2026 Voters Guide
Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce is proud to present our 2026 Voters Guide.
The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber-sponsored Business Action Fund (BAF) have proudly endorsed candidates for the 2026 City Council and Board of Supervisor races across all three South Coast Cities and the County. Through a thoughtful process of candidate questionnaires, interviews, and careful evaluation, the Chamber and BAF have endorsed the following candidates they believe will best support housing, infrastructure, the workforce, public safety, a strong local economy, and a thriving business community.
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Mayor-at-Large: Eric Friedman, Santa Barbara Mayor
- District 4: Monte Wilson, Santa Barbara City Council District 4
- District 5: Cevin Cathell, Santa Barbara City Council District 5
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District 6: Alexander Stoeber, Santa Barbara City Council District 6
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District 1: Luz Reyes-Martín, Goleta City Council District 1
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District 2: James Kyriaco, Goleta City Council District 2
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District 1: Mónica Solórzano, Carpinteria City Council District 1
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District 3: Julia Mayer, Carpinteria City Council District 3
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District 2: Maribel Aguilera, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, District 2
For the 2026 election, the Chamber sent questionnaires to candidates running for the City of Goleta City Council Districts 1 and 2, the City of Carpinteria City Council Districts 1, 3 and 5, and the City of Santa Barbara Mayor and Council Districts 4, 5 and 6. Below you will find the answers provided by each candidate.
Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber 2026 Santa Barbara Voters Guide
Santa Barbara City Council Candidate Questionnaire Responses
Question 1: Candidate Priorities
Please list your personal top priorities for the City of Santa Barbara and provide your plan for seeing these priorities realized.
My top priorities are wildfire and public safety, housing that working people can actually afford, supporting our commercial corridors, and reducing homelessness through solutions that are measured by results, not just spending. My plan draws on experience, not promises: as a former council member and Finance Committee chair, I know how to build council majorities, balance budgets, and get projects across the finish line. I will push adaptive reuse and permitting reform to add housing without sacrificing neighborhood character, secure funding for defensible space and evacuation planning in high fire-hazard areas, and redirect homelessness spending toward supportive housing and treatment that actually reduces street homelessness. I will also hold regular office hours so residents and business owners have direct access to their council member. I will cut spending to restore our reserves, starting with outrageous out-of-town consultants, absurd severance packages, and a 10% reduction target in every department.
My top priorities are a vibrant downtown economy, increased housing production that doesn’t compromise public safety, fire safety and climate resilience, and fiscal discipline at City Hall. Downtown, I intend to end the decision paralysis and move forward with the State Street Master Plan alongside an economic agenda that attracts companies downtown to create good jobs. To do so, we need streamlined permitting for adaptive reuse and more cultural programming that brings people downtown. We need to unlock housing through infill, adaptive reuse, and city-owned land, which is faster, greener, and safer than oversized development in high fire zones. Beyond ensuring consistent funding for the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District, subsequent Measure C funding should focus on upgrading our Fire Stations. I’ll bring the budget discipline I’ve applied for two decades in the private sector, and now as a small business owner.
My citywide priorities are downtown economic vitality, housing, wildfire preparedness, energy resilience, and making local government more efficient for residents and businesses. On downtown, I’m committed to delivering the expedited permitting the State Street Master Plan calls for and building the dedicated economic development capacity the City currently lacks. On housing, my priority is city-owned land for workforce housing, a dedicated revenue stream for the Local Housing Trust Fund, and doing the policy work necessary to increase the financial feasibility of building housing downtown. On wildfire, I’m focused on the fire station rebuilds, expanding neighborhood preparedness, and prioritizing firefighter staffing needs. On energy resilience, my priority is exploring how to deploy solar and battery storage across city-owned assets and making it easier for businesses and residents to install clean energy locally. On government efficiency, I want to publish permit timelines, set limits on rounds of comments and right-size review processes.
My top priorities in this order are
- Revitalizing downtown – It’s not a matter of simply cars or no cars, it’s far more complex than that. It’s a financial issue because our Sales Tax revenues are down 20% (inflation-adjusted) from pre-COVID, at a time when we need the money most. It’s a housing issue because we need to develop more infill housing to accelerate the growth of a healthy ecosystem of people who work and live downtown. This involves fast-tracking permits and streamlined approvals while respecting the character of Santa Barbara. Finally, it’s an economic development issue to help small businesses start, thrive and grow their business here. We should proactively recruit more businesses like Yardi to downtown so people are working, dining, shopping, and living there. We should not look at State Street as a single entity but as different neighborhoods depending on the area, such as the Entertainment District, Arts District and Civic and Commercial District, with different needs, different demographics and different solutions.
- Budget – This is core to my role. I’ve managed some very large budgets, and, candidly, if I didn’t live within them, I would have lost my job. Having said that, I’ve already spent time with the city’s Finance Director and feel we have good chemistry to get things done. I would get involved in the budget roll-up and, with the staff, look for areas for improvement and savings. I’m a big believer in automation and process improvement. I need further investigation, but I sense there is much improvement to be gained with more streamlined processes, doing things in parallel and eliminating old redundant processes.
- Public Safety – I know firsthand the challenges public safety faces. We’ve had our homeowners insurance canceled, been evacuated three times due to fire and needed police support in our business and home. I want to help create an ongoing funnel of new recruits coming into our police and fire departments so we are prepared for any future events.
Housing Affordability: Housing costs are pushing teachers, firefighters, and longtime local families out of the city I grew up in. We need an all-of-the-above policy approach: dedicated funding for workforce housing on the City’s underused properties, legalizing missing-middle options for families, and streamlining permitting to make more projects feasible.
Sustainability and Resilience: Santa Barbara has a proud reputation as an environmental leader. I will invest in fire resilience, implement the City’s Climate Action Plan, protect our urban forest, prepare our Waterfront for sea-level rise, and support expansion of reliable clean energy for the community.
Safe Streets: As Chair of the City’s Transportation and Circulation Committee, I know what it takes to get traffic safety projects built. I’ll push for a realistic path to Vision Zero, expand transit options, invest in modernized traffic management, and secure funding for projects that make it safer for kids to walk or bike to school.
1) Affordable housing, both in rentals and homes for purchase. We need to identify underutilized properties, reduce costs with innovative construction, and work with nonprofits and public/private partnerships, as well as support incentives for local housing providers. Policies that encourage availabilities of for-purchase homes are important for generational wealth and the ability for our essential workers to establish a permanent stake in our community.
2) Fiscal responsibility. Due to the current condition of the City Budget, Santa Barbara is in a precarious situation if a true emergency were to happen. I will use my budgeting experience to work with city administrators and department heads to make adjustments where needed, endeavoring not to compromise the services our residents expect. I would also look to community members for ideas on generating more revenue in order to build back our reserves.
3) Environmental resilience. Santa Barbara’s creeks, wetlands, open space, beaches, and wildlife are vital to our city. I support disaster mitigation measures and appropriate, managed growth tied to enhancement of our natural surroundings, upholding the environmental character that defines this community.
My top priorities are State Street, housing, and fiscal responsibility. On State Street, I want a smaller three block pedestrian promenade, restored free parking, and an expanded free shuttle to bring life back downtown. On housing, I support rent stabilization as a bridge, not a solution, paired with faster permitting. On fiscal responsibility, the City’s own forecast warns of reserve depletion, so I want real savings through measures like cooperative purchasing before core services or staffing are looked at. My plan is to bring my finance and small business background to the Council table, demand data before extending programs, and keep hosting open coffee meetings so residents shape these priorities directly, not just at election time.
Affordability, cleanliness, safety We have to recognize our tipping point, how much can we charge in fees and parking before it affects consumer behavior. I prefer to see the city receive money from sales on the back end instead of on the front end scaring customers away.
Housing affordability is my top priority because it affects nearly every aspect of life in Santa Barbara. We need to keep people in their homes while creating more opportunities for teachers, nurses, young families, and local workers to live here. That means expanding deed-restricted affordable housing, using City-owned land, and improving the City’s permitting process so projects from affordable housing to small business improvements move through the City process more efficiently and predictably.
My second priority is strengthening our local economy. State Street should be a vibrant destination that supports local businesses, cultural events, and residents alike. We have spent years planning and now it’s time to implement that vision while making it easier to open and expand businesses throughout the city.
Last, I want to ensure the City is fiscally responsible while continuing to invest in infrastructure, wildfire resilience, and climate adaptation. My approach is to make decisions that are data-driven, collaborative, and focused on the outcomes we want to see.
My top priorities are housing affordability, public safety, a strong local economy, and responsible City government. Santa Barbara must remain a community where working families, seniors, young people, and local businesses can thrive. I would focus on increasing housing production, particularly infill and workforce housing, while improving the permitting process so good projects are not unnecessarily delayed. I also want a clean, safe, and economically vibrant downtown, with strong police and fire services and meaningful solutions to homelessness. Finally, I believe the City must be fiscally responsible. New program should be evaluated for its cost, effectiveness, and impact on residents and businesses. My approach will be collaborative: listen to residents, businesses, employees, property owners, and community organizations, then focus on solutions that produce measurable results.
My top priorities are housing that actually gets built, a downtown that earns again, public safety people can see and feel, and a budget the city can keep.
I often talk about Santa Barbara’s scarcity mindset because it shows up in how we govern. We zoned for 8,001 homes and have permitted 863. We approved a $48–68 million State Street plan, yet delivery still lacks clear ownership.
In my first 100 days, I will publish the stalled-projects list: every approved housing project that has not broken ground, the holdup, and who owns the next step. Small businesses should get a 60-day decision or a written explanation. Every 90 days, the public will see homes finished, permit times, storefronts filled, response times, and reserve levels – including the quarters when those numbers do not move. That is how we get from affordability today to abundance tomorrow.
My top priorities are fiscal responsibility, addressing housing affordability, emergency preparedness, and environmental sustainability. With 25 years in local in local public service, including eight years on the City Council, I have delivered results in each of these areas: serving on the Finance Committee to protect taxpayer dollars and Measure C, creating our Local Housing Trust Fund and reducing regulations to spur housing development downtown, supporting the new police station and Regional Fire Communications Center, and building Santa Barbara Clean Energy. In addition, I led the effort at Council to create an economic development plan that will enhance partnerships with our private sector economic experts to grow our economy. My plan as Mayor is to keep bringing residents, businesses, labor, and local government together the same way I always have, with transparency, data-driven decisions, and a track record of follow-through rather than simply making promises.
As mayor, I will focus on practical solutions that make life better here: expanding affordable housing, supporting public safety, investing in our parks and infrastructure, protecting the environment we all cherish, strengthening our small businesses, and budgeting responsibly. I’ll fight for affordable childcare, real opportunities for our young people, and policies that let working families not just get by but thrive—working together with the Council and business to come up with solutions that we can all align around.
My top three are housing stability, safety and resilience, and economic vitality. On housing, I’ll secure a dedicated, reliable funding source for the Local Housing Trust Fund, require like-for-like replacement when development demolishes existing homes, and prioritize infill and adaptive reuse. On safety, I’ll prioritize building on one coordinated system from street to housing, a daytime navigation center and expanded permanent supportive housing, while preparing for wildfire, flood, and sea-level rise. On the economy, I will prioritize speeding small-business permitting, turn vacant storefronts into active ones, incubating small businesses, and focus on State Street.
Question 2: Santa Barbara Business Climate
How would you describe the current business climate in the City of Santa Barbara, as well as the City’s current relationship with local businesses? Is there anything you would like to see change in this regard?
Santa Barbara’s business climate is improving but still harder than it should be. State Street vacancies are down from pandemic highs and the promenade is attracting real investment, but too many owners still describe permitting as slow, inconsistent, and expensive, and that discourages the kind of small business growth that keeps our commercial corridors healthy. I would push for a genuine one-stop permitting shop (AI permit check is on the way, and I support it), published timelines for common approvals, and regular checkins between City Hall and business associations so problems get flagged and fixed before they become crises, not after. I voted to kill the Zoning Impact Report in my first term, and will cut other red tape with the same vigor. Expand unarmed crisis-response and treatment partnerships as the alternative to enforcement-first homelessness policy. Set aside a fixed share of hotel-tax revenue to fund recurring downtown events and programming.
Many local businesses I’ve spoken with feel as though they are navigating the City rather than partnering with it. I’d like to see that relationship shift from bureaucratic to collaborative by treating permitting speed and predictability as core services, not afterthoughts. I’d push for a small business liaison function, adaptive reuse permitting reform, and clearer timelines businesses can actually plan around. I’ve spent twenty years managing budgets and operations inside global companies, and now run my own small consulting business, so I know firsthand how much uncertainty and delay can cost. I want City Hall to be an ally and advocate for local businesses, not the biggest variable in their plans.
Santa Barbara has a strong foundation but too many business owners tell me the permitting process is unpredictable and getting a clear answer from City Hall takes too long. The City lacks a dedicated senior-level economic development function, leaving businesses with no clear point of contact. I am committed to changing that by advocating for a director-level Economic Development position, delivering the 30-day expedited permitting target the State Street Master Plan calls for, and establishing a single point of contact for every applicant. Businesses need a formal, reliable channel to be integrated into City decisions and planning, and City Hall needs the staff capacity to act on that feedback. I have built direct relationships with the DSBIA and individual business owners throughout the State Street Master Plan process and that collaborative approach is what I want to bring to the Council.
I would describe it as weak. Until recently, economic development was almost an afterthought in the city. We have so much potential with quantum computing, tech companies coming out of UCSB and the Space Economy from Vandenberg. These are high-paying jobs that can serve as the bedrock for economic development in our city. Having said that, we can’t ignore the gift we have as a tourist destination, which means we need to create a delightful experience for our visitors with clean, safe streets, a thriving downtown and a proactive message to visitors that they are welcome here.
Santa Barbara’s business climate suffers from too much process. Permitting timelines, redundant reviews, and inconsistent expectations make it harder than it should be to open, expand, or even keep a business running here. For example, restaurants that built outdoor parklets during the pandemic only to have the City force them to tear everything out, reapply, and go through design review again just to put the same tables back. Who does that serve? I will push the City to embrace customer service innovations such as instant online permitting: simple approvals, like for outdoor dining or tenant improvements, should be same-day. I’d also work to cut onerous fees that cost the City more in lost business activity than they raise in revenue.
As a Councilmember, I will work in close collaboration with local entrepreneurs to understand their business goals, the roadblocks they face, and how the City can help support their growth in our community.
Downtown’s business climate is improving with UCSB’s Innovation Center, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Center and their theaters, and the Music Academy of the West coming in, but our local commerce needs more active support of the City, with an emphasis on economic development. The City should strive to partner with the business owners of District 5 and Downtown to assist new (and established) businesses with clear, streamlined permitting procedures, and help reduce operational barriers.
It’s been good to see some life coming back. New businesses are opening downtown and continued investment in vacant properties, but many challenges remain. State Street storefront availability remains around 12%. High rents, operating costs, and a complicated permitting process can make it difficult for businesses to open and succeed, particularly restaurants and small businesses operating on tight margins.
