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: Glenn Button

Current job title: Business Owner, Engineer

Political party affiliation: Non-Partisan

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: Commissioner for Cypress Senior Citizens Commission

City where you reside: Cypress

Campaign website or social media: Button4CypressCityCouncil2024.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.)

Rather than allowing the market of buyers and builders to determine the best housing needs within the zoning of each city, the current supermajority in the California Legislature is dictating artificial mandates.

These mandates are creating contentious situations within cities because they will drive dramatic changes in the character of cities. To meet these housing element responses, communities with single-family homes are being driven to zone for higher-density projects with multi-family condos or apartments.

A speaker at a recent Cypress City Council meeting accurately described our city’s ballot measure as a choice between two “sucky” options. Be aware that the option which would result if the ballot measure is not approved includes a penalty of 90 additional dwelling units. What residents prefer, but Sacramento will not allow, is for less housing growth in our city. Cypress residents have to choose which option they dislike least.

As your councilmember, I will work with other cities to push back on Sacramento’s ill-conceived mandates.

Vote wisely. The representatives who you and I elect to Sacramento will either provide relief from these heavy-handed government mandates, or they will make them worse.

California is working toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Where does climate change fall in your list of priorities? How, if at all, would you address this as a councilmember? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

Cypress already has a very low carbon footprint, by global standards. As a member of the City Council, I will continue the Cypress approach of replacing aging vehicles with hybrid or electric vehicles, in the cases where that makes sense. I have plugged my personal hybrid in at charging stations our city has installed at our parks.

Another strategy, successfully utilized by Rancho Cucamonga, is to look at improving the timing of traffic signals, to minimize vehicles idling at intersections. This requires coordination with neighboring cities to avoid traffic stacking up at every border between cities. I will continue building of the relationships between Cypress and nearby cities to facilitate these coordinated efforts.

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.)

The city of Cypress has benefited from a conservative majority on our City Council which provided a strong financial position. Our city is on track to have our pension liability fully covered by 2030, while keeping our sales tax low and avoiding any utility use tax. Strategic efforts to keep our city business-friendly provide a strong source of revenue. Aggressive cost controls keep our budget balanced. I will utilize my COO experience to build on the great relationships between our city, businesses and residents. I will be a staunch defender of your taxpayer dollars.

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.)

The city of Cypress was forced into district elections for our City Council earlier this year. Some council members have already suggested further fragmentation of our small city by appointing commissioners by district. Residents have shared with me that they want people selected by their qualifications and internal character, rather than by outward appearances or address. As shown in our recent survey, people are delighted with our city and want to keep the continuity, unity and positive direction we have established. My campaign is endorsed by the majority of our current councilmembers and several past mayors.

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.)

My background includes aerospace engineering, business ownership, extensive volunteering, serving as president of three professional leadership associations and serving as commissioner on the Cypress Senior Citizens Commission.

These broad perspectives allow me to effectively communicate with our city government staff, our city’s service and professional businesses, our nonprofits and all of our amazing residents. Building bridges between people with differing viewpoints allows for negotiating the best solutions for our entire city.

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