Toper Taylor Seeks Entry Into Local Politics

Toper Taylor Says He Wants to Give Back to Community by Serving on Council

INDIAN WELLS — All candidates in the Nov. 5 City Council election were given the opportunity to participate in a candidate questionnaire Uken Report distributed. Following are the responses from Toper Taylor.

UR: Age and occupation:

Toper Taylor: I am 60 years old and own a strategic advisory firm called Media Disrupted that advises early stage growth companies how to scale.

UR: Who or what motivated you to run for the City Council?

Toper Taylor: I recently completed my doctorate in public policy from the University of Southern California and am looking to apply best practices of governing, governance, transparency to our city. I’m a believer in giving back to the community and in ensuring a healthy democracy.

UR: How long have you lived in Indian Wells full time?

Toper Taylor: My wife and I have lived in Indian Wells for three years; my family five generations in the state of California.

UR: What is your No. 1 priority for the city?

Toper Taylor: Ensure fiscal responsibility, responsible budgeting and forecasting, and applying decades of experience running global businesses to high stake negotiations coming down the pipeline in our city.

UR: What makes you a better candidate than your opponents?

Toper Taylor: Every candidate brings their life experiences to the city council. I bring decades of strong business practices and degrees in communications, healthcare management, and public policy to the table.

UR: Do you see yourself a team player or an individual who will fight for your opinion? Why?

Toper Taylor: I am a listener who is able to distill complexity into simplicity, who is a strategic thinker and insatiable curiositist that will always prioritize the best interests of our community. Placing the best interests of our city first may result in my acting as a team player and other times as an individual.

UR: How do you deal with conflict? Give us an example.

Toper Taylor: Leaning into conflict is essential by trying to distill the essence of the dispute, make sure both parties are educated and informed correctly and accurately, then finding a solution that works best for the city. As a committee member of Indian Wells Golf Committee we are charged with protecting and nurturing our city’s greatest asset: the two golf courses. Currently we are debating the cost and timing of  golf course redesign. We must strike a balance between investing in an asset and over spending and over engineering the investment.

UR: What is the biggest issue facing Indian Wells?

Toper Taylor: Securing land and developing affordable housing to meet state mandates. All of which is in progress.