I understand firsthand how challenging restaurant margins can be. I want the City to treat businesses as partners. That means clearer requirements, better coordination between departments, reducing overlapping reviews, and creating more predictable permitting timelines. We can protect Santa Barbara’s character without making reinvestment unnecessarily difficult. I also believe Councilmembers should regularly meet with business owners to understand their concerns.
The current conditions with local businesses are ok, but I know if the community pulls together it can be great. I can’t say I see a relationship between the city and local business. The cost of opening a business in Santa Barbara is a long and expensive process. Offering flexibility is the key with this process so entrepreneurs will be interested in investing in new store fronts.
I don’t think the current business climate is where it needs to be. The reality is that City Hall often makes it too difficult for new businesses to open and for existing businesses to adapt and grow. Whether that’s because of long permitting timelines, unclear processes, or unnecessary bureaucracy, the result is the same. It means too many business owners feel like City Hall is working against them instead of with them.
Our local businesses create jobs, support local families, sponsor our nonprofits and youth programs, and contribute to Santa Barbara’s unique character. At the same time, they are operating in an incredibly challenging environment where costs are high and margins are often thin. The first step is acknowledging those realities.
I want the City’s relationship with the business community to be more collaborative. That starts with listening and creating regular opportunities for business owners to share what’s working and what isn’t. I also support practical changes, like waiving business license fees during a new business’s first year. Most new businesses aren’t profitable during that time, and we should be helping entrepreneurs get established, not adding another financial hurdle.
More than anything, I want to hear directly from business owners about the simple, practical changes we can make to help businesses succeed in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara has tremendous economic strengths, including tourism, an exceptional downtown, locally owned businesses, and a highly skilled workforce. However, doing business here can also be unnecessarily difficult. High rents, labor costs, permitting delays, regulations, parking and access concerns, and public safety issues downtown all affect our businesses. I would like the City to treat local businesses as partners and customers, not simply as entities to regulate. That means clearer requirements, predictable timelines, better communication between departments, and faster permitting. I support the City’s efforts to improve the permit process, but we need measurable results. I would also prioritize hearing directly from small businesses to better understand how City policies affect their daily operations and ability to succeed.
Santa Barbara remains an extraordinary place to do business, but operating here can be unnecessarily hard. Storefront occupancy has recovered close to 2019 levels while sales tax remains weaker, which tells me foot traffic is only part of the job. We have to turn visits into repeat local spending. We need to be serious about hiring someone accountable for economic development in Santa Barbara – we are not going to deal with our revenue problem without someone steering the ship.
The relationship with City Hall is improving. Pathways to Yes and the development-liaison work are steps in the right direction. I want to build on them.
A business owner signing a lease should be able to understand the likely fees, approvals, departments involved, and timeline before committing savings and taking on rent. They need clear rules, timely answers, and a City that understands that every month of uncertainty costs real money.
Santa Barbara’s business climate is resilient but strained, particularly for small businesses navigating high housing costs and permitting processes that can move too slowly. The City’s relationship with local businesses has improved through efforts like the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance and the newly launched Pathways to Yes Program. However, new reforms are essential to reducing regulatory barriers and converting vacant commercial space into productive use. As Mayor, I will continue to push the city toward further streamline, permitting and inspection processes, so business owners and housing developers face predictable timelines instead of costly delays. A stronger, more collaborative relationship between City Hall and local businesses is essential to keeping Santa Barbara’s economy vibrant and diverse.
Businesses have been struggling since, and perhaps even before, COVID. I would like to see a small test of change that brings all Santa Barbara business owners together to discuss and name the struggles and how working together only strengthens our community and creates a climate that supports all businesses, and be a learning lab.
I do not see the current business climate of the City as being friendly or workable. Priorities for Santa Barbara’s business community start with making downtown work again. I would like to create a Small Business Permit Concierge with published service targets and shorter tenant-improvement timelines, launch a Vacancy-to-Vibrancy program pairing fast pop-up approvals with micro-grants for code compliance and façade fixes, and fix the friction on State Street with shade, seating, lighting, cleanliness, wayfinding, restrooms, and predictable delivery access, while bringing back the Solstice and holiday parades. Second, I treat workforce housing as economic development, which needs a dedicated, reliable funding source for the Local Housing Trust Fund and major public land deals tied to deed-restricted units and real workforce outcomes. Third, corridors that are clean, safe, and welcoming, through coordinated cleaning, lighting, ambassadors, and rapid-response problem-solving with public accountability.
Question 3: Economic Development
Compare your priorities for economic development within the City of Santa Barbara to the City’s current economic development priorities.
The City’s current approach leans heavily on large-scale housing production downtown as the economic development strategy, sometimes at the expense of the scale that give our neighborhoods their character. My priorities are more balanced: finish the job I started on the Funk Zone, Coast Village Road, and State Street by pairing adaptive reuse of vacant commercial space with active ground-floor retail and dining, cut red tape that slows down local entrepreneurs, and support workforce housing so employers can actually hire and retain staff. Economic development should mean a thriving, walkable local economy, not just more units on paper. Zoning flexibility alone doesn’t make conversions pencil out, we need financial incentives paired with it, such as waiving impact fees, and City-funded infrastructure improvements. Combine a small, capped grant or property tax abatement for converting specific underused downtown buildings to housing with a transfer tax exemption for owners who complete that conversion, targeted through an eligibility/scoring process rather than offered citywide. I would attend ICSC Las Vegas and meet with property owners and commercial real estate agents locally to help them attract businesses.
The City needs to stop with the studies, consultants and temporary fixes. My priorities are more action-oriented: facilitate small business opportunities, expand workforce training pipelines, and streamline adaptive reuse permitting so vacant space becomes active space faster. I would love for Santa Barbara to lean into what makes it distinctive with its history as the birthplace of the modern environmental movement to attract clean-energy, blueeconomy jobs downtown. Where the City’s current framework treats economic development and sustainability as separate tracks, I see them as the same track: good jobs, a resilient local economy, and an identity that differentiates us from other coastal cities competing for the same visitors and businesses.
The City has good plans but lacks dedicated staffing and has substantial policy work to do to successfully execute on these plans. My priority is implementing the State Street Master Plan’s expedited permitting, Business Activation Grants, and pop-up retail licensing. These are things we can launch now without waiting until after the corridor is finished. The plan calls for active business recruitment, updating zoning standards that prioritize housing and mixed use, and adaptive reuse incentives. I also want to support the Chamber’s TechTopia initiative by ensuring our permitting processes do not drive technology and manufacturing businesses away from the South Coast. Treating downtown housing as an economic development strategy is equally critical, because the Master Plan’s analysis shows 2,000 to 3,000 downtown residents are what sustains local businesses long term. Delivering on all of this requires a Council that can find common ground and get the policy work done.
No response provided.
I generally agree with the city’s stated goals for economic development but differ with the sense of urgency, execution and accountability. It needs to be front and center. Economic Development deserves its own dashboard and reporting to the City Council, since it can make or break our city’s future, rather than being an afterthought. The city has a history of addressing the effects of problems without really trying to address the root causes. Things like Fast Track Permitting, measuring vacancy reduction, adaptive reuse, support for local emerging businesses and a block-by-block strategy for State Street. Every initiative needs a responsible leader, a timeline for progress and metrics to measure results.
The City’s current approach to economic development is far too passive; we wait for entrepreneurial investments to come to us instead of proactively building the conditions that attract them. I want the City to grow its tax base through real economic growth instead of resorting to more sales tax increases to close budget gaps.
I’m also supportive of the City partnering more directly with groups like the Chamber on economic development strategies. There is an abundance of local expertise the City should utilize, not try to duplicate. On tourism, I want a hospitality industry that’s growing strong, and I also want to support the growth of diversified industries so the City is not so dependent on hotel tax revenue that an economic downturn threatens basic services.
The City has recently elevated economic development under its plan, and that is a good thing. Santa Barbara is heavily dependent on tourist dollars, and I’d like to see the City prioritize diversifying our revenue base to other revenue streams. I would also want results that businesses actually feel, again emphasizing predictable permitting timelines, and a real point of contact at City Hall. And I’d want the City’s economic development commitment to extend beyond downtown; District 5’s business areas deserve the same attention State Street gets.
My priorities center on smarter growth at La Cumbre Plaza, which I see as an underused opportunity for mixed use development that supports both retail and housing. We must ensure focus on workforce housing so that growth actually benefits the people who work here. The City’s current approach has shown some encouraging movement, including this week’s vote to streamline environmental review for future housing projects, which should help translate approved plans into completed units faster. Where I would push further is treating that same urgency around permitting speed and predictability as core economic development policy generally, not just for housing.
For right or wrong Santa Barbara has been labeled not business friendly.
I’ll be honest, aside from a focus on whether or not State St. is open, I am not sure if we have clear economic development priorities. But we should. Making a community more affordable should focus not just on the cost of living, but also on building a sustainable economy that provides workers a better wage.
A lot of what I would change would come down to communication and approach. I would like to focus on targeting new businesses that people who live here want and find a way to get them here. Santa Barbara is a tough place to make it. That as true for a person as it is for a local business. We can do better, and we must.
My economic development priorities are centered on strengthening existing local businesses, filling vacant storefronts, supporting entrepreneurs, and making Santa Barbara a place where employers can invest with confidence. The City is already prioritizing economic development, downtown revitalization, permitting improvements, State Street, and the redevelopment of Paseo Nuevo. I support those goals, but I want a greater emphasis on implementation and measurable outcomes. Economic development cannot simply mean creating plans; businesses need to see improvements in permitting times, cleanliness, safety, accessibility, and customer traffic. I also believe housing is an economic issue. Employers cannot retain workers if employees cannot afford to live anywhere near their jobs. We should pursue economic growth and housing production together while preserving the locally owned businesses that give Santa Barbara its character.
I agree with much of the City’s direction. State Street, Pathways to Yes, business retention, housing, the airport and waterfront, and stronger regional economic-development coordination all belong in the picture.
Where I push further is the definition of economic development itself. Santa Barbara has world-class research, healthcare, hospitality, education, small businesses, and a growing technology economy. The question is whether those strengths create a future for people who already live here.
My priorities put workforce retention and housing closer to the center, connect SBCC and local schools to actual employer demand, help existing businesses grow before chasing the next recruitment headline, and make better use of public assets. Economic development should strengthen the tax base, yes, but it should also create careers, businesses, and reasons for local people to stay.
The City’s current economic development priorities such as revitalizing State Street, implementing the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, and supporting small businesses are ones I’ve helped shape and fully support. My priorities moving forward build on that foundation with a sharper focus on affordability and workforce readiness. Economic development must reach the people who keep this city running — our teachers, nurses, restaurant workers, and first responders. It must also create new opportunities such as collaboration with UCSB and City College, investment in the building trades and other industries, such as commercial fishing. That means pairing downtown revitalization with real housing solutions and prioritizing development that creates good, stable local jobs that utilize our local assets. Economic vitality and affordability aren’t separate goals for me, they have to move forward together.
There’s a huge resource that is missing. I would like to include our youth council to help us think outside the box and do things the same old way. Some of our young folks have their own businesses and are successful.
I don’t feel that the City’s current economic development priorities emphasize speed enough. The measure of success needs to be how quickly businesses can open from the time a lease is signed. There are too many times when this process takes years instead of months, and too many times when what would otherwise be a successful business loses all its buffer funding in the meantime and ends up not opening or closing too soon after. There are examples of one restaurant leaving and another coming in where everything needs to be redone even though it was an acceptable use before. We need to take this seriously and make it happen.
Question 4: Housing
How would you describe the current state of workforce development in the City of Santa Barbara? Will you prioritize hiring local contractors and utilizing local workforce training programs for City-funded projects?
Workforce development in Santa Barbara is underdeveloped relative to the need, particularly in the trades, where an aging workforce and high housing costs make it hard to recruit and retain local workers. Yes, I will prioritize hiring local contractors and using local training programs, including partnerships with SBCC’s trade and apprenticeship programs, for City-funded projects. Keeping public dollars in our local economy supports family-wage jobs and gives residents a real path into construction, maintenance, and skilled trade careers. Our housing and infrastructure in Santa Barbara is very old, and finding skilled labor to maintain and renovate is already very difficult.
Yes – I will prioritize local contractors and local workforce training for City-funded projects. City Council should use every lever available to keep good jobs and good wages here in our community. While a number of positive mentorship and workforce programs already exist, I’ll pursue a coordinated, comprehensive strategy for workforce training and career pipelines that starts early. Santa Barbara Unified’s academies already connect students to career tracks, but those pathways aren’t always clearly tied to local jobs. Workforce development should be better connected to the City’s own project pipeline. I’d like to see closer coordination with local training programs like fire hardening and electrification retrofits to an SBCC workforce program, and exploring how San Marcos High School’s Health Academy could be an on-ramp to EMT/paramedic training for the Fire Department.
Santa Barbara has real workforce training assets, apprenticeship and trade programs among them, that City-funded work underuses. The Chamber’s Workforce Development Hub, SBCC’s vocational programs, and union apprenticeship pipelines are all doing important work but the City is not consistently connecting its own capital investment to these local training assets. The Chamber’s Workforce Development Hub is doing exactly what local government should be supporting and amplifying. My priority is strengthening that pipeline and advocating for state-approved apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs to be written into City contract requirements wherever feasible. Affordable childcare is also a critical and underaddressed workforce retention issue and I support the City actively partnering with childcare providers and employers to expand access. I also see real opportunity to partner with SBCC on workforce development, particularly around the blue economy. Yes, prioritizing local contractors and local workforce training programs on every City-funded project is a commitment I support.
I will always prioritize qualified local businesses and trade organizations, but I feel like we are missing an opportunity for workforce development. I was the President of the Multimedia Arts & Design (MAD) Academy board and a huge fan of the high school academies. I believe there is a missed opportunity to create a path for students to develop skills in the academies, develop them further at SBCC and start internships in local businesses, resulting in a path for our youth to stay in Santa Barbara.
There is substantial room for improvement in the City’s workforce development. As Chair of the Transportation and Circulation Committee, I see how City capital projects intersect with our local workforce. Through my role with the State Senate, I’ve been closely engaged with workforce issues for years, including the challenges posed by unaffordable local housing and childcare and the potential of collaboration across institutions and neighboring cities to support regional workforce development.
I support adding a childcare element to the City’s General Plan and building public-private partnerships that help employers, workers, and the City to support childcare and workforce housing together. A business can’t hold onto workers who can’t find childcare or a place to live. I also support utilizing the City’s assets in closer partnership with local educational institutions to support new career pathways in emerging sectors such as the blue economy, the creative arts, and health sciences.
Housing continues to be an issue both in the City and regionally. Santa Barbare is a built-out City that treasures its look and feel, often to its detriment, leading to a shortage of employees, stagnating economic vibrancy, substandard housing, an over reliance on tourism, and sometimes efforts that make the situation worse.
I’ll continue to support the development of new housing in locations that benefit the city, in the type of housing provided, and balancing the impacts as best that can be accomplished to local expectations.
