26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 8-14, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com hope she comes around on Measure G—the city needs the revenue). She is thoughtful and has some creative ideas about strengthening partnerships outside of City Hall to solve problems, and proposes a credible savings on expenditures by cutting back on the use of costly consultants. We were also impressed by political newcomer Brent Bagley in District 3, who has a positive vision for Salinas and wants to leverage his youth. “I think Salinas is a town that is stuck a little in the past,” he told us. We agree, and hope he stays involved and solidifies his plans for how to get it unstuck. As to District 3 incumbent Margaret D’Arrigo, who has two years under her belt (after previously serving on the boards of Hartnell College and Salinas Valley Health), she mostly parrots Donohue’s perspectives. Her proposal to solving the housing crisis is that the city should get out of the way, which is a non-strategy. In District 5, Andrew Sandoval has been a lightning rod as much for his style as for his policies. We wish he would view his role differently—after serving as a watchdog over public agencies, he was elected to lead one— but he continues to be a fly in the ointment, antagonizing people who could be his partners. Still, he is persistent as an outspoken champion for his district, and a consistent, dedicated presence in the community. We can’t tell if his opponent, Hartnell Trustee Irma Lopez, is even serious—she has ignored all of our inquiries over several months. That does not bode well for even acknowledging constituents’ concerns. Seaside MAYOR | IAN OGLESBY CITY COUNCIL | ANNALISA MITCHELL, LACEY RAAK Ian Oglesby has earned another term as mayor. He has been on the right side of the regional questions that will shape the Peninsula for decades, including those where a Seaside mayor has a real seat at the table. On the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of Monterey County, he was one of only two commissioners who voted to let the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District move forward with a public buyout of Cal Am, and he has backed Pure Water Monterey. That project is the most practical path to a water supply that doesn’t depend on costly, unneeded desalination. He runs meetings effectively. He has been a consistent voice in support of diversity and welcoming all community members. He is steady. Our support comes with a major concern too: his continued, seemingly unconditional support of the city attorney. In 2025 the council voted to give itself a raise from $400 a month to roughly $2,400, relying on Sheri Damon’s reading of state law. That reading was wrong, both in the math and that the raises took effect immediately. Each councilmember now owes back about $26,000. The error went unnoticed for a year until a resident caught it. The council has since reset the correct pay at $1,180 a month, but the damage to public trust is done. That is more than embarrassing. Damon’s judgment has been questioned before: In 2024, then-city manager Jaime Fontes accused her of facilitating investigations of city staff without the authorization city code requires. Where else is she making errors? The City Attorney was the highest-paid Seaside official last year, earning $317,371, including benefits. Yet Oglesby continues to stand behind her. His opponent, Councilmember Alex Miller, has called for her dismissal. Miller is right on this issue, and has some good ideas, but his bull-in-a-china-shop approach does not demonstrate an ability to build coalitions and get support to advance those ideas effectively. We are unsettled by his unwillingness to vote to make Seaside a sanctuary city for transgender people. On council, two at-large seats are open: Miller’s, as he runs for mayor instead of a second term, and Rita Burks’, who is seeking reelection. Burks, a school principal, is a positive cheerleader for Seaside but we are disappointed by her lack of specific ideas for how to move Seaside forward. Lacey Raak served as founding chair of the city’s Environmental Commission and has a career in sustainability. Her platform calls for attainable housing, easier paths for small businesses, and streets that work for pedestrians and cyclists. Annalisa Mitchell is a substance abuse counselor but more importantly, a lifelong volunteer deeply invested in her community. She works with veterans, unhoused people, prisoners and other constituencies and cares about making Seaside work for everyone. Other candidates in this race, Ken Fittro and Karla Lobo, have some good ideas about economic development and promoting athletic facilities and the downtown that we hope the next council advances. Soledad CITY COUNCIL | DISTRICT 2 | EUGENE IVEY Compared to a contentious redistricting process, Soledad is quiet this year as voters go to the polls in the city’s first district-based elections. Fernando Ansaldo, who was elected two years ago to fill a vacant seat, is running unopposed for District 1. His council colleague, Fernando Cabrera, is running unopposed for mayor. The only position up for grabs is in District 2, where patient care navigator Don Bolin and retired correctional officer Eugene Ivey are facing off. Ivey originally moved to Salinas for his job at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, then when it was time to buy a house about 10 years ago, he chose Soledad enthusiastically. He wants to expand retail opportunities for more shopping in town, and he’s excited about initiatives already underway, like the container village concept. He endorses the already-approved Miramonte development, but says going forward, affordable housing should always be a priority: “It should be done in the first or second phase, not at the end of development.” Bolin seems active mostly on social media. Ivey is already engaged with the community and attends council meetings. We respect his past participation and endorse him as the new face on council in this growing city. Special Districts Salinas Valley Health BOARD OF DIRECTORS | ZONE 4 | CATHERINE CARSON With four open seats on the Salinas Valley Health board of directors, only Zone 4 is contested. While this health care district faces challenges in the coming years, its leadership is steadily going in a positive direction, so there is no need for a changeup. In this case, we endorse Catherine Carson, a registered nurse, for a second term over James Dacus, a physician. Both are smart and capable health care professionals, but only Carson highlights specific ideas for what she’d like to implement, with a focus on both patient-centered and provider-centered improvements. On the former, she cites a 30-percent increase in patients at the Nancy Ausonio Breast Care Center since expanding hours. On the latter, physician recruitment remains a work in progress. Liesbeth Visscher | Marina mayor DANIEL DREIFUSS “THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO SVH OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS WILL BE TO KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN.”
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