Differences Between Lisa Edelheit And Myself

POLICY COMPARISON BETWEEN LISA EDELHEIT AND STANLEY BISSMEYER

Overall Philosophy

Stanley Bissmeyer	Lisa Edelheit
Constitutional conservative	Progressive/Democratic affiliation (based on endorsements and public positions)
Limited government	Greater government involvement
Lower taxes and fees	More willing to support public spending and taxing if needed
Individual liberty and property rights	Greater emphasis on social programs and government services

Issue	Stanley Bissmeyer	Lisa Edelheit
Professional background	Former firefighter, peace officer, teacher, small business owner, pastor/youth counselor. Emphasizes practical government reform and local experience.	Former labor negotiator and employee advocate, including work with the California Teachers Association and Yosemite employees. Emphasizes collaboration and labor relations experience.
County Spending	Reduce wasteful spending. Increase accountability. Review every department. Prioritize County Fire before expanding government. Look for efficiencies before asking taxpayers for more money.	Based on her endorsements and campaign messaging, she generally supports maintaining or expanding county services and has support from organized labor, which often advocates for public-sector staffing and compensation.
County Employee Pay	Supports fair wages. Believe raises must match what taxpayers can afford. Believe long-term pension and salary obligations must remain undiluted.	Supported by numerous public employee unions, suggesting alignment with collective bargaining priorities and compensation increases negotiated through those organizations.
Fire Protection	Supports Rapid initial attack. Expand Paid Call Firefighters. Recruit volunteers. Better equipment. More fuel reduction. Staffing all County Fire Stations.	Supports fire protection through FireWise program but emphasizes continued county services and state partnerships. I have not seen a detailed alternative fire protection plan.
Property Rights	Strong defender of private property rights. Oppose unnecessary regulations. Against using nuisance ordinance to attack homeowners. Simplify permitting. Reduce bureaucratic delays.	Generally supports environmental planning and land-use regulations consistent with existing county and state planning frameworks.
Building Department	Too much bureaucracy. Too expensive, Too slow, Needs customer service. Should help citizens instead of blocking projects.	No comparable campaign emphasis on restructuring the Building Department has been evident in the material
Special Districts	Independent historical review. Financial transparency. Determine where money went. Review deferred maintenance. County must take responsibility for defunding special districts. Investigate SDAF, ERAF, and property tax allocations. Consider structural reforms.	No comparable proposal.
Landfill	Convert compost center into a Materials Recovery Facility + composting. Build a waste-to-energy co-generation plant. Extend landfill life. Reduce electricity costs. Generate county revenue.	Does not have a publicly detailed proposal along these lines. (The status quo will greatly increase fees.)
Public Safety	Strong law enforcement. Former peace officer. Former firefighter. Prevention before reaction. Better emergency preparedness. Increase staffing for better community service.	Supports public safety while also emphasizing broader community services and collaboration, predominantly within the status quo.
Political Support	My campaign has emphasized independence from organized political interests and representing residents and voters directly. (Lisa will not represent the voting public objectively based on her responses to these union situations.)	Her campaign has received endorsements from labor organizations, including unions representing public employees and trades. Endorsements do not necessarily dictate how an elected official would vote, but they do indicate alignment with many of those organizations' priorities.
County Growth	Responsible growth. Encourage small business. Streamline permitting. Lower barriers for homeowners. Maintain rural character.	Generally supports planning approaches that develop with environmental and community planning considerations.
Economic development	Focuses on reducing permitting delays, updating zoning in selected areas, expanding job training, encouraging compatible business growth, and reducing regulatory barriers.	Focuses on workforce housing, attracting businesses compatible with Mariposa's rural character, partnerships with schools, and strengthening Yosemite-related economic opportunities.
Building & permitting	Calls for predictable permitting, greater accountability, and significant reform of county planning and permitting processes. With a focus on economic development. Relieving the voters from any unnecessary permitting rigors.	Supports streamlining permits and updating development codes while balancing development with county planning goals.
Fire protection	Proposes expanding volunteer fire capacity, improving station facilities, integrating the Grizzly Fire program, and reducing ISO ratings by staffing all stations to lower insurance costs. Also increasing the County’s Fuel reduction program.	Focuses on Firewise communities, home hardening, defensible space, insurance reform, and coordination with state and federal agencies.
Roads & infrastructure	Prioritizes road maintenance, water and sewer infrastructure, outside grant funding, and phased utility rate adjustments.	Supports improving roads, funding Public Works, and seeking additional revenue for road maintenance.
County employees	My campaign emphasizes reviewing county operations and improving efficiency. I Call for limiting county staffing in some areas and increasing in Fire and Public Works. Balance benefit and salary negotiations.	States that Mariposa should remain competitive in salary and benefits to recruit and retain qualified county employees and reduce reliance on consultants.
Housing	Supports increasing housing through economic development, ADUs, Tiny Homes, RV hookups, predictable permitting, and reducing barriers to construction. Teaming with YNP and Park Concession for developing workforce housing closer or within El Portal, Wawona and adjacent to Park.	Makes (County provided/endorsed) workforce housing a major priority, including ADUs, tiny homes, RV hookups, and public-private partnerships.
Environment & land use	Emphasizes balancing growth with rural character while focusing on infrastructure and economic development In low impact areas.	Places greater emphasis on protecting watersheds, the Merced River, agricultural land, and preserving Mariposa's rural character.
Yosemite relationship	Supports economic diversification so the county is less dependent on Yosemite tourism while maintaining partnerships.	Emphasizes strengthening partnerships with Yosemite National Park, park concessionaires, and related organizations as an economic priority.
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)	Stanley Bissmeyer said he would support reducing TOT in some circumstances to encourage development.	Lisa Edelheit emphasized tourism trends and proposed low-cost loans for small businesses.
Economic emphasis	Stanley Bissmeyer focused on reducing permitting obstacles and county processes affecting businesses.	Lisa Edelheit emphasized tourism trends and proposed low-cost loans for small businesses.
Fire insurance	Stanley Bissmeyer emphasized expanding local fire response capacity and Staffing empty fire stations to reduce ISO rating.	·        Lisa Edelheit emphasized Firewise communities, home hardening, and insurance reform.
Endorsements	Stanley Bissmeyer has received endorsements from several business and business organizations. He has also received informal endorsements from several churches across the county in addition to endorsements from community groups.	Lisa Edelheit has received endorsements from several labor organizations, including public employee and trade unions, according to public endorsement announcements.