SBCC’s Career Skills Institute is doing a great job in partnering with local employers and training people for business, technology, and healthcare careers. These pipelines strengthen our local workforce. Yes, I would like to see an expansion of this training to the construction and building trades, and within the confines of the procurement guidelines, prioritize local contractors. This is important, given how much building the City needs to do in the years ahead.
I support the City’s Community Workforce Agreement that has been in place since 2018. It does keep major public works projects union, but the City itself hasn’t produced clear data showing it has increased local hiring. I want that data made public. I will prioritize hiring local contractors and using local workforce training programs on City funded projects, paired with real accountability on whether those programs are delivering the local jobs they promise. I believe we have some amazing local contractors and firms that the city can utilize.
My experience is the workforce in the private sector is great. There are rules in place that can and have stopped local contractors from doing public work projects. As a union member I question giving outside union contractors local work. It would better serve the community to have local non union contractors do the work while we work on rebuilding the local union work force. Local money and investments should stay in our community.
Santa Barbara is lucky to have an incredible research university and a great community college right here in town. We have talent to draw from, but we need to do a better job of making sure that the pipeline of talent is able to stay here in Santa Barbara and grow with our local businesses.
On the school board, I have seen this first hand. We lose valuable teachers and staff every year because they simply can’t afford to live here. The same thing is true of our local businesses. But progress is possible. I spearheaded the school district’s plan to build affordable staff and teacher housing on district land to make sure that we can keep our employees here locally and happy.
I believe that if we start to find ways to say yes to creative ideas from the local business community about housing our workforce, we can start to keep our local talent in town and grow our local economy.
Santa Barbara has talented workers and strong educational and training institutions, but the high cost of living makes it increasingly difficult for employers to recruit and retain employees locally. Workforce development therefore has to include both job training and the broader affordability challenges facing workers. I support giving qualified local contractors meaningful opportunities to compete for City-funded projects while strengthening local workforce training programs that prepare residents for good-paying, skilled careers.
City spending should create opportunities within our community when possible. At the same time, contracting decisions must remain competitive, transparent, and focused on quality and responsible use of taxpayer dollars. I would support stronger partnerships among the City, local schools, colleges, apprenticeship programs, organized labor, and employers to connect residents with careers in construction, public safety, technology, hospitality, healthcare, and other fields where our region needs skilled workers.
The workforce problem is not training alone. It is whether people can afford to stay after they are trained. Housing and childcare costs are labor-market issues in Santa Barbara, and employers feel that every day.
Yes, I will prioritize qualified local contractors and local workforce-training partnerships on City-funded work, consistent with procurement law, cost, competition, and quality. Bid outreach should actually reach small local firms, not just technically be available to them.
On workforce development, I want SBCC, K-12 career education, apprenticeships, the Chamber’s Workforce Development Hub, and employers working from the same picture of actual openings. I care much more about placements than enrollment totals. Five years from now, I want to know more people who trained here are still working here and they can afford to live within reach of the jobs they trained for
Workforce Development is an area of policy ready for new ideas and investment. With UCSB making a new commitment to partner with the local community it is critical that the next Mayor work with our business partners and UCSB experts to take full advantage of the opportunities before us. This includes prioritizing local contractors and workforce training programs for City-funded projects, because building this city’s infrastructure should include stable, good-paying careers for the people who live here. This is why I co-authored the Community Workforce Agreement for large Public Works projects. We also have City College and Westmont at the forefront of building essential pipelines for health care workers right here in Santa Barbara. As Mayor, I will work with the Chamber and other local business groups to improve what we already have and create new pathways to diversify and invest in economic development.
Success starts locally. So yes, I would be in favor of hiring local workforce training programs for city-funded projects. What better way than to invest in our community? I would be in favor of partnering with our high schools, local college communities, and the county’s Workforce Development Board
Santa Barbara has SBCC, UCSB, and willing employers, but our workforce pipeline is still a collection of good individual efforts rather than a coordinated system. I’ve pushed Blue and Green Economy initiatives to build local career pipelines, and called for a City Economic Development position. The gap is that people who train here can’t find the local job, or can’t afford to stay. Yes. As Mayor, I would like to expand City contracting access for small local firms, add workforce expectations to public projects, grow partnerships like the Ocean Collective with internships and apprenticeships.
Question 5: Housing
What do you believe is the state of housing in the City of Santa Barbara? What are your priorities regarding housing in the City?
Housing in Santa Barbara remains too scarce and too expensive, which pushes out teachers, service workers, and young families who keep this city running. My priorities are adaptive reuse of underused commercial buildings into housing, incentivizing workforce housing, and transparency in how the City handles land use decisions, including independent appraisals and public hearings before major land sales. I support adding units, but not by abandoning design review or community input; that’s how we end up with mismatched, oversized projects that trigger neighborhood backlash. I also will ensure that the City stays ahead of state housing deadlines so loopholes like Builder’s Remedy, which let developers bypass environmental and design review entirely, don’t get triggered here. I support adding housing over our ground level city parking lots, leaving parking on the ground floor.
Housing remains one of our biggest challenges. Santa Barbara has permitted only a fraction of its state-mandated housing allocation for this cycle, with almost no progress in the affordable categories. A long-standing antigrowth mentality stalled progress for years and left us exposed to outside pressure and state intervention. My priorities are building supply through a mix of thoughtful variances, infill, adaptive reuse of existing downtown buildings, and missing-middle housing like duplexes and triplexes, along with putting underused City-owned land to work. I want housing that fits the character of our neighborhoods, not oversized development in high fire hazard zones. Workforce housing should be a consideration in every project, so that teachers, firefighters, service workers, and City employees can afford to live in the community they serve.
Santa Barbara has permitted roughly 10.8% of its state-mandated RHNA housing target, with the shortfall running deepest in the affordability tiers that support our local workforce. Less than 3% of our multifamily housing stock is downtown. As a Planning Commissioner deeply involved in the Housing Element update, these figures are alarming yet not surprising. I understand how much policy work remains to meaningfully incentivize housing supply. My priority is a comprehensive approach focused on bringing housing downtown, where infrastructure and transit can support it and where housing creates the residential customer base necessary to sustain economic vitality. This means converting city-owned lots to workforce housing, solving the stormwater infrastructure barrier, updating zoning standards to prioritize mixed-use housing as the preferred downtown use, establishing expedited permitting for housing, advancing employer-sponsored workforce housing through AB 2295, and securing an ongoing funding stream for the Local Housing Trust Fund.
I believe we are not doing everything we can to develop housing, especially infill housing in our urban center. We need housing across a range of income levels, but we must do so thoughtfully and respectfully to preserve Santa Barbara’s charm. There is ample room for improvement in the building process, as well as opportunities for public-private partnerships to leverage publicly owned land that sits idle. My priorities are streamlining permitting, adaptive reuse of commercial buildings and public/private partnerships to help address additional supply without losing the charm of Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is in a housing affordability crisis that is hurting workforce recruitment and retention, and making it harder for local seniors and young people to live here.
My priorities include dedicated funding for our Housing Trust Fund, building workforce housing on underused City properties, and making it easier to build the units we need, be they neighborhood ADUs or mixed-use projects in business corridors.
There is tremendous potential for the City to further capitalize on the momentum of forthcoming downtown redevelopment projects by building housing on City land: simultaneously supporting local businesses, housing our community, and embracing sustainable land use. This is a great opportunity to explore innovative housing solutions such as community land trusts that make homeownership more achievable.
If elected, I will prioritize permitting reform so housing is built faster, legalize missing-middle housing types, cut red tape around ADUs, and allow their sale outside of high-fire zones.
Housing is one of the biggest challenges our city faces, and we need to move quickly to meet the City’s needs. Santa Barbara needs more affordable homes for our workforce. It is hard to hire and retain great employees when they can’t afford to live near where they work. We need to speed up the approval process, build efficiently and add more housing options that are built to create more density without changing the character of our neighborhoods.
Housing is now farther out of reach for the majority of people. The city has not built enough housing or encouraged redevelopment of existing underutilized properties. I want to direct the city towards speeding up the process by reducing overlapping hurdles with permitting or boards. By allowing multiple processes to occur at the same time, this will help reduce the costs to the builders, allow faster development and cheaper units. I want to encourage utilizing city owned property into workforce housing, look at additional building styles such as modular construction.
There is a shortage in rental availability in Santa Barbara with less than 1% vacancy. With new listings beyond most peoples reach. An example would be when UCSB increased enrollment without housing to match.
Housing affordability is the most significant challenge facing Santa Barbara. It impacts our workforce, our local businesses, our schools, and the long-term health of our community. I believe housing is more than a supply-and-demand issue. It’s an ecosystem where housing production, tenant protections, transportation, and economic opportunity all work together. If we focus on only one piece, we won’t solve the problem.
My priorities are keeping people in their homes, increasing deed-restricted affordable housing, and improving the City’s development process. We need to make it easier and more predictable to build affordable housing, especially projects led by nonprofit developers, while also using City-owned land and identifying new funding sources for affordable housing.
Santa Barbara is facing a serious housing affordability and availability problem. Too many workers commute long distances, young people struggle to remain in the community where they grew up, and families face extremely limited choices. My priority is to increase housing supply while protecting the character and quality of our neighborhoods. We should make it easier to build appropriate infill, workforce, affordable, and mixed-use housing, particularly in areas where residents can walk, bike, or use transit. We also need a faster and more predictable permitting process. Housing policy must recognize that rental housing is a partnership between tenants and housing providers. We need strong protections against genuinely abusive practices while also ensuring that responsible property owners can maintain, insure, repair, and improve their properties. Long-term affordability requires both tenant stability and a healthy housing supply.
Santa Barbara has already made a major commitment: 8,001 homes by 2031, with enough land zoned to accommodate them. Three years in, 863 units have been permitted – about 11 percent of the target in roughly 37 percent of the time. Last year, 141 of the 255 units permitted were ADUs.
That tells me the next housing fight is increasingly about delivery.
I will start with projects already in the pipeline: identify what is stalled, name the blocker, and assign responsibility for the next step. I also want median permit time reduced by 30 percent by making standards clearer and coordinating corrections, while keeping design and safety expectations intact. What has worked for ADUs – a clearer path and more predictable timing – should also inform small multifamily projects and downtown conversions.
An approval is not a home. I will measure this at the front door.
Housing affordability is the defining challenge facing Santa Barbara. Rising costs are pushing out working families, young people, essential hospitality workers and first responders who keep this city running. My priority is expanding housing supply and affordable options through practical, collaborative solutions. I proposed the Local Housing Trust Fund which is one of the most pro-housing legislative policies adopted by our city. I also worked directly with a developer to convert a market-rate development permitted project into one that included 20% affordable units, proving partnership and creativity can deliver results. As Mayor, I will continue bringing housing providers, businesses, and community leaders together to rental and ownership housing projects, while preserving what makes Santa Barbara special. I fully support housing on City owned land and investment in partnerships between developers and employers to create employer sponsored housing projects, similar to what Cottage accomplished with St. Francis.
Housing is a work in progress with the best intentions, and a lot is being done. True affordability is a major priority for me, and we need to ensure it does not get buried in market-rate conversations.
Housing in Santa Barbara is in crisis. Our shortage is pushing out working families, seniors, and longtime residents, tearing at our community fabric and undermining the local economy.
My priorities are to fund affordable housing at scale through a dedicated, reliable source for the Local Housing Trust Fund; preserve existing rentals by requiring like for like replacement when homes are demolished; prioritize infill and adaptive reuse with predictable standards and faster timelines; and demand maximum public benefit and transparency from development on city owned land, including former Police Station site.
Question 6: Rent Stabilization
What are your thoughts on the draft rent stabilization policies in the City of Santa Barbara? What outcomes do you expect from rent stabilization in the City?
I understand why rent stabilization is on the table; longtime tenants are being priced out, and that’s a real problem. However, I have talked with local economist Peter Rupert and other experts and do not believe that this program or similar ones would have beneficial impacts in Santa Barbara. It could reduce supply in the long run. Developers might shy away from Santa Barbara, and tenants might monopolize scarce units. Also, tenants would be pressured into staying here even when they have jobs elsewhere, creating more traffic and poorer quality of life for them. Finally, property owners could have a hard time making ends meet, which might force units off the market and lead to run down conditions.
This ordinance will likely be finalized by the current Council, not the next one. One option worth considering is a five-year sunset clause, to evaluate whether it’s having the intended impact or needs revision. While I support tenant protections and never want tenants facing excessive rent increases or inadequate living conditions, the current draft is cumbersome, will cost the City real money to implement, and is far more restrictive than the state’s own ceiling. I don’t believe rent stabilization by itself leads to more housing, which is the critical component of longer-term affordability. Whatever the Council adopts, the petition and board process needs to be genuinely accessible to both tenants and small landlords, not just well-resourced property managers.
I support a moderate approach to rent stabilization that protects tenants from price gouging and provides long-term stability. This policy is evolving and the details deserve attention from every current City Councilmember to ensure they adopt an ordinance that works for tenants, property owners, and the city staff who will administer it. Two issues deserve particular attention. The proposed cap of 60% of CPI up to 3% is one of the tightest in California. Caps set too low push more owners into the Fair Return petition process, where increases can be larger and less predictable, and we need to honestly assess whether city staff has the capacity to administer a high volume of petitions appropriately. I also support reconsidering the exemption for owners already renting below market. Getting these details right determines whether this ordinance actually delivers what we all want, which is greater stability for our community’s workforce.
I oppose it for two reasons. First, we already had a rent cap under AB1482, which most landlords learned to live within. Second, we aren’t doing anything to increase housing capacity, which I consider the root cause of housing costs here. We are supposed to show plans to accommodate 8,001 homes by 2031, yet we’ve provided less than 1,000. I am concerned about the State Attorney General’s recent action to sue 5 cities in California for failing to meet their housing goals, which opens the door to more “Builder’s Remedy” projects, loss of funding, and litigation expenses, resulting in a meaningful loss of control for the city.
I support adopting a rent stabilization ordinance. While many details remain undecided, it’s clear the current Council will pass the ordinance before the new Councilmembers are seated. If elected, my job will be to ensure its implementation protects tenants, enables housing providers to make a fair return while maintaining their properties, and responsibly manages costs to the City. It will be important for future Councilmembers to scrutinize the results and maintain openness to iteration if parts of the ordinance aren’t working as intended.
An effective rent stabilization ordinance will help our renting workforce continue their lives and careers in our community. Rent stabilization policies are most effective at preventing displacement of current residents; they do not create the housing supply we also need to address affordability long-term. The new Council must also pursue policies that incentivize the housing production needed to meet the City’s goals and legal obligations.
I understand the pressures behind this proposal, we have an affordable housing shortage and Santa Barbara renters are genuinely struggling. This rent stabilization will benefit current renters, but the enacting of this ordinance will not bring us the many more housing units that we need to remedy our housing crisis. In addition, by adding a new rent board and registry, we will add significant bureaucracy, and the administration of it is predicted to cost millions of dollars a year. Rather than concentrating on rent stabilization, I believe the City should concentrate on a viable plan to actually grow our housing supply, which is the deeper problem. We need to focus on what actually gets more units built and keeps existing rental housing on the market: expedited permitting, innovative building techniques, and incentives for more pubic/private/nonprofit partnerships and housing providers.
