City Council Candidate - Daniel de Graaf

Photo Courtesy of Daniel de Graaf for City Council

Hi, my name is Daniel de Graaf and I am a current member of your Ripon City Council. I am excited to be running for re-election this November.

As the son of a third-generation family farmer, I was raised to respect a strong work ethic and value community. Today, my wife, two sons, and I are grateful to call Ripon our home, where we can live out those values, engage in our community, and maintain strong ties to our families and the agricultural community.

I am a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a B.S. degree in BioResource and Agricultural Engineering, and am employed locally as a registered civil engineer, specializing in agricultural and civil projects. As an engineer, I make pragmatic decisions daily that improve infrastructure for private and municipal clients and their communities.

I’ve worked hard to meet the goals I set during my campaign in 2016: to promote thoughtful, well-planned growth, to create an attractive environment for businesses and job opportunities, to support our first responders and promote public safety, and to maintain the small-town values that make Ripon such a great community. As a result of these goals, together with my fellow council members over the last four years, we have:

1. Set a growth cap on residential development;

2. Implemented an economic incentive program to attract new businesses to Ripon; and,

3. Made investments in equipment and infrastructure to improve the capabilities of our

police department to keep our community safe.

Over the next four years, I will prioritize:

1. Public Safety, by making sure that our Police Department has the proper tools,

resources, and training essential to keeping our community safe. Our community has

shown amazing support for our Police Department, and our Police Department has

done a tremendous job of engaging with the community in a positive and productive

manner.

2. Expanding upon the success we have had through the economic incentive program to

attract and retain businesses in Ripon. I currently serve on the Economic Development

Committee, in partnership with the Ripon Chamber of Commerce and members of the

local business community, where we have been able to combine resources, build

relationships and establish lines of communication that have helped connect the City

and the business community like never before.

3. Pursuing projects and funding sources to reduce our reliance on groundwater for

drinking water. I represent the City of Ripon on the San Joaquin County Advisory Water

Commission and serve as the Vice-Chairman on the South San Joaquin Groundwater

Sustainability Agency in partnership with the City of Escalon and the South San Joaquin

Irrigation District. Groundwater sustainability is a major issue throughout California, but

my professional experience makes me well suited to take on this challenge.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as your councilman these past four years and would be honored to serve you for the next four years. Feel free to reach out to me at ddegraaf@cityofripon.org or through my Facebook page, @daniel.degraaf.ripon, if you would like to know more about me or my policies.