| Why are you running for office? |
| To improve Santa Maria's image and transform the city into a destination getaway. We are not generating the potential revenue to build a healthy budget for the future. City Council has depleted nearly all the reserves to balance the budget this year. The budget is overspent by 21 million dollars. Firefighters deserve to be paid fair wages for their services for over 110,000 residents. We need to build affordable housing at a faster rate, address traffic and crime. The city is deteriorating and city council is puzzled about how to fix the budget issues. I want to turn Santa Maria around by immediately addressing the most pressing problems. I want to assure Santa Maria will be a great place to live, work and raise a family. It's time for a change and I'm running to give voters a choice and a new direction to move toward the future. |
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| What makes you qualified for this position? |
| I served as a commissioner for California State Parks OHV Division for four years and another ten years as a Board of Trustee for the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. I resigned as a board president in July 2024 to run for Mayor of Santa Maria. I understand the procedures for running meetings, adhering to the Brown Act, and collaborating with fellow members, city leaders and the public to accomplish goals and set direction for the city. I understand the hard work and commitment that it will take to steer the city in a positive direction and I'm ready for the job. |
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| What are the two hardest issues facing the candidate who wins the office you are running for? |
| The first challenge will be to dive into the issues, the behind the scenes challenges, and the multiple budgets managed by city personnel. Everyone will need to adjust to listening, discussing, collaborating, planning and prioritizing the new direction for the city. These changes may create uneasiness, however it is part of the process of transitioning and the first step toward transformations. The second challenges will be figuring out how to bring city council members, city leaders and the public together on the issues that will be addressed first. Not everything can be tackled at once and priorities will need to be negotiated based on the budget and available resources. It will take time for everyone to adjust. |
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| How do you plan to address the issue of inflation and its impacts on your constituents if elected? |
| History has demonstrated that rarely do the cost of goods and services drop over time. Santa Maria and living on the Central Coast has become unaffordable. There are some strategies to off-set the high cost of inflation. First, speed up the building of more housing; standard and mixed-uses. Assure to include at least 30 percent of housing as affordable for low to lower middle class income residents. It cost more to live on the Central Coast therefore employers should pay their employees better wages, if possible. When employees earn living wages it contributes to a more robust economy and everyone wins. We also need to recruit companies and businesses that provide advanced career level jobs and pay higher salaries. We need to offer residents who want to move up the ladder more choices to do so. |
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| What major crime issues do you plan to address if elected and how? |
| Theft is taking place in all parts of the city; in neighborhoods and businesses. The city is doing very little to hold individuals committing these crimes, accountable. The city expends approximately 57 million in police services and we need more officers out on the streets protecting residents and businesses. We should implement restorative justice efforts to hold individuals responsible for indemnifying victims of crimes. |
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| How do you plan to address the issue of housing if elected? |
| The city has about ten housing projects in the pipeline and the future mayor and city council should take action to remove any barriers to expedient building more housing and mixed-use projects. The city should determine if there are any vacant properties or buildings that could be converted to additional housing. The city should examine if the city planning division could amend policies to allow more residents to own/buy smaller lots/homes to increase home ownership. The city should consider tiny home lots and additional mobile home parks that include opportunities to own the dwelling and the land. As more residents invest in home ownership, more residents become invested in the city and the increase in supply lowers the demand and lowers the price of rental units. |
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| What do you hope to accomplish in your first year in office if elected? |
| During my first few months as the mayor, the budget will be thoroughly examined and expenditures from the past seven years will evaluated to determine if there are any non-essential costs that can be quickly cut or absorb by other means. Ten percent of Measure U funds are expended for projects not associated with public safety. Measure U funds will be strictly allocated toward paying Firefighters fair wages from current funds and funds that have been rolled over from previous fiscal years. Robust discussions will take place to examine how funds for the reserves will be restored gradually. City council members will review the general plan and work with the planning commission to determine how the city will solicit businesses and entertainment venues that will set Santa Maria apart from Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. The city of Santa Maria needs a slice of the four billion dollars that each of our neighboring cities generate every year in tourism. By the end of the first year in office, the city should have a clear vision on how it will generate new revenue for the city without increasing taxes. The city must always plan to generate more revenue than its liabilities for the short and long term. Housing projects should be expedited and an aggressive approach should be taken to apply for state and federal grants that may help with housing, mental health and wellness services, and other resources for residents. |
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| What actions do you plan to take to reduce political divide? |
| My approach is always to reach across the isle for a conversation and better understanding of the barriers and the causation of gridlock. I'm open to listening to the anyone who has an idea, a concern or a complaint. The political party should not matter if the interest is to improve a process or resolve an issue. I have worked with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds; from the homeless to the struggle middle-class to the leaders at the top of their businesses and organizations. If we set political ideology aside, then we can focus on concrete issues and solve real-life problems. |
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