Issues

Strongly Committed To
Public Safety

A safe community is a strong community. As Mayor, I have made supporting our public safety officers and first responders one of my top priorities. I have worked to provide these incredible men and women all the resources they need to better serve and protect our community. As a direct result of this commitment to public safety, our response times to emergency calls have decreased and our per-capita crime rate has decreased for 3 straight years. That is why I am proud to have earned the endorsement of the Ventura County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Ventura County Professional Firefighters Association, the City of Ventura Firefighters Association and the City of Ventura Police Officers Association. As County Supervisor, I would continue to make supporting public safety one of my most important priorities.

Addressing the Homeless And Mental Health Crisis

Homelessness is a complex problem, as everyone on the street is homeless for their own individual reasons. As Mayor, I have been a leader in making sure we provide care and wrap-around services to our city’s homeless individuals.

I am incredibly proud because Ventura recently opened the County’s first 24-hour emergency homeless shelter with on-site services. Our shelter will be successful because it is specifically-tailored to identify and meet the individual needs of everyone who walks through its doors. I want to continue these efforts as a County Supervisor, by partnering with cities and nonprofits to further this very important work. We also need to make a renewed commitment to increasing funding for mental health and behavioral services. There are simply not enough services, beds and treatments available to those in our community suffering from mental illness. I would fight to change this.

Supporting Our Seniors

Seniors are the fastest growing segment of our population, and what many people do not know, is that seniors are also the fastest growing segment of our homeless population. This is unacceptable, and we must step up to support and protect our seniors. In Ventura, we facilitated the delivery of 12,000 meals to food-insecure seniors and took critical steps towards initiating a comprehensive Senior Strategic Plan. As your County Supervisor, I would proudly continue this important work and make supporting our community’s seniors one of my top priorities. I believe we should have a goal of helping all seniors who are homeless get off the streets and into permanent housing. I also support increased funding for senior programming, enrichment activities, and improved transportation options.

Strengthening The
Local Economy

There is also a profound shortage of good-paying jobs in Ventura County compared to our neighboring counties, and the flow of companies leaving our county is alarming. When business and jobs leave Ventura County, what does that mean? It means fewer residents are able to work in their home city and are forced into long commutes. It means more people on the roads and increased traffic problems.

It means no jobs for our children to return to after college and forcing our county’s best talent to move away to find work. I believe that people working close to their homes is the foundation of a strong community because it allows people to spend less time commuting and more time with family and giving back to the community. By helping county-based businesses expand and create jobs, we also get increased tax revenue — money which is desperately needed to fund County services, public safety, infrastructure and other improvements throughout the County. That is why as Mayor I tirelessly worked to bring high wage jobs to Ventura. Because of our commitment to being business-friendly, companies like Vonazon (which moved from Simi Valley), Giddy Up and Trade Desk significantly expanded operations and added jobs in Ventura. Because of this commitment, under my watch as Mayor, Ventura’s economy has become much stronger. I would bring this same business-friendly mentality to my job as County Supervisor, and would make strengthening our local economy a key priority.

Protect The Environment

There is no denying that climate change is an emergency, and we must be committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to ensure a sustainable future. I am proud of my record as an environmental leader on the Ventura City Council. I sponsored the policy consideration that moved Ventura into the Clean Power Alliance, I voted to set Ventura’s default rate at 100% renewable energy, I sponsored the policy consideration that set in motion Ventura adopting a strong energy action plan, I voted in favor of sending a letter to the Secretary of the Interior opposing the threat of new offshore oil drilling in Southern California and I have fought for ensuring that Ventura’s upcoming general plan update include an aggressive climate action plan. As County Supervisor, I would work to continue the County’s involvement in the Clean Power Alliance and its commitment to 100% renewable energy. I would also continue looking at all county facilities and fleets in order to reduce greenhouse emissions wherever possible. Lastly, as the County moves forward with adopting its updated general plan, I would work to ensure a strong climate action plan is a critical feature of this document.