved in many of the major issues facing the third district, including the Conaway Ranch takeover and the continuing hunt for better flood control.

Cedarblade, one of Sieferman's supporters in his 2002 election campaign, has criticized his support for the ranch acquisition, in which the county is taking 16,000 acres between Woodland and Davis from its owners.

He said eminent domain is a complex issue, but said the Board of Supervisors saw no alternatives when they voted unanimously to seize the ranch.

"I could not make any other choice," he said.

Sieferman expressed frustration with county government, identifying the continuing search for flood protection for Woodland as an example of how the "cumbersome" process can be detrimental.

"It is not something that happens with any kind of speed," he said. "If we were to look at the discussions of flood protection on Cache Creek ... we're no closer to flood protection today than we were you name the year. Nothing has changed, it's only gotten worse."

After the failed attempt to build a flood wall protecting Woodland, Sieferman said responsibility for a solution has fallen to the Water Resources Association, a partnership between the county, several cities and the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

In response to recent criticisms of the county health department and assessor's office, Sieferman has been advocating an overhaul of the personnel review process.

He suggested that a recent grand jury report looking into the health department and some public clashes about the assessor's office could have been averted. In particular he advocated a "global" system, where employees would be evaluated by all their peers, rather than just their direct superior.

"I believe that we could have been doing a better job over the last years that would have prevented that," he said.

He also discussed his ongoing campaign to increase local use of solar power, he desire for a detailed flood fight plan and said future supervisors would have to focus their attention on improving relations with city governments.

"I would like to see the cities embrace the county and the services we provide," he said.