All six candidates vying to be northwest Chula Vista’s first elected council member made their pitch at the Chula Vista Presbyterian Church for a candidate forum on public safety.
Candidates answered questions as to how they were going to improve public safety in Chula Vista. Questions included how candidates planned to increase staffing levels for both the police and fire departments; their plans to reduce homelessness in their district; and efforts in protecting underage drinking and marijuana use.
The candidates: Former two-term councilman and current Sweetwater Authority board member Steve Castaneda; small business owner Jill Galvez; teacher Patrick Macfarland; retired community relations director Jesse Navarro; and planning commissioner Max Zaker, offered many of the same solutions when it came to public safety issues in Chula Vista.
Retired firefighter Steve Stenberg differentiated himself from the rest of the candidates by not taking an official stand on Measure A, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase that’s on the June ballot to improve public safety.
“I do not endorse Measure A and I do not not endorse it,” he said.
Stenberg said he wants voters to decide on their own—without his influence— if they want more police officers and firefighters at the expense of an increased sales tax.
He did say if elected and Measure A passes he vows to spend the revenue, which will go into the general fund, on public safety and nothing else.
Stenberg suggested taxing the 800 vacation rental homes in the city as a means of revenue to help fund public safety costs.
Zaker said he supports Measure A but that adding more police officers and firefighters in the city must extend beyond the measure.
Zaker said he will look at economic development strategies, figure out ways to expand the local economy and brining additional employers to Chula Vista as a way to generate revenue for public safety.
“That is going to generate the type of revenue that’s sustainable and predictable to the city so that we can increase our staff in our police and fire departments,” he said.
Navarro proposed addressing underage drinking by holding liquor store owners accountable for their actions if they sell alcohol to minors.
“We need to do better enforcement, better regulation and perhaps, if it is possible, better taxation of all of the liquor sales,” he said.
Macfarland said one way he would prevent underage drinking and drug use is through education.
“What we really need to do and is essential is education,” he said. “We need to educate our students on what the effects of alcohol use and what are the effects of drug-use.
Galvez said if elected she would help find solutions for the police and fire departments to meet their response times.
“You learn the most by simply talking and simply meeting and understanding what first responders are hearing or experiencing,” she said. “And I will be working on solutions to help them because they want to get to emergencies as quickly as they can.
Castaneda said the voters approved the use of recreational marijuana but if elected he will get rid of the black market.
“The fact is the voters of California and the voters of Chula Vista voted to approve the personal use of marijuana, and that’s their right to do that under state law,” he said. “But the fact is, we have every responsibility to ensure that we don’t have a backdoor renegade type of industry that basically sells marijuana illegally, particularly to young people and I’ll work very hard and make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The top two vote-getters on June 5 will move to a run off in November.
We can’t have people attacking candidates based on sexuality. Someone called someone else “erotic”.
Vote for Patrick!