Allen refuses to look back in anger

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Once he took office, he realized how different the job actually was.

Allen said when he entered he thought he would go in and change all the things he did not like, like most people, before he realized a lot of the city's business is already predetermined, from either past administrations or state laws or budget restraints.

"I think anytime that you view government from the outside, I think people just naturally view government negatively because government takes money from pockets, and it's almost like a sheriff because it has rules and regulations," he said. "I think people view government in a negative light, and I did."

Allen admits he has a much different perspective now after four years, but with a few exceptions, it's positive.

He said it takes a lot of courage in city government, and gives credit to the people whom he worked with, including the finance director and Ontario City Manager Scott Trainor, whom he said are both better than their predecessors - a fact he thinks is not recognized. He also gives a lot of credit to Ontario City Council members. Allen said he believes they did the best job possible and had the best interests of Ontario in their hearts.

"When you enter city government, you stop thinking about what you think, and start looking at things from the whole," he said.

While the budget is currently a contentious issue the city government is working through, Allen said changes will be made, and they will not be changes everybody approves of at first, although they will set the city on the right course.

He believes the swimming pool will close and a library district will be floated to the voters. He also thinks the parks and recreation department will also try to put a bond in front of the voters eventually so more services can be saved.

Allen said one of the things he's sorriest he did not get to see resolved before leaving office is the planning and zoning codes, which are tangled.

One of the misconceptions he said people have is they believe the City Council is punishing them for the city's finance difficulties. While he believes it will happen, he admits nobody wants to close any more city services or cut city staff.

"It's not that we're trying to punish them, it's fiscal reality," he said.

One of the most difficult things about his job was the negativity he said he and other members of city government received from the public and the media. Allen said public opinion is swayed by only a few groups, and yet, the opinion may not be fair or accurate. He suggests, instead of complaining and playing "Monday-morning quarterback," people take a more active role in city government and get involved to help institute change.

Ontario City Council member Pat Phillips, another outgoing member of the city elected board, declined to comment for this story.