24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY october 10-16, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com hurting people’s feelings (both members of the public and his colleagues on the dais, and we hope he finds a way to communicate more gently—it does matter). But it also includes doing the work he was elected to do, like securing $20 million in funding for Boronda Road improvements. And it includes politically charged things, like ousting Mayor Craig from the board of Monterey One Water to be appointed there himself, where he then scuttled a plan at the last minute to transition billing procedures—he’d heard and seriously considered concerns from constituents. He elevated those concerns and voted based upon them, and that is not the typical way of doing things—and that means he’s earned more than his fair share of political enemies. “The way I best describe it is a lot of long-time elected officials are having a difficult time of passing the torch and allowing a new generation of leaders with new ideas to come in,” Rocha says. Challenger Aurelio Salazar Jr. is running a campaign funded by business interests and has not articulated what he’s for, just what he’s against. He has declined to answer the Weekly’s policy questions, and instead prefers to throw around allegations of bad behavior, notably directed at people other than his opponent. Sand City Luke Kilpatrick and Marilee Diaz for City Council The City Council in tiny Sand City has disproportionately big responsibility. For one thing, councilmembers are appointed to serve on regional boards, influencing decisions that directly affect the entire county. And this small city is growing, with the South of Tioga project well underway. Industrial and residential uses continue to coexist; a former public works yard has been transformed into an art park that hosts a monthly First Friday community gathering, and there is talk of developing more such spaces, specifically a food truck park—all helping make Sand City into a destination. Three people are running for two open seats on council. Marilee Diaz was appointed last year, and deserves a full term; she’s proven herself to be thoughtful and deliberate. She is interested in balancing the needs of residents, visitors and businesses. Her platform includes keeping housing accessible, in part by limiting the number of short-term rentals. Luke Kilpatrick moved to Sand City in 2020 and immediately got involved in local government, attending meetings and weighing in. He’s earnest and engaged. The parent of a young daughter, he’s especially interested in recreational access and parks. Opponent Michelle Adams hasn’t clearly articulated a platform or motivation for running. Seaside Ian Oglesby for Mayor Since the Weekly first made Seaside its headquarters in 1991, it’s been wild to witness the one-step forward, twosteps backward march that the city has traversed. After Fort Ord closed, the in-your-face street prostitution was gone, as were the many crack houses. Still today, there are ongoing challenges. But home values are way up, parks and infrastructure are vastly improved and Broadway resembles a downtown. We remain hopeful that this diverse coastal city realizes its great upsides. Seaside’s engaged residents, restaurants, Blues in the Park and its travel convenience are great assets. Its best days are ahead. Yet even amid changes, the politics of Seaside sadly remain much the same. There’s an old boys power structure that remains in place, with oversized influence from church leaders that’s led to some less than inspired decision-making and “what’s in it for us” mentality. We hope this is fading. Ian Oglesby, who’s been mayor for three terms and is a shoe-in for reelection, has an oversized impact on the city. That’s partly because he is so dedicated, but that influence isn’t always all for the good. We’ve come to respect Oglesby more as he’s grown into the leadership role, and support his reelection compared to his unprepared and inexperienced challengers. His list of goals is long and ambitious for what he hopes to look back on proudly: Seagrove (106 units of very-low, low-, and moderate-income housing now under construction, thanks to clever water swap) will be occupied; a new county courthouse will be under construction, or finished. A new major hotel and conference center (which recently broke ground) at Bayonet and Black Horse will be open. Campus Town will be building out its second phase, and the Main Gate development across from CSUMB will be up and running. Those are impressive projects that will be welcome changes. They are heavy lifts, but we believe Oglesby can see them through. We also hope there is some calm coming to City Hall. Since Oglesby was first elected, it’s been largely in turmoil with a lot of staff turnover, including at the top. The former city manager (whom Oglesby helped hire) was terminated in June by the City Council at a cost of at least $750,000—a lawsuit for wrongful termination is pending. Dave Pacheco and Shanda LeBoeuf for City Council Dave Pacheco and Alexis GarcíaArrazola are both seeking reelection, and together stand unified in lockstep support of the incumbent mayor. A lack of questioning is not good for deliberative decision-making. For this reason we support Shanda LeBoeuf, who currently serves on the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Commission. She’s more independent than Pacheco or García-Arrazola and brings a working knowledge of things that matter to residents—street parking, improvements along the Gen. Jim Moore Boulevard greenbelt—although she has a lot to learn if elected. Pacheco has voted smartly for parks and against some dumb development projects. While we wish he was more visionary and willing to diverge from the mayor, we think he is the best suited to push back against consolidation of power. García-Arrazola has not made an impact in his four years on council; we were hopeful he would bring a fresh perspective to the body. Diana Ingersoll, a former city employee, offers little in the way of vision. No on Measure BB The idea to change the Seaside mayoral term from two years to four was first publicly brought forth by church leaders who support Ian Oglesby (see above). While it would not take effect until 2026, meaning it will not benefit the mayor elected this November, it still looks to us like another power grab and we urge voters to reject it. Oglesby has already successfully gotten the council to cede more power to him. Changes to city code in 2021 mean the mayor now has the ability to veto items from a council agenda (something Oglesby counters he hasn’t done—although there’s no telling what could happen in the future—and notes that three councilmembers can vote affirmatively to agendize topics). Beyond Oglesby, this would mean more power for mayors in general. Keep the term consistent with most other local cities, and let the mayor come back to voters every two years for a referendum on their performance. Yes on Measure CC Illegal fireworks are a well documented problem in Seaside. They are already illegal. This measure would prohibit the small, legal fireworks (known as “safe and sane”) sold by nonprofits at booths in the days leading up to Fourth of July. Proponents of this THE ENDORSEMENT Edition 2024 Rita Patel for Carmel Unified School District board “We are in a transition period of defining who belongs in Salinas City Hall, and that makes some people uncomfortable.”
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