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: Mike Frost

Current job title: Councilmember District 4

Political party affiliation: Non-Partisan

Incumbent: Yes

Other political positions held: Mayor, Mayor Pro-Tem

City where you reside: Dana Point

Campaign website or social media: mikefrostfordanapoint.com

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? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

Wow, one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult questions we have. And in all honesty, to the extent a resident’s quality of life is determined by existing real estate development we can’t. Tough to say as a politician, but it’s the truth.

What we can do, however, is understand the look, feel and tone of the residents; the small businesses; and the local nonprofits and aim for projects meeting those concepts. Couple that within incremental change, incremental density and correctly placed additional residential we can ensure a new (albeit potentially different) quality of life.

The city has already invested in improving pedestrian access in the Doheny Village area. With new development planned in the village, what do you see its future looking like, and what can the city do to facilitate that? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

Well, ultimately that’s up to the residents, business owners and property owners down in Doheny Village. The zoning allows for an eclectic set of uses, and we do plan on investing quite a bit into the infrastructure (sidewalks, etc.).

I think once we get nice pedestrian access from Palisades to Doheny, and Doheny over to the Harbor, we are going to see efforts underway for additional retail and restaurants.

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? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

We have a long outlook on our financials, and I don’t see this being an issue. However, in general, we do have some “nice-to-have” expenses each year. Obviously, we would trim the budget around those areas.

As a policymaker, its critical not to spend today in order to personally look good, while saddling councilmembers in the future. We won’t do that in Dana Point.

In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

Managing state mandates and communicating to the community.

Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

I hope the residents of Dana Point have been happy with the council, and specifically my performance, these past four years.

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