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I've been doing "Better Know a Candidate" blogs since 2014 and this year there will be a total of three blogs for District 4.
If you're already familiar with my style, you know that I'm not here to "fact-check" the candidates. This is a conversation, and I let the candidates speak, including a few "fun" questions.
First up was challenger Karen Ellison, now time for the incumbent Bridgette Moore. The third blog will be opinions about the race as there will be no opinions in this blog.
There is a third candidate on the ballot, but she declined the chance to be in a blog. I'll touch on her candidacy in the opinion blog.
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| Bridgette Moore |
1) What made you choose Wildomar as your hometown?
Back in 1998 we were living in Orange County, we had a condo, we had a one-year-old boy and we wanted a house with a front yard and a backyard. We looked in Temecula, we looked in Murrieta, and the last house the realtor showed us was in Wildomar.
She told us it was an unincorporated community, we did not know what that meant as we were coming from Huntington Beach, but we loved the house. We checked out the police and fire station and then put in an offer and we got it.
2) What got you interested in running for city council?
Back in 1998 our parks were open, which was one of the reasons we bought the house, along with the elementary school being nearby in the same tract. I took my son to the park for the first year that we lived here and then the parks closed. I started volunteering to bring the parks back to Wildomar and at that same time the question of incorporating Wildomar into a city was happening, and I started volunteering for the Wildomar Incorporation Now committee.
When that got to the ballot, and after all the time and effort involved, I put my name in for city council. There were fourteen people running and I was the second top vote-getter.
3) Tell me about your family.
I'm married to my husband, Stewart, and we will be married for thirty years come October. We have one son, Jake.
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| Bridgette and Stewart Moore. |
4) It takes a certain desire to serve the community as an elected official, what is your past community involvement?
I was involved in our community even before cityhood. I volunteered to bring our parks back to Wildomar which successfully happened. I volunteered for the Lake Elsinore/Wildomar Elks Lodge.
I, also, volunteer for the VFW, my grandfather served during WWII and earned a Purple Heart and bronze medal, so I'm a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars auxiliary. Our son was in Scouts and both my husband and I volunteered for Scouts.
Bridgette in the blue blouse with members of RSO and the VFW.
5) How long have you considered running for this seat?
Actually, it took me the first few months of this year, it took me a while to decide if I'd run for reelection. People were asking me and I would respond, "I don't know, I haven't decided". I've been volunteering [for the community] for twenty-four years. But then I knew I wasn't done and I want to run again.
6) You're at the dentist's office with ten minutes to kill, and your smartphone is NOT getting a signal (gasp!). Which magazine do you reach for: The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Faire, People, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, or Highlights?
I'd say, Vanity Faire
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| Bridgette at a reading event at Wildomar Elementary School. |
7) What is your day job?
The entire time I've been on city council I've worked full-time. The last twelve years I've been in the mortgage industry. With the interest rates being high right now, a lot of the mortgage industry has been laid off, and that includes me. I'd never been laid off in my life and worked forty years straight until April 5th, that was my last day of work at that company.
I have recently started a position with Pacific Estate Planning. Right now with being Mayor, running my own nonprofit [Wildomar Community & Parks Foundation], and running for reelection, my days are pretty full. Then, we'll see where it goes from there.
8) What's your understanding of the job of city council members and/or what your job would be after you're elected?
As council members we make policy decisions for the city, and we create the budget. We decide how the budget is going to be [and] then the city manager is tasked with [carrying out the policy].
For example, if 'we're going to hire two new code enforcement officers' and include those positions into the budget, then the city manager goes out and handles that task.
We also represent the city at different meetings and different regional events.
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| With the 2023 award for Woman of the Year from Senator Kelly Seyarto. |
9) What’s a nice relaxing afternoon for your family?
Stewart and I like live entertainment. We go to concerts or to plays and then get dinner afterwards.
10) Being on city council can be very time-consuming. When elected will your schedule allow for you to be "all in"?
Yes! Even when I was working full-time I still was "all in" in the job [of city council]. Whatever task I'm going to do I'm all in on it. Be it city council or whatever other job I'm doing.
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| Mayor Bridgette Moore emceeing the 2024 Memorial Day observance. |
11) When you get a break in the action, how do you unwind/hobbies?
I like to garden. Pre-pandemic we didn't own a houseplant. We didn't have one plant that was alive, and during the pandemic, we changed our backyard to grow watermelons, strawberries, and tomatoes.
I no longer have time for growing fruits but I do have many succulents, so many plants, hundreds of plants now. I love to go [into the backyard] and tend to the plants.
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| Bridgette and her longtime friend Janna Vicario donating time to decorate the Rotary Club's Rose Bowl Parade float. |
12) What are your top three concerns for Wildomar?
Parks and Rec. We're on the cusp of providing more parks and recreation for our community. I want to be a part of that, it's my passion, and we're right there, right there to get that done. Bring more parks and recreation. We hear it all the time that we need a community center, we need opportunities for our families to get together and stay right here in Wildomar.
Our unhoused is also a concern. Doesn't seem that there's an easy answer. I don't know the answer to solve it. Right now the partners that we (Wildomar) are working with seem to be doing a good job.
Then of course we always need road maintenance.
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| Bridgette at a park event. |
13) Currently each council member appoints a planning commissioner. What's your approach to future growth and how heavily would that factor in when choosing a commissioner?
When I've chosen planning commissioners before I meet with the [applicants] that have submitted, but I want them to have their own ideas. They're not going to be what I say, I want them to have ideas and I want them to be thorough in their research and how they vote.
Growth is coming whether they're pro-growth or for non-growth, growth is coming, and it's just how we're going to manage that and what's the right fit for Wildomar. I'd really just want to hear their views and what they think is right for Wildomar.
14) How do you envision your community outreach if elected?
I'm out in the community all the time. I regularly hear from people about the energy I have and I'm still committed to bringing that kind of energy.
Even though I've had two surgeries this year and I'm still out there. I love being in the community and where [the people] are. If I'm at the gym people will ask me questions and though I may be out of breath I'm still answering questions. So wherever I'm at, the community knows I'm available.
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| With members of the Girl Scouts at city hall. |
15) SoCal is close to many areas, would you say you're more of a beach, mountain, or desert person?
I grew up in Costa Mesa, so we were close to the beach. I'd say the beach.
16) Why are you the best candidate for the job?
I love serving our community and I feel I'm a good representative for the community. Giving back to the community, I'm involved in every facet of our community; from making high dollar decisions down to picking up litter.
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| Bridgette Moore (with the broom) working a clean-up with the Wildomar Beautification Volunteers. |
17) If you could speak directly to the Wildomar voters, and tell them why they should vote for you, what would you tell them?
Since I've been serving in our community for twenty-four years I love giving back to the community, love connecting, love those partnerships, and networking. When someone needs help, say from the VFW, then I know with one phone call I can get that help for them. I love bringing our community together.
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.facebook.com/
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| From Bridgette's campaign website at the time of publishing. |
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