Kids Ask the Experts: Sonoma Mayor Logan Harvey

Each week on her KSVY radio show, host  Cat Smith grills a local expert with questions submitted by Sonoma Valley kids. Here, it’s Sonoma Mayor Logan Harvey’s turn. 

Sahara, aged 11 asked, “What is your main job of being the Sonoma Valley Mayor?”

Mayor Harvey: So, there’s a lot of different parts of my job. Part of my job is being on the City Council. We vote on different laws, or rules, on projects that might be built… a variety of different things. We oversee the city’s budget – how money is being spent, what it’s being spent on, and making sure that it’s being spent wisely. 

I go out and meet with people in the community, like I’m doing now with all of you. I sit down with, well, before, I would sit down for coffee; now it’s a lot of Zoom meetings. I also sit on a regional board that looks at funding to build roads, funding to help with fare-free buses, building more buses, building bike lanes, and the rest of it.  We also look at issues of climate change and how we can move forward with that. So, it’s a variety of different policies. 

Sam, Mateus, Josie, and Stella, all 11, and Jacqueline, 10, wanted to know, “When are we going back to school? Will we ever?” 

Yeah, it’s been a very frustrating time. We all want to see our friends. We all want to see our teachers. We all want to learn. We all want to get back together, and get back to, you know, our normal lives, and it’s been very difficult for me and for my family, and for everybody, and I know that it’s really hard. 

But this is about the safety of our community. And so as far as will you “ever go back to school?” Yes, I’m sure you will go back to school eventually. When that will be, the city doesn’t get to decide that. But we think it’s important for you to be back in school. And as soon as it’s safe, you’ll go back, but I can’t tell you an actual date. 

Madison, 10 asked, “Do you agree with what Newsom is saying about COVID? What are your opinions about it?”

You know, I think that Governor Newsom has done a really good job of keeping the community safe and providing good clarity at the state level. Things kind of come down from the state, and then to the county, and then to the city, and I agree broadly with Governor Newsom. I think it’s important that we flatten the curve, that we’ve made sure that we had enough room in our hospitals, and we had enough doctors to take care of people when they got sick. And that we protected our community from some potentially serious consequences. 

I think that it’s been very smart to start looking at how we reopen these places so that people can stay economically healthy, so that they can have the money that they need to keep their life going. And it’s been done with a respect for the safety of our community. That’s the most important thing that we have to do as elected officials. So, we first started with just health safety. Now we’re looking at economic safety, and the safety of people’s ability to afford things. 

I think the governor has done a good job. And we’re moving forward, and we’re trying to get those schools open again. And we’re trying to get those restaurants open again, and businesses open again, but also always keeping in mind the safety of our community.

Jacqueline,10, asked, “Do masks really help?”

I believe absolutely that masks help. I wear my mask when I go out in public. I think it’s really important to do that. And so yes, in my opinion masks do help, and that’s what we’re hearing from doctors, and that’s what we’re hearing from the leaders on public health. So, I trust them and I believe absolutely, that’s to help.

Sonoma Kids Ask the Experts, hosted by Cat Smith, airs every Saturday at noon on 91.3 FM KSVY Sonoma. The video replays can be found by visiting YouTube and searching #SonomaKidsAsk. Questions and suggestions for future experts can be sent to [email protected]