STEVE PADILLA
District 3 candidate
1. How will your professional experience help you serve the city of Chula Vista?
I have given my entire adult life to public service and serving Chula Vista. I have worn many hats and been honored to serve, whether as a former police detective, a former mayor, and now as a current councilmember and as chairman of California’s Coastal Commission. Together, we have increased public safety, built affordable housing, fixed streets and sidewalks, added parks and green space, and updated our Climate Action Plan to lead Chula Vista to 100% clean energy. But there is more work to be done. That’s why I am honored to ask voters in my district to help me get the job done.
2. What is the most pressing issue in your district, and how will you address it?
Public safety must be our top priority. Emergency response times in District Three are too high. When families call 911 for help, they should know that help will get there in time, and right now that is not the case. We have begun addressing it with funding from Measure A, and have been able to hire 72 new police officers and 15 new firefighters. Response times have dropped, but there is more work to be done through continued work with our fire and police departments. I am proud to have been endorsed by our firefighters and police officers, because they know that I will work to keep our community safe.
3. What should the city’s overall priorities be, and how will those priorities impact your district?
Our city is growing and we must be a place where people can work as well as live, have opportunities to improve their lives, and receive an education. Mayor Mary Salas has endorsed me because she believes in my ability to get this done. Bringing quality investment and quality jobs are critical to our community and our children’s future. This is why I have worked hard to bring livable and sustainable jobs, a four-year university, and a world class bayfront to our community and I will not quit. We must continue to provide a broad range of housing, from affordable to first homes, and provide transit options and keep Chula Vistans from spending more time in their cars than with their families. We can increase our quality of life, bring economic opportunity, and decrease emissions to fight the climate crisis.
4. In the last year Chula Vista became certified as a Welcoming City. It was ranked the second in the New American Economy’s list of cities across the nation that are most supportive of immigrants. How can Chula Vista continue to uphold these standards and be a welcoming place for immigrants?
Our diversity is our greatest strength and in order to be an effective city we must maintain trust with everyone who resides here, visits here or may be seeking a better future here. When it comes to basic human compassion and providing emergency services we don’t want people afraid to call for help – in an emergency or to report being a victim of a crime. We are proud to be a Welcoming City and try to live our values of respecting the value and dignity of every human being, no matter their situation. Instead of giving in to fear and hatred, we have stood in love and embraced our neighbors regardless of where they were born or what language they speak. This is a big part of what makes Chula Vista such a wonderful city. But values of inclusion need to extend to more than just immigrants. We must stand up to hatred and bigotry no matter where they rear their heads, and make Chula Vista a place where no one gets left behind.
5. How will marijuana dispensaries impact your district? Do you think maximizing the total number of allowable stores per district is a good move?
We took control of our destiny when we allowed commercial cannabis and created regulations to control it and tax it. This means in a state that legalized personal use of cannabis and with many surrounding cities in our county regulating it, Chula Vista won’t be a city surrounded by legalized businesses, receiving none of the resources and only the problems. In the long run the black market will be squeezed, we will have control of product quality and safety, we will know who is operating in our community, and we will finally have the resources to shut down illegal shops. We will also have resources to better educate our youth about the risks associated with any substance use and abuse.
6. Do you think the current salary for a city council member is fair? Should it be a full-time job?
Our City Charter wisely keeps the politics out of questions of compensation for the mayor and city council by removing it completely from city government control. It only takes grandstanding politicians or vocal activists to want to turn this issue into pure politics and can cause great instability in our government. Constantly changing salaries can also constantly change the kinds of folks who may want to serve or not serve. Our charter says the council receives a percentage of the mayor’s salary which itself is set at two-thirds the salary of a Superior Court judge. The mayor and council salary is tied to a formula completely out of politics and out of their control. I believe this is a wise arrangement. I also believe the time may come soon where the City Council will be officially full time. At nearly 300,000 people and growing, we are not a small town anymore and people deserve to have public servants they have elected dedicated full time to serving their needs.
