This story was reported for the San Diego News Network on July 1, 2009.
Donning flip-flops, khakis and a Hawaiian-print shirt, he isn’t your typical politician. At least not on this particular day. He just taught a summer history class to high school students and went into City Hall to complete a few tasks.
But, as the mayor of Coronado and a high school history teacher, Casey Tanaka has a jam-packed schedule, more than what his casual attire may display.
He has concerns over decreasing tax revenue, overdevelopment, and most recently, that his city was in the limelight from a Coronado bridge toll study (that told them how much revenue the city could take in for different amounts of toll prices), which he found negative and unfair. He’s moving forward though, he said, as he has state budget sorrows to deal with. Additionally, the future for young people has always played a heavy role in his life.
“Casey has a combination of qualities that make him a great a leader,” said councilmember Carrie Downey. “He is a teacher and teachers by nature are problem solvers.”
The Hawaii-born leader arrived in Coronado in 1983 and started attending second grade in the city’s school district. He graduated from Coronado High School in 1994 and went to UC San Diego to earn a bachelor’s degree in history – a decision not difficult to make.
“I really liked history, all my life really,” Tanaka said. “In fifth grade, I remember being pretty intrigued by U.S. history and I remember doing well at it. By the time, I graduated from high school it had occurred to me that this might be something I’d want to do for a living; teach history.”
After nailing down a teaching position at his alma mater, CHS, in 1999, Tanaka decided he wanted to join the ranks of the leaders he was teaching about.
“Government, at least, my city history, has often been inner-woven with the study of government,” Tanaka said. “In sometime in my 20s, it had occurred to me that not only could I be teaching history, I could be a part of history by participating in government as well. I was fortunate enough here, in Coronado, to have the opportunity to serve.”
Tanaka began his career in government as a Coronado city councilmember in 2002 and was inaugurated as mayor in December of 2008. Since his inauguration, he’s had very little time to catch a breath.
The state of Coronado from the eyes of the mayor
The time Tanaka started as mayor was the same time the economy spiraled downward. By the end of the first quarter, the tourism hot spot saw a 25 to 35 percent decline in hotel tax (TOT) revenue. Then, glances of state problems appeared in Coronado with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to take local revenue to fix state problems.
“My biggest challenge has been the economy,” Tanaka said. “It has been everyone’s biggest challenge in municipal terms. The City of Coronado was well situated to weather the storms but nonetheless we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop from the state.”
Tanaka said the city did pass a balanced budget, however, if the state takes municipal revenue, Coronado will have to dig into its reserves. He said the city’s reserve tops $2 million, a sizable amount for a city that only operates on $37 million.
“We just passed a balanced budget,” he said.”You can’t build your budget on a ‘just in case’ basis or ‘what if the state robs you?’ We didn’t build that reserve for unforseen state takeaways.”
But, he’s coping with the lead role well said councilmember Mike Woiwode.
“He is dealing with it very well,” Woiwode said. “He’s very much in touch with the city and he knows what the citizens expects the city to provide. He’s been through the budgeting process six times and he certainly understands promises made in the past and understands the folks of Coronado.”
The state has also caused frustration in Coronado with the mandate to develop more homes and buildings throughout California. Although, the mandate is nothing new, Tanaka said it has remained a quandary for elected leaders.
“We’re put in a box by the state,” he said. “There’s a housing shortage. The state, in general, has said ‘We need more housing not less.’ That one-size approach doesn’t apply to Coronado.”
He said the problem with developing in Coronado is that it’s a “build out” city and that they don’t have empty space available on their island. This state mandate, he said, causes traffic congestion.
“I’m personally frustrated that there’s not a lot the government here in the city can do to stop it,” Tanaka said. “That’s something that I see as a source of tension within the community. I regret to say I have not seen a shortage of traffic complaints or issues of overbuilding in Coronado.
“Its the opinion of most residents in Coronado, that smart planning is limiting density not increasing it.”
The problem with density and traffic, in turn, has caused the leaders of Coronado to evaluate ways to make the trip to and from the island a little smoother.
“One of the realities of Coronado is there one main way to get into the city – the bridge,” Tanaka said. “The bridge has been in operation for 40 years and one could tell it’s outdated because it’s a five-lane bridge.”
In 1998, voters asked Coronado leaders to pursue and acquire funding for a tunnel. Over time, the city has evaluated different forms of revenue to create a tunnel. However, this inclination didn’t spark much interest until a study on toll revenue from the bridge was released. The Coronado bridge, which sees roughly 88,000 to 100,000 trips a day, collected tolls up until 2002. At that time, the bridge was paid off through the tolls and SANDAG – who was granted bridge rights from the state, and opted to remove the tolls.
However, with more traffic — the city accepted a study based on toll revenue, which shined a negative light on Coronado leaders, said Tanaka. The Mayor said the study was merely taken because Congress mandated it, if the city should take federal dollars to help fund the tunnel. However, he said, the leaders were in no position to vote on a toll resolution or to place an immediate toll requirement on the bridge.
In fact, he said, SANDAG and even the state would be the only agencies who could mandate a toll on the bridge. And, he said, because the possibility of tolls is so unpopular, it is unlikely SANDAG will enact tolls.
“All we did was accept a study that told us how much we could generate [from tolls],” Tanaka said. “The real authority still rests with the State of California. They gave SANDAG authority and if they wanted it, they can take it away.”
Life outside of the mayoral office
Believe it or not, Tanaka (and the councilmembers) is a part-time city employee.
Tanaka said teaching AP History and being around young people for most of his days is what inspires him most when in his mayoral office.
“I think it’s the job of government to do its best to protect and serve its citizens,” Tanaka said. “I’m around younger people for most of the day, so I’m most interested in seeing the city’s government protect all of its citizens but making sure we take care of our youth.”
His occupation as a teacher is one of his best qualities, said Downey. Downey, whose 15-year-old daughter will take Tanaka’s class in two years, said her daughter often asks the mayor questions.
“She’s 15 and wanted to take his class next year but has to wait,” Downey said. “But when she sees him, she is always asking him questions.”
Tanaka doesn’t mind and is happy to offer Coronado’s young people such a perk.
“I think, in general, they like having their mayor as their teacher,” Tanaka said. “It’s convenient for them if they have a question about their government that they have access to their government in such a quick and easy way. I also think the kids, like many citizens, don’t necessarily understand their government, and it’s an opportunity for them to become more familiar with their government and have a reason to even care. That’s the part I like the most.”
More politics for Tanaka?
As a newly-elected mayor, Tanaka said he isn’t considering other political ambitions. Although it isn’t because he’s not interested, he just wants to focus on the job he has now.
“I’m not against doing something else,” he said.”When you win an election its kind of like having a contract and so I feel like I have a contract with the citizens of Coronado. And in any job, I don’t think you’re being a very good employee if, in the middle or beginning of your contract, you’re talking about another job.
But, he did say, “Chances are the only job I’ll be interested in is re-election in four years.”
Although he enjoys being mayor and may run for another term — he did share one inconvenience that has arisen from being mayor.
Tanaka shared the story of when his mother’s sutures came apart and his family had to call 911.
“She was basically holding herself in with her hands. It wasn’t critical or anything but critical enough to call 911. When the firefighters got there and they came in, the first thing the firefighters said was, ‘Oh, are you Casey’s mom?’ And so as she’s holding her guts in, she says, ‘Yeah, I am Casey’s mom but why don’t we work on this?”
“So those are the only little inconveniences,” he said laughing.
Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.