Meet the Roseville City Council Candidates: Scott Alvord

Editor's Note — This is the first in a series of Roseville City Council candidate profiles. Seven people are running in the Nov. 6 election; three seats are available. Read more about candidates in our Election Guide here.

Roseville City Council candidate Scott Alvord brings a business owner perspective to the candidates’ circle.

Alvord, a 25-year Roseville resident, currently owns three local businesses — A Dash of Panache tea and ice cream parlor in Downtown Roseville, Advanced Development Concepts, a development and consulting group for businesses, and Fellowship Networking Inc., a business networking corporation.

“Having someone with a business background, I think could be a really nice asset to City Council,” Alvord said. “I’ve worked with tons of different types of businesses and it’s really been eye opening how many City Council decisions affect businesses.”

That’s why one of Alvord’s top priorities, if elected to Roseville City Council during the Nov. 6 election, would be centered around business and jobs.

When a people have stable jobs, there’s less stress on their families, they are donating to charities and they’re paying taxes, which go back to the city, Alvord said.

“Jobs are the key to everything,” he said. “It’s a nice circle that all starts with jobs.”

Part of Alvord’s job-creation strategy is to attract and retain businesses in the City of Roseville.

“We’ve got to be more business friendly.”

Part of becoming more business friendly starts with creating more reasonable sign ordinances, Alvord said, as well as giving Roseville businesses first dibs on City contracts. The lowest bidder is “not always best for taxpayers,” Alvord said.

Instead, Alvord suggests the City work to create more in-City contracts. If a Roseville business has one of the lowest bids, Alvord suggests the City consider working with that company instead of an out-of-state or out-of-region company.

“It’s an investment in our economy,” he said.

Alvord’s second priority would be public safety. One idea he has regarding Roseville’s police and fire departments goes back to investing in Roseville’s economy. He estimates that half of the Roseville Police Department staff don’t live in the City of Roseville. Alvord wants to change that.

By providing officers incentives to move within the City, such as home loans or short-term discounts on bills, Alvord said more of the City employees’ salary with go back to the City through paying taxes and spending dollars locally.

Alvord’s third priority would be attracting higher education to the area.

“It’s very, very important. It’s a long process,” he said.

But a process worth being committed to, as the “reinvestment is huge.”

By having a university in Roseville, it would “keep those brilliant brains in Roseville,” would help businesses and create volunteers and jobs, Alvord said.

Current Roseville City Councilmembers have been working to attract a four-year university to the area for some time now and in April agreed to form a partnership with Sacramento State leaders in an effort to expand the university’s presence in the region.

Alvord’s business background began at a young age. He started a software and consulting company after graduating from Pacific Union College. After that, he earned his masters in business administration from CSU, Sacramento.

Alvord currently sits as president of the Downtown Roseville Merchants Association.

When he’s not working, Alvord said he enjoys spending time with his seven children, most of who are grown and out of the house. He also finds time to mentor other business owners.

“I just find a lot of pleasure in trying to save a business, help a business,” he said.

Alvord has also served on the City’s revitalization committee, Downtown Roseville Specific Plan Steering committee, committees within the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce, is a Leadership Roseville graduate and has held other volunteer positions.

To learn more about Alvord’s campaign, visit his campaign website here. You can also follow him on Facebook here.

Come Nov. 6, Roseville residents will have the chance to vote for three of seven candidates running for Roseville City Council.

“I just know in my heart that I can make a positive difference,” Alvord said.

For more local election coverage, see our Election Guide 2012 topic page here.
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