10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY APRIL 10-16, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS When a political party loses a major national election, they go into the so-called wilderness, a place to recalibrate and assess what went right, and more importantly, what went wrong. The hope is to emerge with a better understanding of the electorate and how to reach them, correct for the missteps and come up with a plan to win the next one. On a local level, that dynamic has less salience— about two-thirds of county voters swing Democratic and one-third swing Republican. But nonetheless, the Monterey County Democratic Central Committee has pulled up its stakes at its office at 1238 Fremont Blvd. in Seaside. Taped inside the front door is now a paper sign for “The People’s Center for Progressive Change,” and a phone number for the Monterey area chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America. Ian Oglesby, the central committee president, says the board decided in January not to extend its lease at the property, and that it’s “taking a break” from having a physical location and is “really trying to make sure we’re dispersing our advocacy throughout the county.” That’s already started, he says—the board’s last meeting was held in Salinas— and the plan is to also reach into South and North County so that the party is “getting close to all of our constituents.” Alan Haffa, president of the local Progressives’ chapter, says the group hopes to stay for at least a year so that there can continue to be a place for Democrats to gather. “That function is really important, and given what’s going on in the country right now, it feels more important,” Haffa says. “People are experiencing a lot of fear and uncertainty.” Signs of Change The Monterey County Democrats vacated their office in Seaside, and Progressives moved in. By David Schmalz Last year, Salinas became the first city in Monterey County to pass a rent stabilization ordinance. “Today is a historic moment for our city, and it’s a positive change driven by the community,” then-Councilmember Anthony Rocha said on Sept. 24. But the effort could be short-lived. Rocha was ousted in the November election. A slate of five councilmembers who voiced opposition to the policy, setting a 2.75-percent annual cap on rent increases, were elected. On March 25, the council showed interest in bringing rent stabilization and the city’s rental registry, established in 2022, back for discussion. Jose Luis Barajas led the way followed by Margaret D’Arrigo, Aurelio Salazar Jr. and Gloria De La Rosa. Councilmember Andrew Sandoval, who voted in favor of the ordinance, says it’s unfortunate fellow council members want to quash it: “It’ll be a setback. People are already struggling to pay rent.” He believes the policy should be in place for at least a year to collect data and check if rent stabilization is working or not. Barajas says waiting isn’t an option when there is housing scarcity, voicing concerns that the ordinance could stall new construction and drive owners to sell rental units. “We don’t have to wait for it to become a bigger problem in order to actually do something about it,” he says. According to a report to Salinas City Council last year by Oaklandbased consultant Economic & Planning Systems Inc., “moderate rent stabilization policies with exemptions for new construction find little to no effect on new housing supply.” Barajas says the city should follow state law, which caps annual rent increases at 10 percent, and it should shift its focus and resources to making sure landlords are following it. Salinas’ rent stabilization ordinance took effect on Jan. 1, impacting nearly 19 percent of units currently on the market—it applies only to multi-family residences built before Feb. 1, 1995, per the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, passed by California voters that year. Renters and landlords have continued to come forward to speak for and against the policy. Three points of contention for landlords are the 2.75-percent increase cap; relocation assistance of three months’ of rent for just-cause evictions; and a rental registry that requires landlords to register units with the city to create a local database to track housing stock. (According to Lisa Brinton, community development director, only about 30 percent have registered as of March 25. The deadline to register a rental without penalty fees was March 31.) “I strongly urge for the full repeal of the rental registry and rent stabilization ordinance. This policy does not create affordability, it creates barriers,” Mike Handley, owner of Town ‘N Country Realty, told council on March 25. Nidia Soto is an organizer with Building Healthy Communities, a nonprofit that helped organize residents to advocate for the ordinance. She said in Spanish the ordinance has benefited several families in the city and it has improved their mental health and financial stability noting they “aren’t always worried they will get high rent increases.” The council is set to discuss the issue on Tuesday, April 22. Options range from keeping it in place, to modifying it, to repealing it entirely. Salinas City Councilmember Jose Luis Barajas in front of a Madeira Avenue apartment building he says the owner intends to sell because of rent control. Rent or Own Salinas City Council revisits a rent stabilization ordinance passed last year, eyeing a repeal. By Celia Jiménez There’s now a dark gray circle on the building where the “Center for Change” sign was previously affixed. A paper sign in the door now reads “The People’s Center for Progressive Change.” “It’ll be a setback. People are already struggling.” CELIA JIMÉNEZ DAVID SCHMALZ
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