Meet Healdsburg City Council Candidate Scott Pratt

HEALDSBURG, CA — Patch reached out to all the candidates for Healdsburg City Council.

Two active candidates are running for Healdsburg City Council District 2. Alex Wood qualified for the ballot but has withdrawn from the race.

Below, read the responses of Scott Pratt, a candidate for a seat representing District 2 on the Healdsburg City Council.

Scott Pratt, 63, is running for a seat representing District 2 on the Healdsburg City Council.

In the questionnaire, Pratt identified aging infrastructure, affordability and livability, and major land-use and transportation decisions as priorities.

We sent out questionnaires and reprinted answers verbatim.

What is your educational background?

High School: Harvard Academy+Palisades High College: Santa Monica+Northridge+Pierce (Agribusiness)

What is your professional background?

35 Years in film/print production (Advertising)

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?

No public / 2 Years Anderson Valley Housing Assoc.

What are the top three issues facing your district right now?

This question, and my answer, will always be evolving as the needs of our community change. Right now, I see three major issues facing District 2, although none of them stops at our district boundaries.

First is infrastructure. District 2 has significant aging water and sewer infrastructure that needs attention, followed by coordinated street repair and resurfacing. We need to plan these projects together rather than repeatedly digging up the same streets.

Second is affordability and livability. We need housing that allows working families, young people, seniors and our local workforce to remain part of Healdsburg, while making sure growth doesn't come at the expense of the qualities that make our neighborhoods livable.

Third are two very current decisions that will shape Healdsburg for decades: the location of the SMART station and The Hudson development. Both raise larger questions about land use, housing, transportation and how we want Healdsburg to grow.

District 2 has its particular needs, but these are ultimately Healdsburg issues.

What is one specific policy you would implement in your first 100 days?

I don’t believe we should limit ourselves to one policy priority when two urgent issues can and should be addressed simultaneously. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

First, I would ask the Council and city staff to re-examine our water rate structure. I believe we should consider placing more of the City’s fixed revenue needs into the base rate rather than relying so heavily on tiered water usage. Every property depends on the same water system and infrastructure, whether it is occupied by a full-time resident, a part-time resident or a second homeowner. The cost of maintaining that system should be shared fairly.

At the same time, I would begin working with the State and our regional partners to better shape housing mandates so that new development meets state housing goals while also addressing Healdsburg’s actual housing needs. The Hudson demonstrated why we need to be more proactive in that process.

Housing growth must also be matched by public safety capacity. As development increases, particularly senior housing, we need to ensure our Fire Department and emergency services can keep pace with the expected increase in medical aid calls.

None of these changes happen through one councilmember alone. My first 100 days would be about bringing these issues forward, building Council support and making them part of our goals and work plan.

What is your plan to enact this plan and how would you measure success after one year?

Both of these are long-term projects, and I would consider full implementation within the first year a tremendous success. But success should not be measured only by whether we reach the finish line. It should also be measured by whether we are making real, documented progress. When proposing these initiatives, I would build in clear benchmarks and require a public progress review every three months. For the water rate structure, that could mean completing a financial analysis, identifying alternative rate models, understanding impacts on different types of households and properties, gathering public input, and bringing viable options back to Council. For housing and public safety, benchmarks could include establishing meaningful discussions with State and regional officials, identifying where Healdsburg has flexibility within housing mandates, evaluating the public safety impacts of planned development, and determining what additional staffing, equipment or funding our Fire Department may need as the community grows. Government projects can take time, but that shouldn't mean they disappear into a committee or report. Quarterly reviews would allow the Council and the public to see what has been accomplished, what obstacles remain, and what needs to happen next. To me, measurable progress and public accountability are important measures of success.

What is one specific change you would make to improve livability in your district?

District 2 faces some significant infrastructure challenges that directly affect livability. Aging water and sewer lines need attention, and once that underground work is completed, we need to follow through with proper street repair and resurfacing. These are issues throughout Healdsburg, but parts of District 2 have a particularly pressing need for investment.

To me, livability starts with the basics. Residents should be able to depend on safe water, reliable sewer service and well-maintained streets. We also need to coordinate these projects intelligently. It makes little sense to repave a street only to tear it up again a few years later for water or sewer work. Better long-term planning can reduce disruption and make better use of taxpayer dollars.

Water security goes beyond District 2 but directly affects everyone who lives here. Healdsburg currently relies heavily on the Russian River for its water supply. I want to continue developing and improving our Dry Creek wells so we can move toward a better balance between our two water sources and create greater resilience for the entire community.

These may not be glamorous projects, but reliable infrastructure is fundamental to making District 2 a safe, comfortable and sustainable place to live.

How would you improve transparency or accountability in your local government?

I don't believe there is anything particularly shady going on at City Hall, but transparency is essential to maintaining public trust. I would like to see greater participation in Council meetings, and that starts by making it easier for residents to know when meetings are happening, what is being discussed and what decisions were made.

Beyond posting agendas and minutes online, I would like the City to produce a very concise, plain-language summary immediately following each Council meeting: what was discussed, what was decided, how the Council voted and what comes next.

I would also explore bringing that information directly into the community through digital screens or kiosks in heavily traveled locations such as Safeway, Big John's, the Plaza and other gathering places. This isn't a radical idea. San Diego uses digital kiosks for public information and engagement, and Livermore has installed kiosks providing access to Council meetings, City information and emergency messaging.

The screens could display upcoming meetings, major agenda items, short meeting recaps, emergency information and QR codes for residents who want more detail.

Transparency shouldn't require people to go looking for City government. City government should make an effort to reach them where they already are.

What makes you a better choice than your opponents?

The biggest distinction I see between us is independence. I have deliberately declined endorsements from sitting Councilmembers because, if elected, my first obligation is to the residents of District 2 and Healdsburg as a whole, not to maintaining alliances on the Council. My opponent has chosen to accept those endorsements. I believe voters should consider what that means when important issues put a new Councilmember at odds with those who helped elect him.

The SMART station is a good example. Healdsburg has repeatedly supported the Hudson Street Depot, and the overwhelming sentiment expressed by residents at the most recent Council meeting was again for Hudson. My opponent has advocated for considering the downtown location. I support the Depot because I believe it better reflects what residents have consistently asked for, regardless of what another Councilmember or SMART may prefer.

I also bring 35 years of experience managing projects, budgets, teams and difficult negotiations. My career trained me to manage multiple complex projects and competing priorities simultaneously, without allowing one important issue to push another aside. It also taught me how to negotiate practical, win/win solutions among people with different interests.

I bring energy, life experience as a longtime homeowner, taxpayer, utility bill payer, and parent, and I am at a point in my career where I can devote substantial time and attention to this job.

My opponent brings youth and an admirable career in education. I bring independence, decades of management and negotiating experience, the ability to tackle multiple priorities at once, and the willingness to disagree with City leadership when I believe residents are asking for something different.