On Jan. 26, Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong talked of Cupertino’s future in annual speech
On Jan. 26, the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, the City of Cupertino, and the Rotary Club of Cupertino hosted the mayor’s annual State of the City Address from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Quinlan Community Center presented by Mayor Gilbert Wong.
Scroll down to see a break down of Cupertino’s revenue and expenditures taken from Wong’s speech.
The Mayor:
Wong grew up in the Santa Clara Valley , attended San Jose State University and West Valley College, and now works in property management and real estate. Among other commissions, Wong has affiliations with the Cupertino Rotary, the Asian American Parent Association, and the advisory board of the Organization of Special Need Families. Before he was elected for mayor, he served for years on the Cupertino Planning Commission and Cupertino City Council.
Wong stresses the importance of family:
Wong, after introducing important officials in the City of Cupertino, took the time to acknowledge his family and the importance of family in Cupertino.
“Family also represents one of the great secrets to our community, and our city’s success. Ultimately, it is why people move to Cupertino,” Wong said in his speech. “Quite simply, Cupertino is a great place to work, play,and live.”
“Anyone familiar with Cupertino will tell you, there’s much more to our community than meets the eye,” Wong said in his speech. “These 11 square miles of land have a reputation that spans the globe…Cupertino is known around the world.”
Cupertino’s Revenue and Expenditure:
Cupertino spends approximately 25 percent on public works, 14 percent on parks and recreation, and 13 percent on the Sheriff‘s Department. The largest portion, about 20 percent, of the city’s revenue comes from property taxes.
“The City Council continues to be aggressive about maintaining our streets, parks and buildings. Foregoing maintenance only means a larger bill for the taxpayers later,” Wong said.
Life in Cupertino:
After stressing the ease with which Cupertino adapted its economy to the hard times,, he went on to mention Hewlett-Packard’s departure and Apple’s new campus. Wong transitioned into recreational life in Cupertino, including restaurants, parks, bowling alleys, movie theaters, and sports centers.
“Based on a 2010 survey,” Wong said, “95 [percent] of our residents are satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of life in Cupertino. In 2009, Forbes Magazine ranked Cupertino one of the top five places in the nation in which to ‘live well’.”
Future Changes:
Next to establishing the status quo, Wong also stressed significant changes he would like to bring about in Cupertino, like longer library hours, a continuation of the Stevens Creek Park development, a search for a sister city in India and China, and a reconnection with our former sister city of Copertino, Italy.
