Huntington Beach Senior Dorothy Silverman talks to Jennifer McGrath. Mrs. Silverman is a realtor at Berg Realty and a longtime volunteer in the Huntington Beach community.
The Campaign to Re-Elect Jennifer McGrath Huntington Beach City Attorney was out in force today walking the neighborhoods and talking to the Huntington Beach community. Jennifer McGrath took the time to personally talk with concerned citizens, particularly Huntington Beach seniors.
Huntington Beach is a city of over 200,000 of which over 10% are senior citizens living on a fixed income. Ms. McGrath has always been empathetic to the senior community in Huntington Beach. Senior citizens told Ms. McGrath about their sense of uncertainty and vulnerability. They expressed a number of concerns including, among others, the economy, healthcare, taxes, and community services. Seniors are also feeling frustrated with what they see as an increasing lack of ethics in government.
During her tenure as Huntington Beach City Attorney, Jennifer McGrath has attacked the ethical issue directly. An authority on government ethics, Ms. McGrath provides state-mandated ethics training three times a year to all elected and appointed Huntington Beach City officials, as well as City employees involved in fiscal management of the City’s affairs.
Even before the current economic times, Jennifer McGrath was also spearheading the effort to protect taxpayer money and preserve Huntington Beach City services.
I have been blessed to serve this community since 2002. As your City Attorney, my role is to advise the City Council and staff on all legal matters regardless of personal opinion or partisanship. I protect taxpayer money, reducing the need for taxes and fees, by avoiding lawsuits whenever possible and aggressively defending all lawsuits against the City. Your tax dollars should not be wasted on frivolous lawsuits, but dedicated to public safety, infrastructure, and community services.
In pursuit of protecting taxpayer money and preserving Huntington Beach City services, Ms. McGrath has:
- Established and maintained a form of aggressive, yet cost-effective, litigation;
- Reorganized the office to create a pro-active Advisory Division to reduce the filing of frivolous litigation against the City;
- Implemented the technological tools, including law office management software and use of the Internet, to improve communication with the staff, City Council, and the public;
- Continued to provide pro-active legal advice on a daily basis to City staff and City Council to minimize the likelihood of litigation and reduce the use of outside counsel;
- Maintained a City-wide training program to improve compliance with state and local law at all levels of the organization, including Ethics, the Brown Act, Public Records Act, and Contract Preparation;
- Provided immediate advice to all City Departments including Public Works, Police, and Fire; and trained City staff on a wide variety of topics on an annual basis to help them do things the right way the first time.
Jennifer McGrath is very involved in the Huntington Beach community and welcomes the opportunity to talk with residents. Ms. McGrath regularly appears at local events, social club meetings, and other gatherings to talk about the issues and listen to citizen concerns. Feel free to email her if you would like her to appear at your event or community gathering.
The City of Huntington Beach provides a wide array of services to Huntington Beach seniors many of which are highlighted at the annual Huntington Beach Senior Saturday. Jennifer McGrath is always happy to talk to seniors personally about their needs and concerns.
