San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
TWO CHULA VISTA CITY COUNCIL SEATS FOR DISTS. 1, 2 ARE OPEN
Two candidates, all newcomers, are running in each area
Four people are competing for two seats on the Chula Vista City Council and the opportunity to govern the county’s second-largest city.
Voters will decide who represents them in Districts 1 and 2. John Mccann, who holds the District 1 seat, is running for mayor. Jill Galvez, who represents District 2, ran for mayor in the June primary, but failed to capture enough votes to move to the November general election.
Council members serve four years and earn $60,490 annually.
For District 1, Carolina Chavez, an economic development director, is running against Marco Contreras, a small business owner and local pastor.
Carolina Chavez
Occupation: Director of business and economic policy for San Diego Councilmember Stephen Whitburn
Political affiliation: Democrat
Chavez, 39, is a longtime resident of Chula Vista with a career history in economic development, health care and international trade. She has previously served as chairperson of the International Business Association for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce and director of the SIMNSA Foundation at SIMNSA Health Care, a private binational health care agency.
She wants to focus on diversifying and attracting more economic development, especially as projects like the billion-dollar resort hotel and convention center on the bayfront take off. Chavez said she will help ensure the bayfront is completed on time so that residents can have access to local jobs sooner and avoid commuting outside their city. She said she’ll also continue efforts to expand educational opportunities, such as bringing a university.
“Having that strong economic development background will also give us the tools necessary to tackle other important issues like housing and public safety, without having to put that burden on community members with additional tax increases,” she said.
Marco Contreras
Occupation: Founder of Rancho Customs Brokers and pastor at Awaken Church
Political affiliation: Republican
Contreras, 38, was born in Chula Vista and grew up in Tijuana until the age of 16.
He settled with his family in Eastlake and launched his customs brokers business in 2013. He did not respond to requests for candidate questions. In a previous interview, Contreras said he earned an economics degree at the University of San Diego and is passionate about serving the community through ministry. He also serves on the advisory board for Chula Vista Christian University, a private faithbased institution in Eastlake that opened two years ago.
Making Chula Vista the safest city in the county is his primary goal. Contreras said he would like to have both police and fire have the most competitive salaries in the county to recruit talent not only locally but across California, he said in a September interview with The San Diego Union-tribune. Chula Vista has approved budgets over the past decade that reflect public safety as a top priority. Between 2009 and 2021, council members approved spending plans that increased the police’s budget by 20 percent and the fire department by 40 percent, while other departments have seen a decrease.
As an entrepreneur, he wants to support small businesses but also believes the city should attract large corporations, specifically in logistics, international trade and innovation, to diversify talent and create new revenue streams, he added.
Contreras said he is also a big proponent of bringing “the right university to our city.” He would like to see Chula Vista be home to an international institution, “which would also boost our economy,” and, ideally, one that is faith-based.
Editor’s note: Contreras did not provide the U-T with a photo.
For District 2, Jose Preciado, a South Bay Irrigation District board of director, is running against retired firefighter Steve Stenberg.
Jose Preciado
Occupation: Assistant dean for undergraduate studies at San Diego State University
Political affiliation: Democrat
Preciado, 51, has worked for San Diego State University since 1988 and is serving his fourth term on the South Bay Irrigation District, which provides drinking water to western portions of the city, Bonita and National City. He also serves on various other boards, including the San Diego Association of Government’s border committee.
He has five policy priorities: improve and maintain parks and playgrounds, support public safety with competitive salaries, revitalize the city’s west side to create more jobs, assist firsttime homebuyers and develop short-term and longterm housing options for homeless individuals.
Specific to District 2, Preciado is concerned about housing affordability for young adults, seniors and working families.
“I want to support increasing the supply of housing options by incentivizing development. I believe that increasing the supply of homes for all customer classes will improve the housing market and lead to increased affordability,” he said.
The district also is partly home to the bayfront project, which will increase the local job supply. But there are more ways to generate jobs in northwest Chula Vista, he said. For example, provide training to homeowners who want to build accessory dwelling units, support home kitchen businesses and develop wireless internet infrastructure for more telecommuting work options.
Steve Stenberg
Occupation: Retired firefighter and Air Force veteran
Political affiliation: Republican
Stenberg, 67, has deep roots in Chula Vista starting with his father who served as the city’s assistant city manager and his mother as a Chula Vista Elementary School District teacher. In 2015, he opened the Third Avenue Ale House, which he recently sold to his son and daughter-in-law.
He has had a long career in public service, with more than 40 years as a federal firefighter, in the armed forces and in law enforcement. With his background in public safety, he said he wants to keep Chula Vista a safe city by working closely with the police and fire departments “to understand their perspective in ensuring safety in our neighborhoods.”
Stenberg said he will advocate for quality jobs in Chula Vista and try to get a better understanding of the types of jobs that will attract residents who want to work where they live.
“Our business associations, home builders, investors and elected representatives need to find ways to align the city’s needs with its opportunities. We need to know what investors and businesses look for when choosing their desired locations,” he said.
tammy.murga@sduniontribune.com