The City is on track to adopt a rent stabilization ordinance this year. I see rent stabilization as a bridge solution, not as a solution to our housing shortage. I’m also very concerned that there is no mandatory review or sunset provision. Its very true that there are current tenants that need protection. I would like to see a five year sunset review evaluating housing production, displacement, and vacancy rates before deciding whether to continue it. I do favor incentives for landlords who keep units as long term rentals, along with hardship provisions. Protecting long term housing from being switched to short term rentals. If all we do is cap rents without making it easier to build housing, we have not solved the problem. That is why I pair this policy with streamlined permitting, faster approvals, and greater workforce and mixed income housing projects.
Putting a cap on rentals is tempting when costs are rising. I would like to see a report from any area in California where rent control was implemented and it worked.
I support rent stabilization because I believe we need to do more to keep people in their homes. Santa Barbara is losing teachers, nurses, young families, and longtime residents because rents continue to outpace wages. Providing greater stability for existing tenants is an important part of addressing that challenge.
At the same time, I don’t believe rent stabilization alone will solve our housing crisis. Housing is an ecosystem, and we need to address multiple issues at once. We must continue building more deed-restricted affordable housing, streamline permitting so housing projects move more efficiently, use City land for housing, and create opportunities for affordable homeownership.
My expectation is that rent stabilization will reduce displacement and provide more predictability for renters, while the City continues to pursue policies that increase housing supply. Success will come from implementing these strategies together, not from relying on any single policy to solve a complex problem.
I understand why rent stabilization is being considered: housing costs are placing tremendous pressure on Santa Barbara residents. However, I have concerns about policies that may provide short-term relief while discouraging investment in existing rental housing or reducing future housing supply. The current draft would generally limit annual increases to 60% of CPI or 3%, whichever is lower, and would not allow unused increases to be banked. I believe we must carefully evaluate the effects on tenants and housing providers before assuming the policy will solve our affordability problem. Rent stabilization may provide greater predictability for existing tenants, but we must also consider its longterm effects on the quality and availability of rental housing. California already provides significant protections for tenants, including limits on rent increases for many rental properties. I believe Santa Barbara should carefully evaluate whether additional local restrictions will meaningfully improve housing affordability without creating unintended consequences that discourage investment in our existing rental housing. Our long-term focus must remain increasing housing supply.
I rent in District 6, so tenant stability is not an abstract issue to me. I support enforceable protections against unlawful increases, harassment, and displacement. I oppose the draft ordinance in its current form because I am not persuaded it protects today’s renters without creating a larger problem for future renters.
The evidence that worries me is what happened after similar rules elsewhere. St. Paul’s 2021 cap was followed by a sharp drop in permitting, and its own council amended the policy within a year. Stanford researchers studying San Francisco found that expanded rent control reduced rental supply by 15 percent and pushed rents higher citywide.
I do not want Santa Barbara to ignore those lessons. Any policy we adopt should be honestly funded and tracked for effects on covered and exempt units.
Tenant stability matters. Future renters matter too. Rent control is not a housing plan.
I do not support the rent stabilization effort proposed by my colleagues, which has been deemed one of the most restrictive in the State. Their rent stabilization ordinance will create additional regulations that will lead to millions of dollars in annual new costs on the City at a time when we are working to replenish emergency reserves, deterioration of the housing stock, loss of local ownership in place of out-of-town investment firms and ultimately a reduction in supply. All of this will lead to higher rents and invites expensive litigation. We have already spent $400K to defend the first lawsuit. Instead, we should focus on increasing supply, including deed restricted rental and ownership units and strategic investment of new units in specific locations, such as downtown. We should prioritize enforcing the current laws on the books so that tenants receive protection from the current ordinances in place.
Rent stabilization is a hugely complicated and divisive issue. Rent stabilization could be an opportunity to pause and really delve into long-term solutions to the ongoing issue.
After much discussion with local mom and pop property owners and the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara, I am now in support of a more predictable cap (as supported by property owners) and exemptions for deed-restricted units. I’ve supported tenant protections and stability measures as near-term relief while longer-term housing policies are developed, and I view rent stabilization the same way. The goal is keeping working families, seniors, and longtime residents in their homes while we build the supply we actually need. I want a policy calibrated carefully, with attention to small local property owners and to maintenance of existing housing stock, and with real data reported back to Council. The outcome I expect is fewer displacements and more stability, not a substitute for production. Stabilization buys time; it does not build housing.
Question 7: Energy Infrastructure
What are your priorities for supporting reliable, modern energy infrastructure in the City of Santa Barbara, including upgrades to the electric grid and new renewable energy projects? And what is your view on the permitting and approval process for this kind of infrastructure?
Reliable, modern energy infrastructure is not optional; it is public safety, especially in a city with wildfire risk and aging electrical equipment. My priorities are grid hardening in high fire-hazard zones, expanded EV charging and rooftop/community solar, and continued support for Community Choice Energy. On permitting, I want a faster, more predictable process for utility upgrades and renewable projects, without abandoning environmental review. As a former council member, I authored resolutions banning offshore drilling and fracking and worked on sea-level rise adaptation, so I understand both the urgency of building resilient infrastructure and the importance of doing it with real public input rather than rubber-stamping projects.
Reliable, modern energy infrastructure has to keep pace with electrification and wildfire mitigation, both of which increase grid demands. My priorities are targeted grid upgrades, including undergrounding in high fire-hazard areas, and leveraging Santa Barbara Clean Energy’s CCA revenues to fund local renewable projects. On permitting, I support streamlining residential solar and storage approvals. I am personally in the middle of that process for my own house and have found it expensive and slower than it should be. That kind of delay discourages exactly the clean-energy investment we should be encouraging residents and businesses to make. I want the City to treat permitting speed for climate infrastructure as a priority equal to the projects themselves.
Energy resilience is both a climate and economic priority for Santa Barbara. Power shutoffs during fire events directly impact our businesses and residents. The City should be investing in solar and battery storage microgrids locally to increase resilience during outages and reduce dependence on aging utility infrastructure. Exploring how to deploy solar and battery storage across city-owned assets is a top priority for me, as it would allow the City to generate its own clean energy, reduce operating costs, and sell surplus power back into the grid. At the business and residential level, my goal is to make it easy to install solar, batteries, EV chargers, and heat pumps. I want to follow the City of Goleta’s example and waive building permit fees for small-scale clean energy installations. Clean energy infrastructure projects should receive streamlined, predictable approval processes.These are shared priorities I believe we can accomplish through working together.
I support modernizing the electric grid, hardening the infrastructure and encouraging responsible solar, renewable and battery energy projects. Besides the climate benefits, many of our wildfire issues originated from the electrical grid. Many of the issues I discussed regarding housing also apply here, particularly to streamlining the process and reducing paperwork. Hardening the infrastructure also extends to cybersecurity, which I’ve personally experienced in my time in tech, where customers lost control of their systems to ransomware attacks. We need to ensure our critical energy and water supplies are protected from this threat.
We need more locally sited clean energy generation and storage to support the growth in energy demand expected in California and our City over the next decade. There is an important role for the City to play in facilitating local projects through our Community Choice Aggregator, Santa Barbara Clean Energy. I support a permitting process that’s efficient and predictable, the same standard I want for housing and small business permitting. We should be making it easier and cheaper for businesses and homeowners to install rooftop solar and batteries, heat pumps, and EV charging stations. In my experience reviewing large infrastructure projects on the City’s Transportation and Circulation Committee, I have also learned the importance of supporting opportunities for projects to do multiple things at once, such as undergrounding utilities and improving water and sewage lines during major street projects.
Santa Barbara’s grid reliability is a real vulnerability because we are at the end of a single transmission line in a high wildfire zone, we witnessed this vulnerability when the City’s power went out during the Thomas Fire. One of my priorities is resilience. We should support grid-hardening work and solutions like microgrids and battery storage, similar to what is being installed at SBCC. We should still conduct important safety reviews, but we should strive to get these projects authorized quickly.
I am in favor of the expansion of renewable energy, this industry creates jobs and climate resilience.
I support electrification of new development where practical, but our electrical infrastructure must keep pace with that demand. The City should work with SCE to identify where service lines need additional capacity and make those upgrades easier and timely access to public rights of way. The City should also lead by example, using appropriate City owned property and parking lots for solar development, including solar canopies that generate renewable electricity while providing shade and improving our public parking facilities, paired with EV charging where appropriate. I support renewable energy, battery storage, and grid modernization while maintaining necessary safety and environmental review. Our goal should be reliable infrastructure and a permitting process that helps us build the energy system we are asking our community to use.
It is important to update our infrastructure. Fast tracking solar and battery projects for residential use should be a priority. These projects take stress of our local outdated electrical infrastructure including Edison’s outdated power grid. Hopefully reducing fires caused by old worn out electrical lines.
Solar plus microgrids is the simplest path forward on energy infrastructure.
Most small solar power projects are ministerial, but time is money and we have to do everything we can to get creative about permitting and even encouraging microgrids, especially in our downtown area.
Finally, though I will do everything in my power to increase solar and microgrids, the ball almost always ends up in SCE’s court. I will work as closely as possible with SCE to improve approval and connection timelines.
Reliable energy infrastructure is essential for residents, businesses, public safety, and our climate goals. I support modernizing the electrical grid, expanding renewable energy, improving resilience, and preparing for increasing electricity demand as buildings and transportation become more electrified. I also believe the permitting process for necessary infrastructure must become faster, clearer, and more predictable without compromising legitimate safety standards. Even relatively straightforward electrical upgrades can involve significant permitting, coordination, inspections, and expense. I believe elected officials should understand how those processes work for residents and property owners in practice, not only on paper. The City should establish clear timelines, coordinate departments effectively, and identify opportunities to streamline routine upgrades. If Santa Barbara wants residents and businesses to invest in cleaner and safer infrastructure, City government should make responsible improvements easier to accomplish, not unnecessarily more complicated.
Reliable power is basic city infrastructure. Homes, businesses, water systems, and emergency response all depend on it, and I want fewer surprises in how we plan and permit the upgrades we need.
The City should coordinate with Southern California Edison and Santa Barbara Clean Energy around known capacity constraints, then sequence grid upgrades, storage, and resilience investments accordingly. Solar-plus-storage at critical facilities is an obvious place to keep moving.
For smaller solar, battery, and EV charger projects, the City’s on-demand permit model demonstrates that speed and standards can coexist. Larger projects deserve rigorous safety, fire-access, and environmental review, but applicants should still know the requirements up front, which departments are involved, and when a decision is due. That schedule should be clear before major capital is committed, not discovered halfway through the process.
My priority is a reliable, modern grid that supports both climate goals and economic stability. I supported and advocated for the creation of Santa Barbara Clean Energy and the El Estero Electric Grid upgrade. I will continue prioritizing infrastructure investments that strengthen grid and infrastructure reliability and prioritize local jobs. The permitting and approval process for critical energy infrastructure needs to move efficiently without sacrificing environmental review or community input. The creation of Santa Barbara Clean Energy provides new resources for investment in local critical infrastructure, including micro-grids and other resilient measures that give us local sources of energy and reduce dependence on the larger grid system.
While serving on the Santa Barbara Unified Board, this issue came up, and I wasn’t a big supporter of it; however, after having a study session that gave more information about the benefits, I understood how it served a dual purpose. It saves money on our electrical costs. As we continue to reduce our carbon footprint, it is important to keep our infrastructure updated. Permitting processes are often complicated; we can always work together to reevaluate and streamline without compromising safety.
I helped establish Santa Barbara Clean Energy, delivering 100 percent sustainable power through our existing grid, and initiated the Department of Sustainability and Resilience. Clean supply is only part of the goal. Our grid must stay reliable through wildfire, flood, and power shutoffs, which means micro-grids, solar paired with battery storage, and installations on public buildings. On permitting, I’ve long pushed to make solar permitting easier and have the City actively help residents and businesses access renewable energy. Predictable standards, clear timelines, and adequate staffing turn goals into built projects.
Question 8: Climate & Emissions
What are your priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (including from the commuting/transportation sector) and addressing local climate impacts such as extreme heat, wildfire, drought, and coastal flooding?
Transportation is our largest source of emissions, so my priorities are practical: safer bike and pedestrian infrastructure, reliable transit for seniors and non-drivers, and housing built close to jobs and services so people can drive less by choice rather than mandate. I pushed for better commute times from Amtrak for Ventura County commuters. I will push for more last mile options. On local impacts, wildfire is the most urgent; I’d prioritize defensible space programs, fuel management, and evacuation planning in hillside neighborhoods. I also support expanding the urban tree canopy for extreme heat, droughttolerant landscaping standards, and coastal protection planning for sea-level rise and flooding. These investments protect lives and property first, with climate benefits as a result, which is the right order of priorities for most residents.
I’m glad the Chamber is asking this! It shows real thinking about the next generation of residents and businesses in Santa Barbara. I’m genuinely concerned about climate risk to our community, including sea-level rise. Our coastline is a major economic driver, and we need to invest now in the Coastal Adaptation Plan to protect it. Transportation is our largest local emissions source, so I’d prioritize a genuinely connected, safe network of bike lanes and pedestrian routes that make alternatives to driving realistic for more residents. Our community and the Fire Department are already doing impressive work mitigating fire risk through Fire Wise and home-hardening programs but secure, consistent funding is imperative. I’d also use municipal procurement as a demand engine for lower-emissions vendors and materials. This is where my sustainability background translates most directly into Council work.
Transportation is the largest source of local greenhouse gas emissions and the hardest to address. My priorities are electrifying the City’s vehicle fleet, expanding EV charging infrastructure, and the appropriate integration of bikes into our transportation network. Addressing our jobs-housing imbalance is equally critical. Our workforce commutes long distances because they cannot afford to live here, and making downtown housing a reality is one of our most important climate actions. On wildfire, I am committed to advancing Zone Zero home hardening programs so homeowners can comply and retain their insurance, and pursuing California Safe Homes Act grant funding. On coastal flooding, my priority is pushing the 30-Year Waterfront Adaptation Plan toward adoption and supporting the goal of increasing economic vitality along the waterfront. On drought, I want to support water conservation investments.
I support climate priorities that are practical, measurable and focused on outcomes. Personally, one of our cars is electric and the other is a hybrid. Transportation is one of our major opportunities with projects such as regional transit, safe walking and bike paths and electric vehicle charging. The best way to solve this is to create more local housing so people can live here rather than commute from other cities. We should work with state and federal parties to solidify regional bus and train service so people can leverage them as an alternative to driving. I think there is still more work to do on water preservation and wastewater management so we’re not tapping into valuable freshwater supplies. I do fear that people will quickly forget how bad it was in previous droughts.
We need to faithfully pursue the policy strategies identified in our City’s Climate Action Plan. We should start by cutting emissions at the source, which means investing in transportation infrastructure that makes it easy and safe for people to walk, bike, take transit, and drive electric. More housing near jobs also reduces emissions and traffic congestion. We must protect and expand our urban forest to capture carbon, reduce heat, and improve quality of life for local residents and wildlife alike.
