Tamra Spade can see the efforts of her hard work around town.
Back when she was President / CEO of the Ripon Chamber of Commerce, she helped pave the way for outdoor dining to help out local businesses while enhancing the vibe of downtown.
The events of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the City of Ripon's temporary permits have all but made the outdoor experience a must for restaurants throughout town to continue thriving during uncertain times.
"We worked two years with the City on making changes to this ordinance," said Spade, who is a candidate for the Ripon City Council.
She's running on the platform of supporting emergency services.
"We have to continue to make sure our services are funded properly and that there is communication between our city and fire district," said Spade, who served two terms on the Ripon Consolidated Fire District board.
She places importance on infrastructure.
"We're maintaining our current growth of 2½ to 3 percent on rooftops. But we need industry for tax revenue so we can diversify a little — right now a lot of our sales tax revenue comes from gas," said Spade, who is also hoping to provide employment opportunities for the people living in Ripon.
She's concerned about traffic —in particular, the commuters cutting through town off the Highway 120 Bypass — and the road conditions.
Tamra Spade is passionate about improving the quality of life.
She's a proud mother of three. "My husband Dave and I have called Ripon home for many years," said Spade, who currently serves on several governing boards.
Included are Doctors Hospital of Manteca (since 2015), Ripon Community Fund (since 2019), and the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors’ Workforce District 4 (appointed 2014).
In addition, Spade spearheaded the Ripon Chamber of Commerce for five years before moving on to the Tracy Chamber of Commerce over a year ago.
"During my tenure on the (Ripon) Chamber, we created new methods that assisted growing our business community that included new events (Christmas Light Parade, Downtown Brews & Bites), new committees, and effective fundraisers," she said.
