Released on: April 14, 2008, 9:02 am

Press Release Author: Charles Gallagher

Industry: Government

Press Release Summary: Candidate for Mayor of San Diego, Steve Francis, makes
statement supporting the Mills act and advocates the preservation of San Diego's
historic buildings.

Press Release Body: San Diego, CA - Steve Francis, a San Diego mayoral candidate,
released this statement regarding the preservation of historical homes in San Diego:

\"It has come to my attention that policy changes are underway at City Hall that will
jeopardize efforts to save historical homes in the City of San Diego. I strongly
urge local lawmakers to mend the Mills Act, not end it. The small loss in tax
revenue that benefits qualifying homes is outweighed by the enhanced value they add
to our community and the millions of dollars generated through specialized property
maintenance and historical tourism. It is a worthy investment, and I will stand by
it.

To be sure, I support common-sense reforms to the Act, including inspections and
stronger, more detailed contractual agreements between the City and property owners.
But supporting a cap on contracts and adding unnecessary red tape is short-sighted
and benefits some developers who are motivated to change the character of our
neighborhoods for profit.

As Mayor, I would oppose efforts to cap the number of historical homes that can
receive Mills Act contracts, and I would also oppose new eligibility requirements
that would effectively prevent most homeowners from qualifying. City Hall should be
encouraging the efforts of our historic preservation movement and the desires of
property owners to retain the unique architecture and fixtures of their cherished
homes.

San Diegans are proud that we have more Mills Act properties in our city than
anywhere else in California. Preserving the character of our community is important
to our quality of life, and important to tourism. City residents can trust that I
will protect our historical neighborhoods and homeowners from poor policy changes.\"


About Steve Francis
Steve Francis, businessman and entrepreneur, is a candidate for Mayor of San Diego.
At the heart of his independent mayoral campaign is the desire to free San Diego
from the grip of special interests and to restore fiscal integrity, ethics and
transparency in city government. Francis, best known as co-founder and Chairman of
AMN Healthcare (NYSE:AHS), has pledged that he will remain free from the influences
of special interests by not accepting any political contributions from lobbyists,
thus ensuring that the voices of everyday San Diegans will be heard.


Web Site: http://www.steveformayor.com

Contact Details: Charles Gallagher
858-320-7506
10531 4S Commons Drive, Suite 166 - PMB 117
San Diego, California 92127-9212
United States
stevefrancisformayor@momentumws.co.uk
www.steveformayor.com