I support electrifying City assets and investing in local renewable energy generation and storage. We should adopt the Waterfront Adaptation Plan to protect our coastal resources, mitigate flooding, and grow the blue economy. On fire safety, I will prioritize the City acting on the findings of the ongoing Station Location and Facilities Master Plan. We should be making strategic capital investments now to avoid much costlier emergency measures later.
Our electricity is already almost carbon-free through Santa Barbara Clean Energy, so most remaining emissions come from single-occupancy car trips. Being able to house our workforce here in Santa Barbara will go a long way in helping reduce carbon emissions caused by long commutes from cities such as Oxnard and Lompoc. I would also prioritize safer bike and pedestrian infrastructure. On local climate impacts: Santa Barbara faces wildfire, droughts, more extreme heat days, and coastal flooding risk along the waterfront. I’d focus on resilience by creating defensible space, continued water solutions, and infrastructure planning for sea level rise.
Reducing emissions should come from giving people practical alternatives, not simply making driving harder. I support expanding our free downtown shuttle, improving safe bicycle and e-bike infrastructure, and making public transportation a more convenient option for commuters. I also support using City owned parking lots for solar canopies, providing renewable energy and shade during increasingly hot weather. Climate resilience matters just as much. Santa Barbara must keep investing in wildfire prevention, vegetation management, water conservation, and infrastructure that helps us withstand drought and extreme weather. Along the coast I support a thoughtful approach through the Waterfront Adaptation Plan that protects public access, our beaches, and critical infrastructure while preparing for sea level rise and coastal flooding. Climate policy should produce measurable local benefits while remaining practical and economically responsible.
There is a dire need for better, more efficient public transit, to reduce the use of personal vehicles. The use of electrical vehicles, solar and batteries for residential use also reduce all these impacts.
Santa Barbara should continue to be a leader on climate change, but our policies also have to work for people in their everyday lives.
Transportation is a perfect example. If we want people to drive less, we need to make the alternatives convenient. That means safer bike infrastructure, better transit, more walkable neighborhoods and, most importantly, housing closer to where people work. One of the best ways to reduce commuting emissions is to make it possible for the people who work in Santa Barbara to actually live in Santa Barbara.
We also have to prepare for the impacts that are already here. Wildfire, drought and coastal flooding are not abstract problems for our community. I support investing in resilient infrastructure, emergency preparedness and water reliability. We should vastly streamline the permitting processes (timelines and costs) for those who are seeking to fire harden their homes or buildings.
My approach is practical: set ambitious goals, invest where we can make a measurable difference, and make it easier (not harder) for residents and businesses to participate.
Santa Barbara should continue working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring that our climate policies are practical and effective. Transportation is an important part of that effort. I support giving residents more convenient transportation choices by improving public transit, pedestrian safety, bicycle connections, and electric vehicle infrastructure. We should also look for ways to reduce long commutes by making it easier for people to live closer to where they work.
We also need to prepare for the climate impacts already affecting our region, including wildfire, drought, extreme heat, and coastal flooding. That means maintaining vegetation and defensible space, strengthening emergency preparedness, protecting water supplies, improving infrastructure resilience, and planning responsibly along the coast. Climate action works best when residents and businesses have realistic alternatives and incentives rather than simply additional costs. I will support policies that produce measurable environmental benefits while considering affordability, economic impacts, and the practical needs of residents and businesses.
Housing near jobs is probably the most concrete local climate policy Santa Barbara can deliver. Every worker who can live closer to work means fewer vehicle miles year after year.
I also support stronger employer commute programs, faster, more reliable MTD service, and the closing of unsafe gaps in walking and biking routes.
On resilience, wildfire and water come first: carry out the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, maintain evacuation readiness and vegetation management, and protect a diversified water portfolio. Coastal and stormwater projects should proceed in phases aligned with adopted plans, available funding, and maintenance capacity.
My focus is execution. Santa Barbara already has climate plans; the next step is to ensure the pieces that matter most are funded, maintained, and carried out.
My priorities build on Santa Barbara’s legacy of environmental leadership. I helped create Santa Barbara Clean Energy and establish our Sustainability and Resilience Department, and supported updates to our Wildfire Protection Plan to address the growing risk of climate-driven fires. I support expanding investment in EV infrastructure and the commuter train. Our Waterfront and Climate Adaptation Plans center on critical investments to protect our infrastructure from flooding, erosion, and rising groundwater levels. My service on the Coastal Commission Local Government Working Group has led to changes in coastal policies that promote statewide consistency and allow local flexibility. This will help implement these plans. As Chair of the Central Coast Water Authority, I am leading the Board through a Strategic Plan that will prioritize new local water storage opportunities so we can capture water in wet years and make it available during droughts.
Leaving a cleaner, healthier climate for our children is always a priority. The City has this issue at the top of mind, and it is no different for me. We know this is ongoing work, as we have lived it firsthand in the fires and floods we have experienced
I am a professor of Environmental Geology, and I chaired the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan, which led to the Waterfront Adaptation Plan, and initiated the Department of Sustainability and Resilience and Santa Barbara Clean Energy, and Chair the Sustainability Committee. On emissions, my priorities are electrification and transportation, including solar with battery storage, charging infrastructure, and micro-grids, plus a walkable downtown and infill housing so workers stop commuting from Ventura and Santa Maria. We also need to upgrade our stormwater infrastructure, implement our Community Wildfire Protection Plan, upgrade at least three fire stations, and protect our water security (which I have done as President of the Cachuma Operations and Maintenance Board, President of the Cachuma Conservation Release Board, and liaison to the Water Commission through both times of extreme drought and extreme weather events).
Question 9: State Street and Downtown
What is your vision for State Street and the downtown corridor of the City of Santa Barbara? What are your strategies for attracting pedestrians and creating vibrancy and economic vitality? Will you support major downtown redevelopments in receiving City planning variances or support public partnerships’ utilization of skilled local tradesman?
State Street has genuinely improved: vacancies are down, major investment is coming back, and it’s safer than it used to be. My vision builds on that momentum rather than relitigating it: more housing above ground-floor retail through adaptive reuse, a stronger mix of shopping, dining, and public space, and follow-through on the Downtown Master Plan. On variances, I’ll evaluate major redevelopments case by case, not with a blanket yes or no; projects need to earn community support through design review and public input, not bypass it. Yes, I support public partnerships using skilled local tradespeople; that keeps quality high and dollars in our local economy on any downtown project the City has a stake in. I would add dedicated foot and bike police patrols on State Street during peak hours.
My vision is a clean, well-lit, walkable center that allows for flexibility and with increased cultural and arts programming that welcomes locals and visitors alike. Downtown should be the premier destination for our community to gather and work. City Council needs to end the cycle of studies and consultants and commit to a direction. I want to partner with the private sector to bring good jobs downtown, reinforcing street-level vibrancy with high day time use. Given the State Street projected cost, I want tight cost accountability and phased delivery, not an open-ended commitment. On variances, I support evaluating major redevelopments case by case against clear public benefit standards including ground-floor occupancy, contextual design, and housing rather than a blanket yes or no. And yes, I support requiring skilled local tradespeople on public partnership projects. I believe this revitalization program should build local careers, not just buildings.
As a Planning Commissioner involved in the State Street Master Plan process, I am supportive of its pedestrian-first vision. At the May hearing I inquired about design flexibility, cost tradeoffs, and emergency access, and was satisfied that the plan preserves flexibility and the option to reintroduce vehicle access if needed. My strategies for creating vibrancy are rooted in authentic local activation: live music, pop-up events, and space for local artists. Events like First Thursdays are exactly the kind of community programming that draws people downtown consistently. Building the residential density that sustains year-round retail demand is equally critical. Success on State Street requires strong partnerships with the DSBIA and the Chamber, who understand the corridor and its challenges, and whose efforts I want to actively support. As my Planning Commission track record demonstrates, I support variances when projects deliver genuine community benefit and City-supported projects utilizing skilled local tradespeople.
My vision of downtown is an active, vibrant, safe and clean part of the city at all hours of the day. We make the mistake of thinking of State Street as a single street, but it is really multiple neighborhoods, each with its own needs. I think it makes sense to look at a hybrid approach to downtown where certain parts are pedestrian-only, but it makes sense to open parts of the street, particularly north of Carillo, to a carefully designed mix of vehicles, pedestrians, and parking while maintaining flexibility for event closures such as parades and special events like the Farmer’s Market. I believe we have lost sight of the financial side of this discussion. State Street used to be the #1 source of sales tax in the area, yet it has dropped by 20% (inflation-adjusted) while other parts of the city have seen increases. Secondly, city staff itself states that it will cost $6M to $10M per block to renovate State St. I would need to see where this funding is coming from so we don’t put the city in dire financial trouble or deep in debt. Finally, we need to expand infill housing and businesses, so we’re creating a thriving ecosystem of people living, working, eating and shopping downtown.
I support the State Street Master Plan: a pedestrian-first experience, the infrastructure upgrades needed to unlock thousands of housing units, and automatic bollards allowing managed vehicle access with 24/7 emergency access. We also need an interim plan to get from status quo to success.
Several forthcoming transformative investments will further activate State Street. Our charge is to keep up that momentum through programmatic and streetscape improvements that showcase Downtown’s beauty and create an inviting space for both locals and visitors. There remains untapped potential in outdoor dining. Every seat we fill is more sales tax revenue, so I want a fast, free permitting process for it.
For the Master Plan to succeed, we need to bring more housing Downtown to create a larger customer base. I support Downtown projects receiving appropriate planning variances, though if we are serious about economic vitality, we should streamline for projects across our City.
I envision a downtown that works for everyone. After attending multiple City Council meetings and listening to various business owners speak, it sounds like there is a great deal of support by most business owners on the lower part of State Street for the continued closure in the first four blocks. But above those blocks, most businesses are struggling, and I support a hybrid approach similar to the flex street concept being discussed by the City, one way traffic, greater accessibility for deliveries and emergency vehicles, and the ability for closures during special events.
To enhance vibrancy, in addition to accessibility, there needs to be much more housing in and around State Street to support and grow our downtown, as well as a design in keeping with the aesthetic that gives State Street its character.
I would generally support variances on a case by case basis for projects that deliver real benefit. And yes, within what the laws dictate, I would want the City to support public/private partnerships that use skilled local tradespeople, keeping expertise and dollars in our community.
I see a smaller three block pedestrian promenade stretching from De la Guerra south to Haley. From De la Guerra north through the theater district, I support restoring one way vehicle traffic with a separated shuttle and bike lane. I would also expand the free downtown shuttle program and return City parking to 90 minutes free instead of 75, giving residents and visitors a real reason to stay longer and explore more of what our downtown businesses offer.
I want a faster process for redevelopments of existing buildings that preserve their exterior character. This can protect Santa Barbaras character without making reinvestment unnecessarily difficult. This means reducing overlapping reviews where possible, improving coordination between City departments and committees, and creating a shorter permitting path. I support major redevelopments where appropriate and would prefer to have projects utilize skilled local tradespeople.
To start light it, clean it, patrol it. Without that nothing else matters.
I want downtown to be somewhere locals want to go again. We spend too much time debating whether State Street should be open or closed and not enough time talking about why someone would want to spend their Saturday afternoon there.
We need more people living downtown, more businesses people actually want to visit, and a City government that makes it easier to invest in vacant and underutilized properties.
I am open to major redevelopment projects and reasonable flexibility in our planning rules when a project provides real public benefits, particularly housing and economic activity. Santa Barbara should have high standards, but our process should not make good projects impossible.
And yes, I strongly support creating opportunities for local workers and skilled trades on publicly supported projects. If public dollars are being invested in Santa Barbara, we should do everything we can to make sure those dollars stay in Santa Barbara.
I want State Street to again become one of Santa Barbara’s strongest economic and cultural centers. A successful downtown needs people, housing, restaurants, retail, entertainment, arts, cleanliness, safety, and convenient access. The City’s State Street Master Plan recognizes that different portions of the corridor serve different purposes, and I support that approach rather than treating every block identically. We should also move faster to activate vacant properties and storefronts. I support major redevelopment projects when they provide clear community benefits and are compatible with Santa Barbara’s character, including appropriate planning flexibility when necessary to make transformative projects feasible. Paseo Nuevo demonstrates the potential for combining housing, employment, and retail downtown. I also support utilizing skilled local tradespeople and contractors whenever practical and financially responsible.
State Street should feel sacred, safe, and social. By that I mean a downtown people respect, feel comfortable using, and actually want to spend time in – not simply a corridor with more pedestrians counted at the end of the day.
Vacancy is near 2019 levels, while sales tax is falling and hotel tax is outperforming budget. That tells me the issue is conversion. I will concentrate the Master Plan’s first phase into one excellent core, give the flex street an operating calendar six months in advance, and make restrooms, graffiti removal, permitting, and event operations feel dependable. Housing above shops helps because it puts customers downtown every day.
Yes, I will support project variances when the required legal findings are met and the public value is clear. Public partnerships should also engage qualified local trades and apprenticeships competitively.
State Street’s best days are ahead of us. My vision is a downtown that’s clean, safe, and welcoming, with a mix of housing, shops, dining, cultural arts and local entrepreneurs that gives an authentic Santa Barbara experience found nowhere else on the planet. As we implement the State Street Master Plan and redevelop Paseo Nuevo, I will push for a more collaborative process that removes unnecessary barriers to investment and gives residents real input into the corridor’s future. Yes, I will support reasonable planning variances for major downtown redevelopments where they serve the community’s vision, and I will continue insisting that public partnerships and Citysupported projects utilize skilled local tradesmen and labor.
We have to get the issues with State resolved; there’s nothing a good compromise can solve. State Street should be our crown jewel, where we gather and shop locally; it should have something for everyone. I am willing to review the current plans and understand what they aim to achieve. It can be left to a simple question to decide whether to open or close.
My vision is a downtown that works for residents, not just visitors. Keep the promenade and fix the friction: shade, seating, lighting, cleanliness, wayfinding, restrooms, e-bike adjustments, and predictable delivery access. Bring back the Solstice and holiday parades. Turn vacancies into vibrancy with fast pop-up approvals and micro-grants, recruit everyday-needs retail, and expand affordable space for artists to drive year-round foot traffic. On variances, I’ll consider flexibility case by case, but public land and major projects must deliver real public benefit with transparent terms, including workforce housing and local hire and apprenticeship commitments using skilled local trades.
Question 10: Public Safety
What do you believe is the state of police and fire services in the City of Santa Barbara? What are your priorities regarding police and fire, and what is your approach to ensuring their departments have the resources, working conditions, qualified staff, and competitive pay to serve the City?
Our police and fire departments do good work, but they’re stretched thin, and staffing shortages and competitive pay in neighboring jurisdictions make recruitment and retention a real challenge. My priorities are keeping every fire station open, funding defensible space and evacuation planning in high fire-hazard neighborhoods, and making sure pay and working conditions are competitive enough to recruit and retain qualified officers and firefighters rather than losing them to other agencies. I also want to make sure both departments have modern equipment and facilities. Public safety funding shouldn’t be the first place we look to cut; it should be treated as core infrastructure, alongside real accountability for how those dollars are spent, with management audits a real thing, given the theft at the Sheriff’s department.
