My name is Kim Costa. I am currently the “mayor pro tem” (vice mayor) of Lakeport, and I hope to serve you for four more years on the Lakeport City Council.

I have over 30 years experience in public service and leadership positions promoting community well-being. I believe strongly that government exists to serve the people, and as a member of the Lakeport City Council your voice matters greatly to me. On Nov. 5, please vote for me, so that I can continue working for you!

There is A LOT to love about our special city: incredible natural beauty, rich culture, a simpler lifestyle, amazing recreation opportunities, a safe and caring community. These are things we love, and these are things we need to both protect and promote. This has been my work on the council since 2022, and in other settings for many years.

Even in our small town, creating and maintaining the life that we all want can be a challenging task. It seems straight forward — we want: A strong economy, vibrant retail, a beautiful downtown and healthy tourism. Abundant housing options for families of all income levels, accessible home ownership. Safe neighborhoods, great schools, walkable and bikeable streets, good environmental stewardship, and fun times together as a community enjoying what we have and who we are. Yes, let’s make those great things happen!

But here is an important reality: While envisioning these things is absolutely the first step, it is also the easiest part. Accomplishing and protecting these things is the next step, and it is the most challenging part! This is the task of effective city government, and it is best achieved by capable city leaders working alongside involved and concerned citizens to create the Lakeport that you envision and desire. This is where the rubber meets the road, and where experience, knowledge and perseverance make the difference between a vision and an outcome, between a hope and an accomplishment. And this is where my experience, skills, determination and commitment are put to work for you!

Effective City Council planning and decision making for the city of Lakeport require:

• Sincere and meaningful community engagement. If elected, I intend to promote regular opportunities for Lakeport residents to meet with individual city council members outside of council meetings for discussion of the issues that matter to you. I will also help ensure that council meetings are managed in a way that encourages meaningful and comfortable citizen participation. Your voice matters! Additionally, I am working to promote hands-on involvement of community members to champion their passions: promotion of music and the arts, a vibrant and beautiful downtown, walkable and bikeable streets, art in public spaces, desired community events, and increased tourism are examples of potential hands-on community involvement opportunities.

• Creative and collaborative problem solving. Encouraging fresh ways of approaching community needs is often vital to moving beyond perceived bureaucratic barriers. Sometimes small efforts can make a big difference! Other times, we can identify the necessary big-picture efforts together, and plan effectively to get to our goals. I have decades of success in doing exactly this.

• Informed analysis. Even issues that seem simple can sometimes have complex features or unintended consequences. Therefore, digging deep into the relevant information and critically analyzing all aspects of an issue are needed skills in city governance. My 30+ years of public service and leadership experience have demanded this of me, and I bring this ability to my work on the city council.

Thanks for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope you will vote for me so that I can continue to work for you! We are neighbors; this is our city, and together we can guide Lakeport to where we want and need to go.

If you would like more information about my views or my qualifications for City Council, please feel free to reach out to me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You can also check out my candidate statement video, linked here.

Additionally, you can watch the candidate forum video from Sept. 23.

Finally, I invite you to view any of the videos of Lakeport City Council meetings since my appointment in December of 2022, which can be accessed on this page.

Thank you, and best wishes!

Kim Costa lives in Lakeport, California.