TWO COUNCIL SEATS UP FOR GRABS IN IMPERIAL BEACH
First election since city adopted a district format
November’s historic election will finally give east Imperial Beach residents a City Council representative.
For decades, council members have mostly lived on the more aff luent part of town in west Imperial Beach. But moving from an at-large format to district elections will change that power dynamic.
November’s ballot features two City Council elections: one for District 2, which encompasses mostly central Imperial Beach and a sliver of the northern coastline; and another for District 4, which covers the eastern part of town. A district map is available on the Imperial Beach city website.
District 2
The District 2 contest features incumbent Councilman Mark West and Jack Fisher, a professional body boarder turned chef who ran for mayor in 2010.
West grew up in Denver and came to San Diego in the early 1990s as an enlisted Navy sailor. He eventually became an officer and, in 2007, moved to Imperial Beach with his wife.
“We knew we had found a home after so many years,” he said. “I loved Imperial Beach and immediately got involved in the community.” West is proud of the City Council’s accomplishments during the last four years, including working with congressional representatives to secure $300 million for infrastructure projects along the border that could re
duce cross-border sewage f lows.
He’s running for re-election to continue the work he began over the past four years. West said recovering from COVID-19 is one of his top priorities. Having served on a task force that has helped small businesses throughout the pandemic, he is particularly interested in aiding the city’s business community.
West said he would also like to work with other cities with Sheriff ’s Department contracts to reduce to the rising costs of public safety. He has been on the record saying those costs are bankrupting the city. But he does not want to compromise the quality of public safety in Imperial Beach. For example, he is open to having community service officers respond to nonemergency calls.
Fisher grew up in Imperial Beach. He is running for office because he said he doesn’t think the current City Council listens to the community’s concerns. And he believes West is part of that problem.
Fisher said Mayor Serge Dedina, Councilwoman Paloma Aguirre and West routinely vote the same way. In some cases, such as enacting a marijuana ordinance, the three have voted in favor of an issue despite large public opposition. “It’s caused some frustration for myself and those of us who live here because we have these workshops and we ex
press our concerns,” Fisher said. “We feel that when we go to the council meetings, some decisions are made before we’re heard.”
Fisher said he’s running because, “there’s a need for a local’s perspective, a little bit more balance and sensibility.”
Regarding the current conversation about rethinking the role of the Sheriff ’s Department in Imperial Beach, Fisher said he would not reduce the cost of the contract at all.
“If you’re paying someone to do work, and they’re doing really good work, I don’t know how you thumb your nose at them,” he said.
Councilman Robert Patton, who lives in District 2, is not running for re-election. Currently, West and Patton can both serve on the council because each was elected before district voting. Now only one of the two incumbents can represent the district.
District 4
The District 4 race features two first-time candidates. So, this election is guaranteed to bring new blood to the City Council.
Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez is a third-generation laborer who grew up in San Diego and spent his summers visiting his uncle who lived on Seacoast Avenue. Leyba-Gonzalez moved into District 4 a few years ago and became involved in the
same COVID-19 task force to help businesses as West. Working on that task force inspired him to run for City Council. If elected, he said he would like to continue to help businesses in east Imperial Beach.
“The businesses were really receptive to somebody taking the initiative of coming out to them and offering help,” he said. “That has to continue.”
Specifically, he would like to form a committee that would address the needs of
businesses
Street.
Leyba-Gonzalez started his labor career pouring concrete and became a foreman responsible for multimillion-dollar jobs. He is now a union representative for the LUNA Local 89.
“My organization, they support me 100 percent and without their support I would not have the opportunity to run for City Council,” he said.
Three labor groups have contributed a total of $75,000 to his campaign — the most out of any of the four candidates running for office.
Will Nimmo, his opponent, sees that inf lux of “outside money” as a problem.
“Outside inf luence has no place in I.B.,” he said. “I
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know that it’s a grand concern for the people, and I have similar questions about why candidates are being given tens of thousands of dollars from special interest groups.” While Nimmo criticized outside contributions, he stopped short of criticizing LeybaGonzalez, calling him “a stand-up guy.”
Nimmo was born and raised in District 4. He likes to point out that he learned to ride a bike on Iris Avenue, went to Oneonta Elementary School, and has his name on a brick at Veteran’s Park.
“The decisions I will make on the City Council will affect me and my family as much as they will affect you and yours,” he wrote in his candidate statement
form. “It is for this reason that I ask for your vote. I want to bring your voice to the Council.”
Nimmo and Leyba-Gonzalez both recognize that the rising cost of the Sheriff ’s Department contract is placing a lot of pressure on the city budget. However, they both oppose cutting public safety expenses. Instead, they want to find ways of increasing revenues.
In response to criticism about labor unions funding his campaign, Leyba-Gonzalez doesn’t understand the comments. He says it makes sense that the organization he’s spent nearly two decades with would support him.