Our fire and police departments are stretched thin. I’ve been briefed on the scheduling and budgeting required just to maintain adequate staffing at every station, and it’s incredibly tight. Both departments do an outstanding job with limited resources, but they need more support to keep serving the City. For fire, I’d prioritize funding and pathways to place at least one paramedic on every engine and expand proactive medical screening and mental wellness support for firefighters and their families. We also need to budget for fire station renovations once the Police Station project is complete. Police face their own retention pressures in a high cost-of-living region. My priority across both departments is competitive pay, adequate staffing, and working conditions that let the City keep the people it trains by using the budget, labor agreements, and assessment districts like the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District deliberately, not as an afterthought.
Getting public safety right means being honest about where we are falling short. Our fire stations are aging, engines are understaffed relative to the national 4-0 standard, and firefighters are paid below comparable jurisdictions. On the police side, recruitment and retention remain challenges in a high cost city. My approach is to make good on the commitments we make to our public servants, treating compensation as a core obligation rather than a variable we adjust when budgets get tight. On fire, my priorities are completing the rebuilds of Stations 3 and 7 and the training facility, expanding staffing toward 4-0 and closing the wage gap. On police, I support competitive compensation and community policing practices that build trust.
I have tremendous respect for our police and fire departments and will fight any attempt to cut them back. It is paramount that we have fully funded, equipped and staffed police and fire organizations. Personally, we have supported the public safety organizations for many years and I recently went on a ride-along with the police department so I could experience firsthand what a day in the life of one of our officers was like (and I intend to do more). There are a few things that I would love to see if elected: full-time police patrols on State Street, ambulances returned to the Fire Department and more resources to help the emergency services with our homeless population, since I witnessed that it was taking a majority of their time for both organizations.
Public safety starts with making sure our Fire and Police Departments have the staffing, equipment, and competitive pay to recruit and retain the qualified staff who serve our community. If elected to the Council, I will ensure they receive the support they need. The upcoming Fire Station and Facilities Master Plan is a real opportunity to match our infrastructure to the needs of our firefighters and the realities of an increasingly erratic fire season.
Far too many of our first responders who serve our City cannot afford to live here. We have to fix that. If our safety personnel can’t reach us in a time of need because the 101 is blocked, that is a major emergency response risk. I would support innovative housing programs that help our local essential workers and public safety personnel achieve homeownership here in the City they serve and protect.
The Police and Fire Departments in Santa Barbara are in a better place than they were a few years ago, but we still have significant vacancies. After meeting the Police and Fire Chiefs, they both brought up the fact that we are competing with other agencies in nearby, more affordable cities. I support increasing staff levels to avoid overtime and burnout, and competitive pay to retain the officers we have. Public safety is important to this City.
Santa Barbara is fortunate to have dedicated police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel. Keeping these departments fully staffed should remain a core City responsibility. Staffing has actually improved recently, the FY2027 budget uses Measure I revenue to support Police and Fire Department positions. My priority is maintaining competitive pay and good working conditions so we retain experienced personnel and reduce reliance on costly overtime caused by staffing shortages, protecting employees from burnout while making better use of taxpayer dollars. I would be very cautious about cuts to police or fire and look for savings elsewhere first. I also support expanding the Police Department’s e-bike presence for better enforcement and response on State Street and the waterfront, while continuing to invest in Fire Department equipment, emergency preparedness, and wildfire prevention.
I am happy with police and fire at the present. Overtime outpacing one’s regular pay sounds like bad management.
Police and fire are fundamental City services. Residents and businesses have every right to expect that when they call for help, someone is going to show up quickly and be prepared to do the job.
While fire is not as big a concern in District 6, it is one of the biggest concerns to our city overall. That means we have to recruit and retain qualified firefighters and police officers. Santa Barbara’s cost of living makes that tough. Competitive compensation matters, but so do working conditions, staffing levels and housing affordability.
I will make sure our public safety departments have the resources necessary to meet reasonable response-time and service expectations, while also expecting accountability for how those resources are spent.
Santa Barbara’s police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, and other public safety employees perform essential work, and maintaining strong departments must remain a core City responsibility. We need enough qualified personnel to respond quickly to emergencies while also addressing neighborhood safety, property crime, behavioral health incidents, homelessness-related calls, wildfire risk, and major events. Competitive compensation, appropriate staffing, modern equipment, training, and good working conditions are necessary to recruit and retain qualified employees. At the same time, resources must be used efficiently and departments should maintain strong relationships with the communities they serve. I support community-oriented policing, effective fire prevention, emergency preparedness, and collaboration with mental health and social service providers where those professionals can appropriately reduce the burden on police. Public safety is also fundamental to economic vitality: residents, workers, and visitors must feel safe throughout Santa Barbara.
Our police and fire departments are professional, and they are stretched by recruitment competition, behavioral-health calls, wildfire risk, and the cost of living in the community they serve.
The highest priority is safe staffing. Competitive compensation benchmarked against comparable agencies is part of maintaining a functioning department, not an optional extra. When budgets tighten, I will look elsewhere first before weakening core emergency response.
Police and Fire also account for roughly half of departmental spending, so this is directly tied to the City’s fiscal health. Growing the revenue base matters if we want to maintain staffing without hollowing out other services.
Beyond pay, I support housing pathways for first responders, completion of the Fire Standards of Cover work, and alternative response where it safely preserves sworn capacity. Response times, vacancies, and overtime belong in the budget conversation
Santa Barbara’s Police and Fire Departments are strong, but they require continued investment to meet the challenges ahead. I voted in favor of our new police station, now under construction and delivering on the Measure C promise. I also supported the Regional Fire Communications Center, which dispatches the closest available fire crew regardless of jurisdiction, improving response times and saving lives. My priority as Mayor will be to ensure both departments are fully staffed, properly resourced, and competitively compensated, because recruiting and retaining qualified public safety professionals and modernizing facilities is the primary responsibility of city government. As we add new housing units it is important that public safety investment meets the new needs. This includes support for keeping Measure C for infrastructure and having strong fiscal leadership, both of which I have demonstrated during my entire time on Council.
There is no question about the importance of our first responders in keeping our city safe and protected. In that, it also means that our responders truly believe in and work toward keeping everyone safe and protected and continuously work on relationships. Relationships are tight and being stretched, and it’s important to have the resources. I would like to see a First Responder and Community Day that brings us all together and seeks out grants that support this type of community care project.
Our police and fire departments serve this city well, but they are stretched, and recruitment and retention are real challenges when housing costs price out the people we ask to protect us. My priority is reinforcing that commitment with competitive pay, safe working conditions, adequate staffing, and modern facilities and equipment, negotiated in good faith. I have voted with public safety in aligning their salaries with competitive wagesI also want them supported, a dedicated social worker at the library and a daytime navigation center mean fewer crisis calls falling to sworn officers. Housing is a public safety issue too, which is why workforce housing must include those who serve our community.
Question 11: Community
What do you believe are the most pressing concerns of the City of Santa Barbara’s community? What is your plan for addressing those concerns?
The most pressing concerns I hear are the cost of living and housing, visible homelessness, wildfire risk, builder’s remedy projects, and whether City Hall is actually listening to residents and businesses instead of just checking boxes. My plan is to keep doing what I did on the Council: hold regular office hours, bring an independent, non-partisan vote to the dais instead of following a party line, and measure success by outcomes — housing placements, fire-hazard reduction, permits issued on time — not press releases. I’ve sued and defended cities throughout my career, so I understand how City Hall actually works from both sides, and I’ll use that experience to get practical results for District 4 rather than just more studies and slogans.
The most pressing concerns I hear are a downtown that feels stalled and lack of affordability. This permeates all areas of our community, from youth to seniors to the unhoused. Santa Barbara residents do an amazing job taking care of each other but there are real structural issues we need to address. As noted above, I’m running to focus on housing, climate resilience, bringing real urgency to downtown revitalization, and run City Hall with the fiscal discipline I’ve practiced for twenty years in the private sector. These aren’t separate issues but rather they compound each other.
The concerns I hear while canvassing are wildfire preparedness, safer streets, downtown vitality, housing affordability, homelessness, continuing Santa Barbara’s tradition of thoughtful community planning, and making local government more efficient and responsive. On housing, my priority is delivering units on city-owned downtown land and securing dedicated Housing Trust Fund revenue. On wildfire, I am focused on completing fire station rebuilds and expanding preparedness programs. On safer streets, I want to push for Vision Zero implementation, better crosswalk infrastructure, and traffic calming in residential neighborhoods. On downtown, my goal is to implement the State Street Master Plan and build the residential density that drives economic vitality. On homelessness, I am committed to supporting SB ACT and the proven transitional housing programs that move people off the streets. My focus is on protecting what we all cherish about Santa Barbara while doing the policy work to address our challenges together.
I have addressed some of this in the answers above, but what concerns me most is that I’ve never seen this city as divided as it is today. The two issues dividing our city mainly revolve around the future of downtown and rent control. I hope to demonstrate to both sides that it is possible to find common ground, work together without contention, and resolve issues before they become problems. I also intend to be very transparent and highly visible so I can help people understand the “why” behind some of the city’s issues and the City Council’s decisions. My intent is that if people understand “why” then perhaps they can help become part of the solution.
The affordability crisis underpins most issues we face: housing prices, the cost of childcare, the availability of well-paying, career-track jobs, and the fundamental question of whether Santa Barbara remains a City where local working families can put down roots that will last.
My policy plans focus on dedicated funding for affordable housing, better use of City property, and permitting reform that helps housing and small businesses build faster. I’d pair that with investments in traffic safety and wildfire resilience; a livable city has to be both affordable and safe.
To realize these plans, I will work closely with my colleagues and community stakeholders. I come prepared with years of hands-on problem-solving experience working at every level of government and a long track record of engagement with City issues and processes. I’m ready to do the job and deliver for the community on day one if elected to the City Council.
Housing is definitely the most urgent. Santa Barbara is far behind on its state housing targets, especially in the affordable and workforce categories, and we need to address this is a more multi-pronged way. Speeding up permitting and approvals, identifying underutilized properties, using public/private partnerships in developing new housing, incorporating locally trained tradespeople and encouraging innovative building techniques, all while keeping the character of our neighborhoods intact.
Our businesses need thoughtful support from the City-infrastructure, expanded job training, expedited permitting and clear guidelines.
Environmental resilience is important as we are subject to risks from wildfire, drought, and coastal flooding. We need to shore up infrastructure, support our public safety personnel, and work with the Sustainability Department of our city to come up with a viable plan to mitigate the effects of sea level rise.
But the bottom line is that the City of Santa Barbara needs a balanced budget. We must meet our growing challenges by being fiscally responsible, ensuring our continued ability to survive and thrive.
I hear from residents continuously that e-bike safety, housing affordability, immigration enforcement, and the future of State Street are big concerns. These issues affect different parts of our community, but each requires the City to listen and respond with practical solutions. On e-bikes, I support consistent enforcement of existing state speed and age requirements and reclassifying true e-moto style devices that function more like motorcycles. I do not believe Santa Barbara police should be assisting federal immigration enforcement. I support increasing housing opportunities while protecting existing renters from sudden displacement. For State Street, I support a smaller pedestrian promenade, restored vehicle access in the upper corridor, and expanded shuttle service. I also plan to continue my open coffee meetings if elected, giving residents a direct way to raise concerns and shape these decisions themselves.
Safety, cleanliness, and affordability. I think we have covered this.
I believe that making Santa Barbara a more affordable place to live is the top priority for the vast majority of the people in District 6. I believe that we must do everything we can to address that issue, from housing to childcare, it is our obligation as elected officials to make progress.
I will approach affordability from every direction. We need more workforce housing, a stronger local economy that creates good-paying jobs, and a City government that stops unnecessarily adding time and expense to housing projects and small businesses.
But affordability is ultimately about people. I want the teacher working in our schools, the server working downtown, and the family that has lived here for generations to be able to see a future for themselves in Santa Barbara.
The most pressing concerns I hear are housing affordability, homelessness, public safety, the condition of downtown, the cost of doing business, and whether City government is using public resources effectively. These issues are interconnected. Housing shortages affect workers and businesses, while homelessness affects the entire community, from those experiencing homelessness to residents, businesses, neighborhoods, and visitors. My approach is to focus on practical outcomes: increasing housing opportunities, supporting accountable homelessness programs that connect people with appropriate services and shelter, maintaining well-resourced public safety departments, revitalizing downtown, and ensuring responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Most importantly, I will listen to residents, renters, homeowners, businesses, employees, and community organizations so that City decisions reflect the needs of the people they affect.
The concerns I hear most often are affordability, visible crisis on our streets, downtown vitality, and whether City Hall can deliver within its means. The budget connects all of them. The City’s own forecast shows reserves falling from 22.4 percent to 8 percent by 2028, against a 25 percent policy target—more than $40 million below its own standard.
I will not support new taxes until the City has improved delivery and shown the public where the money is going. If we ever ask voters for more, we should be able to show why it is necessary and what changed first.
I learned young that money does not solve money problems; behaviors do. The City’s behavior change is delivery: move stalled housing, restore downtown revenue capacity, measure crisis response by placements, and put a fiscal note on major promises. Then show the work.
The most pressing concern I hear consistently is affordability, whether that’s housing costs, the price of doing business, the cost of living or simply the ability to build a life here long-term. Close behind that is public safety and emergency preparedness, especially given our community’s firsthand experience with wildfire and climate-driven disasters. My plan is the same practical, collaborative approach I’ve brought to my eight years on the Council: expand housing supply and affordability, invest in the infrastructure and staffing that keeps our community safe, and manage the City’s budget responsibly. It is imperative that we keep funding these priorities without raising taxes or relying on reserves and short-term fixes that jeopardize all these services.
Housing and affordability-this is what we hear most about; however, I know that some everyday problems and issues go unnoticed. We must never get so lost in large issues that we overlook issues that, when addressed, could change someone’s circumstances.
I will bring practical, people-centered leadership focused on strengthening our community for today, including expanding housing. Moving from I to We to Us =Our Santa Barbara, where we care every day about the needs of our community and work together to address the needs of our community. Together we move from talk to action, getting it done!
Three concerns come up everywhere: housing, downtown, and safety. Our housing shortage is pushing out working families, seniors, and longtime residents, so I’ll secure dedicated Housing Trust Fund revenue, preserve existing rentals, and prioritize infill. Downtown must work for residents: faster permitting, vacancies turned into storefronts, and State Street finished. On safety, one coordinated system from street to housing plus wildfire and flood preparedness. Underneath all three is follow-through. I’ll set clear timelines, publish targets, and report results, because decisions that stall are what people are tired of. It is also worth discussing that there is real fear among residents who feel intimidated by immigration enforcement, and I worry this is impacting our workforce in a very real way. Though we cannot interfere with immigration enforcement, we can do more to support working families and children who are impacted.
Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber 2026 Goleta Voters Guide
Goleta City Council Candidate Questionnaire Responses
Question 1: Candidate Priorities
List your personal top priorities for the City of Goleta and describe your plan for seeing these priorities realized.
I am optimistic about Goleta’s future and the trajectory we are on as a community. I believe the next chapter for our community will need to carefully balance our thriving City and the preservation of the key elements that make up our beloved, unique character. My priorities focus on promoting economic vitality and workforce housing, leading on climate resilience, and investing in our public infrastructure (from roads, bike paths, and parks to our library system). By maintaining a balanced budget, supporting local businesses, and remaining an accessible, responsive Councilmember, I will ensure City Hall continues to deliver high-quality public services and earn the trust of the residents we serve.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
Question 2: Goleta Business Climate
How would you describe the current business climate in the City of Goleta, as well as the City’s current relationship with local businesses? Is there anything you would like to see change in this regard?
Goleta’s business climate is thriving and fundamentally strong. Goleta has blossoming tech, biotech, and manufacturing sectors and maintains cherished small businesses and a vibrant hospitality industry. Goleta remains a vital economic engine for the South Coast. In recent years, the City has made meaningful strides in strengthening its partnership with our business community. I’ve been proud to help facilitate and lead a collaborative approach to economic development initiatives, support for commercial corridor enhancements, and engagement directly with local employers.
Looking forward, I plan to continue working towards priorities like improved customer service, continuing to modernize our permitting process, more proactive engagement, and aligning our city investments in infrastructure, public spaces, and housing to ensure local businesses and local residents have the reliable support they need and deserve.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
Question 3: Economic Development
Compare your priorities for economic development within the City of Goleta to the City’s current economic development priorities
My economic development priorities strongly align with the foundational goals established in the City’s adopted Economic Development Strategic Plan and our broader two-year strategic initiatives (for example: Supporting Economic Vitality, Revitalizing Old Town, and Ensuring Long-Term Financial Stability)
My approach builds on and enhances the City’s current framework through focused and accountable implementation and proactive support for our local workforce and business ecosystem.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
Question 4: Housing
What do you believe is the state of housing in the City of Goleta? What are your priorities regarding housing in Goleta?
Like much of the South Coast, Goleta faces an affordability crisis and housing shortage. While our job market remains robust, high housing costs and limited availability make it increasingly difficult for local workers like teachers, health care professionals, first responders, and small business employees to live in the community where they work.
Our challenge lies in ensuring that housing development is thoughtful, sustainable, and directly addresses our local workforce needs without compromising our quality of life or straining our local infrastructure.
Some of my priorities on housing include a focus on essential and workforce housing (the missing middle), supporting smart infill projects, aligning infrastructure with new housing, pursuing affordable projects, and regional collaboration.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
Question 5: Energy Infrastructure
What are your priorities for supporting reliable, modern energy infrastructure in Goleta, including upgrades to the electric grid and new renewable energy projects? And what is your view on the permitting and approval process for this kind of infrastructure?
Reliable energy is critical to ensuring economic vitality, business continuity, and public safety. Given the South Coast’s unique position at the end of the SCE transmission grid and our vulnerability to extreme weather events, building energy resilience is essential for Goleta’s future. My priorities include support for grid resilience and microgrids, advancing clean energy goals, and expanding electrification and EV infrastructure.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
Question 6: Climate & Emissions
What are your priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (including from the commuting/transportation sector) and addressing local climate impacts such as extreme heat, wildfire, drought, and coastal flooding?
Addressing climate change requires communities to continue supporting programs that reduce local greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow future impacts, while building practical, localized resilience against the climate risks already facing communities like Goleta. Because transportation accounts for a large share of local carbon emissions, my priorities continue to focus on creating safe, accessible, and practical choices for how people move around Goleta (residents, visitors, and employees).
As a Councilmember I have supported expanding multi-modal infrastructure, supporting workforce communing programs, accelerating our EV infrastructure, and developing a green building and energy efficiency strategy. I remain committed to working with various constituent groups on how to address the impacts of climate change and develop shared solutions.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
Question 7: Workforce Development<.strong>
What opportunities do you see for the City of Goleta to collaborate with local industries on workforce development?
Goleta has an opportunity to build a thriving, locally rooted economy by connecting our high-tech, biotech, manufacturing, and hospitality sectors with exceptional educational institutions like UCSB and SBCC. The City can serve as a bridge by working with local organizations to facilitate or encourage programs like internships, apprenticeships, and training aligned with industry needs. As a Councilmember, I continue to support partnering with the Chamber and groups like the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board to connect businesses with workforce opportunities. To truly retain local talent, we must also address broader barriers to workforce recruitment and retention. For example, expanding accessible childcare, aligning job growth with affordable housing, and strengthening reliable transit options so local workers can live, work, and thrive in Goleta.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
No Response Provided.
Question 8: Old Town Goleta
What is your vision for Old Town Goleta, and the City’s role in it? Do you consider the restriping of Old Town a success? Why or why not?
Old Town is the historic and cultural heart of Goleta. My vision is for it to be a vibrant, walkable, and commercially dynamic neighborhood where local businesses can be successful. The City’s role is to act as an investor and partner in achieving this vision. I support continuing to invest in critical infrastructure, supporting local businesses, and enhancing public spaces, lighting, and facade improvements to make Old Town a go-to destination.
I view the Hollister Avenue Interim Striping Project as a successful pilot. Transitioning to a single lane in each direction with dedicated bike lanes has effectively slowed traffic speeds, improved safety, and increased parking directly in front of storefronts. I remain open to continued tweaks that can further enhance the work that has been done and address pain points. I remain open-minded to future changes that may be desired by the community.
For the long-term, the key for me is using reliable traffic data and direct business and resident feedback to make ongoing adjustments. The next phase should be the Hollister Complete Streets Project and an Old Town Visioning project. These efforts must achieve the right balance of safety, smooth traffic flow, resident safety, and commercial vitality.
No Response Provided.
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No Response Provided.
Question 9: Development Impact Fees
What are your thoughts on increases in Development Impact Fees in the City of Goleta? What outcomes do you expect from increased Development Impact Fees?
Development Impact Fees are an important and essential mechanism to ensure new growth pays its fair share for the roads, parks, and public facilities it relies on, rather than shifting those capital costs onto existing taxpayers and local businesses. Given recent inflation and the rising cost of construction, updating these fees was necessary and responsible to maintain our infrastructure.
My expectation for these fees is that they are used responsibly and transparently to address infrastructure impacts. I also expect there to be predictability for developers and continued support for key community priorities. Additionally, I support bringing back to Council a discussion about exemptions/waivers to allow for flexibility.
No Response Provided.
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Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber 2026 Carpinteria Voters Guide
Carpinteria City Council Candidate Questionnaire Responses
Question 1: Candidate Priorities
Please list your personal top priorities for the City of Carpinteria and provide your plan for seeing these priorities realized.
- Open Space Preservation – Protect the bluffs and open spaces that Carpinteria holds dear. Support smart-growth boundaries and resist overdevelopment of this precious land.
- Budget Discipline – Prioritize income-generating development within the city’s boundaries. Ensure core services and essential projects are prioritized over “pet projects.”
- Community-Scaled Affordable Housing – Shape housing solutions that fit Carpinteria. By thoughtfully controlling how and where we accommodate state-mandated housing, we can build needed workforce housing while continuing to keep Carpinteria, Carpinteria.
My top priorities for the City of Carpinteria are:
- Maintaining Carpinteria’s small-town character while planning responsibly for future growth.
- Expanding affordable and workforce housing so that local families and employees can live and work in town.
- Collaborating with local businesses to foster a strong, resilient local economy.
- Addressing deferred infrastructure maintenance, particularly our streets, sidewalks, and public facilities.
- Ensuring the City’s long-term financial sustainability.
- Protecting our beaches, open spaces, and environmental resources.
- Expanding community outreach and engagement so residents and businesses are informed early and have meaningful opportunities to help shape City decisions.
I believe these priorities are interconnected. Supporting local businesses strengthens our economy, investing in infrastructure protects our community, and engaging residents early leads to better decisions and greater public trust. My approach is to continue to listen carefully, work collaboratively, and make thoughtful decisions that balance today’s needs with Carpinteria’s long-term future.
No Response Provided.
Carpinteria is an extraordinary place to live — truly one of the last small beach towns. But real challenges lie ahead: fiscal sustainability while retaining staff, participation of residents in decision-making, new state housing mandates, proposed development of the remaining Bluffs open space, lack of housing affordability to name a few. As a City Council member, I will work with our elected officials, staff and residents and apply our General Plan to protect our small-town character, the diversity of our community and safeguard open space. These defining characteristics of Carpinteria are at the core of the success of local businesses — entrepreneurs who see directly that the town’s healthy and cherished environment directly benefit businesses who truly serve the community.
No Response Provided.
Question 2: Carpinteria Business Climate
How would you describe the current business climate in the City of Carpinteria, as well as the City’s current relationship with local businesses? Is there anything you would like to see change in this regard?
With the new Linden Square development, Carpinteria’s downtown has seen new energy liven up the town. There’s a renewed sense of vibrancy on Linden Avenue that residents have been hoping for. Thanks to Carpinteria’s restrictions on formula (chain) businesses in our downtown core, we’re able to offer residents and tourists shops and restaurants that are small, family-owned experiences, the kind that give our town its character and keep dollars circulating locally. What I would like to see improve is the permitting process. It currently takes too long for new businesses to get the approvals they need to open their doors and start generating income, and that lengthy timeline can be a real deterrent for potential business owners considering Carpinteria.
Carpinteria’s local businesses are one of our community’s greatest strengths. They create jobs, support local families, sponsor community events, and help define the welcoming, small-town character that residents and visitors value.
Throughout my first term, I have made it a priority to meet directly with business owners throughout the city – especially in District 1 – to better understand both the opportunities they see and the challenges they face. Those conversations have reinforced the importance of a city that is responsive, predictable, and collaborative.
While I believe the City’s relationship with the business community is generally positive, there is room to strengthen it. We should improve proactive communication before major policy decisions, continue streamlining permitting and other City processes where appropriate, provide greater predictability around fees and regulations, and ensure business owners have meaningful opportunities to provide input early in decisions that affect them.
No Response Provided.
The current business climate in Carpinteria is at a crossroads. Our local entrepreneurs succeed because they are part of a unique, small-town community, not in spite of it. The city’s current relationship with the business community appears to be too focused on large-scale development as a misguided fix for budget issues, while failing to address the fundamental problems that affect our existing businesses, like downtown traffic and parking congestion.
I want to see the city shift its focus from courting outside developers to actively supporting the local businesses that already serve and enrich our community. We must stop creating low-wage service jobs that strain our resources and instead protect the small-town character that is our greatest economic asset. True support for business means creating a stable, predictable, and sustainable environment for everyone.
No Response Provided.
Question 3: Economic Development
Compare your priorities for economic development within the City of Carpinteria to the City’s current economic development priorities.
The City’s current Strategic Plan treats economic development as a byproduct of other goals, folded into “maintaining a small beachside town” rather than standing on its own with clear, measurable priorities. That’s left permitting reform and support for existing small businesses under-resourced, even as fiscal sustainability is named a top goal.
My priority is to make economic development a direct, standalone focus: streamlining permitting so new businesses can open faster, protecting the small, family-owned character that draws people downtown, and ensuring budget discipline supports rather than strains local business growth. Where the City’s plan is reactive, responding to state housing mandates and community surveys, I want us to be proactive: building a business-friendly process now, before growth outpaces our capacity to manage it well.
Representing District 1 has given me the opportunity to work closely with many of our local business owners, and those conversations have reinforced my priorities of maintaining responsive and predictable City processes, investing in infrastructure, and strengthening communication between the City and the business community. During my first term, I have highlighted the important work of the Downtown “T” Business Advisory Board, supported expanded local transit options such as The Wave to improve access for employees and customers, and been a strong advocate for affordable workforce housing, recognizing that employers need workers who can afford to live in the community they serve.
The City is currently refining its economic development strategy through the Economic Vitality Committee, and I look forward to reviewing its recommendations. I will continue supporting practical policies that strengthen our commercial corridors, help locally owned businesses thrive, and ensure economic growth enhances the unique character that makes Carpinteria such a desirable place to live, work, and visit.
No Response Provided.
My focus for economic development has significant differences from the path the City is in danger of taking. Rather than pursuing large-scale development as a short-sighted solution to budget challenges, I believe our priority must be to protect the small-town character that is the very foundation of our local economy. My plan centers on fiscal sustainability and supporting local entrepreneurs who serve our community, recognizing that a healthy environment directly benefits them.
Instead of creating low-wage service jobs that worsen our jobs-housing imbalance, my priority is to foster a stable, diverse community by focusing on genuinely affordable housing for our workforce. True economic development isn’t about building our way out of problems; it’s about making strategic, sustainable choices that preserve Carpinteria for residents and businesses alike.
No Response Provided.
Question 4: Housing
What do you believe is the state of housing in the City of Carpinteria? What are your priorities regarding housing in the City of Carpinteria?
Carpinteria is at a turning point on housing. We are required to meet state housing mandates, and if we don’t make thoughtful choices now, the state will step in and dictate the build, look, and shape of our community for us. We need to be the ones making those decisions, not Sacramento.
My priority is shaping housing that fits Carpinteria: community-scaled, affordable workforce housing that lets the people who work here, teachers, first responders, service workers, actually afford to live here. I also want to look seriously at the impact of homes that sit empty most of the year, contributing little to our local economy or community life. Tools like vacancy accountability measures and short-term rental limits, already used by other California cities, are worth exploring so our housing stock serves residents first, not just occasional or investment use.
Housing affordability is one of Carpinteria’s most significant challenges, and it is one the City Council has worked to address throughout my first term. It is also critical to the long-term strength of our local workforce and economy. I am committed to expanding affordable and workforce housing opportunities while ensuring that new development respects neighborhood character, infrastructure capacity, and the qualities that make Carpinteria unique. I have been a strong supporter of partnerships with People’s Self-Help Housing because I believe permanently affordable housing is essential to allowing teachers, healthcare workers, public employees, and local families to remain part of our community.
As the City works to meet state housing requirements, my focus will continue to be balancing our legal obligations with thoughtful planning and meaningful community engagement. One of the Council’s most important responsibilities is to ensure residents understand the opportunities, constraints, and tradeoffs involved in providing much-needed housing so that decisions are informed, transparent, and grounded in a shared understanding of the challenges before us.
No Response Provided.
The state of housing in Carpinteria has reached a critical stage. The fundamental issue is not a lack of housing, but a severe shortage of homes that are affordable for the people who work in our community. We are seeing valuable housing stock converted into short-term rentals and second homes, which displaces long-term residents and drives up costs for everyone.
My priority is to focus on solutions that create and preserve genuinely affordable housing. This includes establishing a dedicated housing trust fund, partnering with non-profits to build on city-owned land, and actively seeking grants. I will also work to reduce the number of short-term rentals and advocate for policies that incentivize long-term residency, ensuring that Carpinteria remains a diverse and livable community for residents of all income levels.
