County must work on housing, traffic, public safety
As a school board member and city councilman, I’ve listened and learned a lot from Santa Clara County residents. We are fortunate in this area to have engaged and passionate residents, dedicated to their community. I am honored to have worked alongside many of you to address some of the most pressing challenges we face.
What needs to be done to help strengthen Santa Clara County is significant, and local agencies often have competing interests and limited resources. It takes persistence and patience to make our community’s voices heard, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done to do just that.
Among the list of challenges and opportunities Santa Clara County faces, I hear three key issues over and over again: Housing affordability and homelessness, growth and traffic, and public safety. I have a significant record of work on the City Council to address these very issues, and I’m hopeful that I’ll have the opportunity to continue bringing practical solutions to these matters on the Board of Supervisors.
The Bay Area’s housing crisis has hit our communities hard. Housing costs have skyrocketed, putting home ownership and rent out of reach for many local families. Some residents have been displaced, now living on our streets or in their cars, without a safe place to go. I’ve championed rent affordability, affordable housing, as well as advocating for — and encouraging — market-rate housing. I know this is a challenge that requires a regional solution, and I’m ready to bring my extensive experience to help solve this problem at the county level.
Tremendous growth in our community has brought with it a crush of development and traffic. Sadly, there are many neighborhoods bearing the brunt of the growth, and they are often feeling like they’re losing what they love about their community — quiet neighborhoods, safe streets, and the ability to move from place to place without Los Angeles-style traffic. I’ve advocated for measured growth that takes into consideration the impact development has on existing communities and working families. I’m ready to address this challenge for Santa Clara County.
With growth brings a strain on resources, including local public safety. More residents, increasing costs and greater strain on public resources has led to a rise in safety concerns. At almost every door I knock on, families express this concern — will police officers respond to break-ins? Will the fire department get to us in the event of an emergency? At the city level, I’ve expanded public safety resources without having to raise taxes, including putting more qualified officers on the ground and protecting neighborhood fire stations. I’ve also worked with the county to deliver more resources for countywide public safety, and I’m uniquely qualified to continue that work.
Housing, public safety, traffic and development. These are the issues that our local government needs to tackle with urgency. I’m ready to address them, because I have a record of doing just that. I know many voters are tired of big promises with little results. That’s not what I offer you. What I offer is my record of delivering on these challenges — and many more. I’ve done my best to not promise things I can’t deliver. Empty promises may help politicians get elected, but in the end, they often don’t deliver.
As you select your next county supervisor, I respectfully ask for your consideration. I’m not a politician, I call myself a public servant. I serve you — the public/taxpayer. I have served you as a youth sports coach and mentor, a school board member and as a city councilman. Now, I’m asking to serve as your supervisor.