The way Richard Paul Carter powers his bike across town each weekend you would think he was preparing for the Tour de France.

But in fact, he is preparing for a different kind of race: November's general municipal election.

That's right. No signs or fliers—just a few minutes of face time with Simi residents. The 47yearold's personal campaign approach fits in with his idea of how a council member should lead.

"I've learned a lot by listening to people," the Nashville native explained in his southern drawl. "As the new guy, I have to listen to the majority of citizens in Simi Valley."

Running for City Council is fulfilling a lifelong goal, said Carter, who is one of six candidates vying for two open seats on the council.

"I've always wanted to be in politics, but I was always too involved moving up the corporate ladder," he said.

Carter recently started his own management consulting business.

Though he has only lived in Simi with his wife, Deana, for five years, Carter said he loves the city and, because of his 15-year-old daughter Katlynn and 4-year-old son Colton, he has a vested interest in its future.

Richard Carter The city is at a crossroads of deciding what it wants to become, Carter said, and he wants to "restore the peaceful, scenic beauty" longtime residents remember.

To Carter, there is a disconnect between the impression people get of Simi as they drive through town on the 118 Freeway and the actuality of life for some Simi residents, particularly on the south side of the city.

He added that the community's long-established businesses are unable to compete with the city's newer retail development.

While the economy has slowed construction, Carter said the city should put more money into existing infrastructure to revitalize older businesses and neighborhoods.

He also said the city needs to evaluate itself on a yearly basis.

"We need to take a good hard look at our General Plan because a lot has changed in a year," he said.

Carter said that incumbents should "move on or move up" and let a new face tackle the challenges confronting the city.

"I don't think the old methods of fixing our problems are going to work anymore," said Carter, who is participating in the Ventura County Leadership Program.

"There's got to be new, creative thoughts and ideas."

One of those ideas is boosting bus ridership by implementing free bus days. Carter said reducing congestion in the city has to go further than traffic signal synchronization and road widening projects.

"We need to get cars off the road, and really the only way to do that is to have a public transportation system to accommodate that," he said, adding, "The people that really need to be on the buses need to be on the buses. That dollar goes a long way for them."

Carter also has his eyes on the city's vacant or repossessed homes, and he hopes to partner with churches and nonprofits to fill those units with low-income families.

"It really helps the neighborhood because you've got people who really want to be in a home," Carter said. "And you don't have vacant houses pulling down the property value of the whole street."

He added that the city needs more lowerpriced housing options for Simi's next generation.

"People grow up here, but then they have to move away because they can't afford to live in the city," he said. "To me, that's a crime."

Though Carter admits his run for council is a "long shot," he said his pedal-pushing campaign one-ups the competition on sweat-factor.

"I'm definitely going to outwork them," he said.