No Response Provided.
Question 5: Energy Infrastructure
What are your priorities for supporting reliable, modern energy infrastructure in the City of Carpinteria, including upgrades to the electric grid and new renewable energy projects? And what is your view on the permitting and approval process for this kind of infrastructure?
Reliable energy is essential for Carpinteria’s homes, businesses, schools, and emergency services. My priority is making sure our community has a dependable electric grid that can withstand emergencies, reduce outages, and meet our future needs. That includes supporting thoughtful investments in grid upgrades, backup power for critical facilities, and renewable energy and battery storage where they provide a clear public benefit and fit our community.
I also believe the permitting process should be clear, fair, and efficient. Projects should receive the proper safety and environmental review, but unnecessary delays don’t serve our residents or businesses. We need a process that protects our community while allowing well-planned infrastructure improvements to move forward in a timely and transparent way.
Reliable energy infrastructure is essential for residents, businesses, and emergency preparedness. As Carpinteria continues to grow and adapt to changing energy needs, I support modernizing our electrical infrastructure and appropriately sited renewable energy projects that improve reliability, strengthen resilience, and help meet California’s energy goals.
The permitting process should be thorough, transparent, and predictable. Projects deserve careful environmental review, but unnecessary delays create uncertainty for businesses, infrastructure providers, and our community. One of the best ways to avoid conflict and delay is through early, meaningful public engagement. I believe both project applicants and the City have a responsibility to communicate clearly with residents throughout the review process so that concerns are identified early, feedback is constructive, and decisions are made with the benefit of an informed community.
No Response Provided.
Increasing resilience in our electrical infrastructure, including increasing local energy generation and storage capacity is critical. When electricity is generated and stored close to where it is used, demand for and dependence on the overall grid is reduced which increases its reliability. As correctly stated in Carpinteria’s draft General Plan update, solar energy provides the greatest potential for renewable energy in the City, most of which is provided by rooftops and parking lots. However, realizing that potential requires new policies that incentivize such solar installations, along with appropriate battery storage. While the California building code currently requires solar for many new types of development, there remain opportunities unaddressed the City must pursue. Clear objective standards must be in place to aid in smooth and efficient permitting and approval process for these projects.
No Response Provided.
Question 6: Climate & Emissions
What are your priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (including from the commuting/transportation sector) and addressing local climate impacts such as extreme heat, wildfire, drought, and coastal flooding?
Carpinteria faces real, local climate exposure: sea level rise projections for our coastline are significant, and we’ve seen firsthand the risks of wildfire, drought, and extreme heat in recent years. My priority is practical resilience, not abstract policy. That means protecting and restoring natural buffers like the Carpinteria Salt Marsh and bluffs, investing in local energy resilience so we’re not dependent on a single vulnerable transmission line during emergencies, and ensuring our General Plan updates reflect real sea-level-rise science rather than political convenience.
On transportation, the biggest opportunity is reducing unnecessary commuting by supporting workforce housing near jobs, so people aren’t forced to drive long distances just to afford to live here.
Addressing climate change and protecting Carpinteria’s natural resources go hand in hand with maintaining a strong local economy. During my first term, I established the City’s first standing Sustainability Committee because I believe environmental stewardship should be integrated into our decision-making, not treated as an afterthought. I have also supported initiatives such as the City’s biodiversity resolution, investments in coastal resilience planning like the Carpinteria Living Shoreline project, and improvements to resources like the Franklin Creek Trail to boost pedestrian and bicycle connectivity while providing safer alternatives to driving. In my role on the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District Board, I have also supported efforts to modernize our regional transit system, including transitioning to electric buses and expanding sustainable transportation options. As we prepare for increasing risks from coastal flooding, drought, wildfire, and extreme heat, I believe the City should continue investing in practical, locally focused solutions that improve resilience, reduce emissions where feasible, conserve natural resources, and strengthen our community for future generations.
No Response Provided.
The biggest driver of greenhouse gas emissions locally is the jobs-housing balance. Carpinteria has an extreme imbalance due to a lack of housing affordable to those who live on their paychecks rather than accumulated wealth. Workers in new low-wage jobs must commute from elsewhere, not only adding greenhouse gas emissions, but increasing traffic congestion, parking issues, and the less tangible effects of local workers who do not consider this town “home”. The City must consider how proposed projects affect the jobs-housing balance to ensure the maximum benefit to all of Carpinteria.
The climate change impact that the City is most directly responsible for addressing is coastal flooding. The City’s draft General Plan update has a new Coastal Resiliency Element that will be Carpinteria’s primary policy framework to protect its coastal resources, public infrastructure, homes, and beach-town character from the escalating threats of sea level rise, coastal flooding, and shoreline/bluff erosion.
No Response Provided.
Question 7: Childcare
What do you believe is the state of childcare in the City of Carpinteria? What are your priorities regarding childcare in the City of Carpinteria?
Childcare in Carpinteria is stretched thin. Carpinteria Children’s Project does excellent work, but capacity is limited, and too many working families face a real gap between what quality care costs and what they can afford. That gap forces hard choices, cutting hours, leaning on informal care, or leaving the workforce, and it falls hardest on the same families we’re trying to keep here with workforce housing.
This is why childcare is part of my housing and community priorities, not separate from them. Affordable housing without accessible childcare doesn’t fully solve the problem of keeping young families in Carpinteria. I want childcare access considered alongside housing in city planning, and I’ll support partnerships that help CCP expand capacity and reach more families.
As a mother of two school-age daughters, a former PTA President, and someone who relied on a family-run daycare while working full-time, I understand firsthand how challenging it can be for families to balance work and the high cost of childcare. When so much of a family’s income goes toward childcare, it affects household stability, workforce participation, and our local economy.
While the City does not directly provide childcare services, I believe we play an important role by partnering with schools, childcare providers, employers, and nonprofit organizations such as United Way and the Carpinteria Children’s Project to better understand local needs, identify barriers, and support solutions. Childcare is not just a family issue – it is a workforce issue. Supporting working families helps local businesses recruit and retain employees, strengthens our economy, and makes it more possible for young families to continue building their lives in Carpinteria.
No Response Provided.
As a mother of five, I know that reliable, affordable childcare is not a luxury—it is essential for families and for a healthy local economy. Carpinteria has valuable childcare providers, including the Carpinteria Children’s Project, but many families still face challenges finding care that is available, affordable, and compatible with their work schedules. My priority is to improve access to quality childcare for families across income levels, while supporting the providers who serve our community. Childcare should also be considered when we discuss workforce development, housing affordability, and the long-term health of local businesses. When parents can find care they trust and afford, they are better able to remain in the workforce, and children, families, employers, and the entire community benefit.
No Response Provided.
Question 8: Workforce Development
What opportunities do you see for the City of Carpinteria to collaborate with local industries on workforce development?
Carpinteria’s economy runs on a mix of industries: agriculture and greenhouse growers, tourism and hospitality, and a growing professional and tech sector. That mix is an asset, but we’re not doing enough to connect local students and job seekers to those career paths right here at home.
I’d like to see the City act as a connector, bringing local employers together with Carpinteria High School, Santa Barbara City College, and workforce programs to build real internship and apprenticeship pipelines in agriculture, trades, hospitality, and tech. We also need to stay diversified rather than depend on any single employer, so our local economy stays resilient even as individual businesses grow, shrink, or relocate over time.
None of this works without affordable housing. Young people can train for a great local career and still get priced out. Workforce development and community-scaled affordable housing have to move together, so the next generation isn’t just prepared to work here, they’re actually able to stay.
One lesson I’ve learned during my first term is that workforce development doesn’t happen in isolation. Every decision we make about housing, transportation, infrastructure, and economic development affects whether local employers can attract and retain employees. That’s why I’ve supported workforce housing partnerships with People’s Self-help Housing, pushed for expanded local transportation options in my capacity as an MTD Board Member, and served on the City’s General Plan Update Committee to develop long-range planning that strengthens both our business community and our quality of life.
I see opportunities for the City to collaborate more closely with local employers, the Carpinteria Unified School District, Santa Barbara City College, UC Santa Barbara, and nonprofit partners such as People’s Self-Help Housing and the Carpinteria Children’s Project to strengthen career pathways, internships, apprenticeships, and workforce housing opportunities. In a community as interconnected as Carpinteria, our greatest strength is our ability to bring people together. I believe the City should continue serving as a convener, bringing employers, educators, nonprofits, and residents together to identify workforce needs across our hospitality, agricultural, manufacturing, professional, and small business sectors, develop creative solutions, and prepare the next generation for meaningful careers in our community.
No Response Provided.
My priority for workforce development is fundamentally about workforce housing. The most significant challenge facing our local industries is that their employees cannot afford to live in the community where they work. Before we can talk about collaborating to create more jobs, we must address this jobs-housing imbalance.
Bringing in new low-wage service or tourism jobs without a plan for housing the people who will fill them is irresponsible. It only increases traffic congestion, strains our infrastructure, and worsens our affordability crisis. Therefore, my immediate focus is on creating genuinely affordable housing solutions. True collaboration with our local industries means working together to ensure Carpinteria is a livable, sustainable community for the people who are already the backbone of our economy.
No Response Provided.
Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber 2026 Carpinteria Voters Guide
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Candidate Questionnaire Responses
Question 1: Candidate Priorities
Please list your personal top priorities for the County of Santa Barbara and provide your plan for seeing these priorities realized.
My top priorities are affordability for working families, public safety, and investing in youth. On the Santa Maria City Council, I've turned priorities into results: securing the land for and building the Santa Maria Sports Complex, opening our first neighborhood pocket parks, and launching SMORE, a free outdoor recreation program for local families. My plan for the County is the same: align job creation with housing production and workforce development so people can afford to live where they work, protect city and county budgets responsibly without cutting services, and make sure North County gets its fair share of the County's $1.7 billion budget. I bring eight years on the Planning Commission and cross-jurisdictional experience coordinating with Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, so I'm ready to deliver on day one.
No response provided.
Question 2: Santa Barbara County Business Climate
How would you describe the current business climate in the County of Santa Barbara, as well as the County’s current relationship with local businesses? Is there anything you would like to see change in this regard?
As a small business owner, I founded and run my own law practice serving clients throughout the Central Coast. I understand firsthand the pressures local businesses face, from permitting delays to rising costs. Santa Maria’s partnership with our Chamber of Commerce on economic development coordination shows what’s possible when local government treats businesses as partners rather than an afterthought. Countywide, I’d like to see that same responsiveness, especially for North County’s farmers, small business owners, and family-run companies, who are too often overlooked in decisions made from the South Coast. My campaign has been funded almost entirely by local business owners and farmers, and I’d govern the same way — listening first, cutting red tape, and staying accessible.
No response provided.
Question 3: Economic Development
Compare your priorities for economic development within the County of Santa Barbara to the County’s current economic development priorities.
Job creation without housing production isn’t a real economic strategy — it’s a recipe for a workforce that can’t afford to live where it works. My priority is a regional approach that aligns job creation with infrastructure investment, workforce development, and housing production, so working families can stay in the communities they help build. I want the County to invest more deliberately in North County’s economic corridors of Santa Maria and Guadalupe, not just new opportunities along the South Coast. My eight years on the Planning Commission and my work with the Chamber of Commerce on economic development coordination give me direct experience balancing growth with community character, and I’ll bring that same discipline to countywide economic strategy.
No response provided.
Question 4: Housing
What do you believe is the state of housing in the County of Santa Barbara? What are your priorities regarding housing in the County of Santa Barbara?
Housing costs are outpacing what working families in our county can afford. Santa Barbara County needs more housing production at every income level, not less. On the Planning Commission and City Council, I’ve helped approve and shepherd projects that serve community needs, like the Alvin Newton Apartments, Perlman Apartments, Skyview Homes, Heritage Walk Lofts, and the Bellecrest senior housing development. My priority for the County is to keep housing production moving alongside job growth and infrastructure, streamline approvals for responsible projects, and make sure senior and workforce housing are part of every conversation. Housing policy cannot be separated from economic development; they have to be planned together, and that’s the framework I’ll bring to the Board.
No response provided.
Question 5: Energy Infrastructure
What are your priorities for supporting reliable, modern energy infrastructure in the County of Santa Barbara, including upgrades to the electric grid and new renewable energy projects? And what is your view on the permitting and approval process for this kind of infrastructure?
A modern, resilient grid is essential to both public safety and economic growth, especially as our county faces more extreme heat and wildfire risk. I support upgrading grid reliability and pursuing renewable energy projects that create local jobs and lower costs for families, while making sure new infrastructure is sited responsibly with real community input. On permitting, my experience on the Planning Commission taught me that the goal should be a process that is thorough but not needlessly slow. We need to protect environmental and neighborhood interests without letting good projects stall for years. As Supervisor, I’ll push for a permitting process that gives developers and utilities predictability while keeping the county’s environmental and agricultural priorities front and center.
No response provided.
Question 6: Climate & Emissions
What are your priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (including from the commuting/transportation sector) and addressing local climate impacts such as extreme heat, wildfire, drought, and coastal flooding?
Our county’s economy, agriculture especially, is directly exposed to drought, extreme heat, and wildfire, so climate resilience is a working-family issue, not an abstract one. I helped secure nearly $600,000 in state Outdoor Equity Grant funding to launch SMORE, a program connecting local youth and families to our natural environment through hands-on outdoor and environmental education, because a love of our open spaces starts young. As Supervisor, I’ll prioritize reducing commuting emissions by supporting housing closer to jobs and better transit connections between North County and the South Coast, investing in wildfire prevention and drought resilience for agricultural communities, and coordinating regionally, as I’ve already done with San Luis Obispo County on shared environmental challenges like riverbed cleanup.
No response provided.
Question 7: Childcare
What do you believe is the state of childcare in the County of Santa Barbara? What are your priorities regarding childcare in the County?
Childcare in our county is too expensive and too scarce, and it’s often the single biggest barrier keeping parents, especially mothers, out of the workforce. As a working mother and small business owner, I know that families cannot get ahead if they can’t find safe, affordable care for their kids. My priorities are expanding access to affordable childcare slots in North County, supporting partnerships between the County, employers, and childcare providers to close gaps in underserved areas, and investing in the childcare workforce itself so providers can be fairly compensated and stay in the field. Reliable childcare isn’t a side issue — it’s core infrastructure for a working economy, and I’ll treat it that way on the Board.
No response provided.
Question 8: Workforce Development
What opportunities do you see for the County of Santa Barbara to collaborate with local industries on workforce development?
The County has a real opportunity to partner with agriculture, healthcare, skilled trades, and small businesses to build career pathways that keep local talent here instead of watching it leave for other regions. In Santa Maria, our Chamber of Commerce partnership on economic development coordination is one model; another is making sure job creation is planned alongside housing and infrastructure so employers can actually recruit and retain workers locally. I’d like the County to deepen ties with community colleges and trade programs serving North County, expand apprenticeship pipelines in construction and skilled trades tied to our housing needs, and work directly with employers to identify skills gaps early. Workforce development only works when industry, education, and government are at the same table.
No response provided.