What issues do Sacramento mayoral candidates say are the most important?

(FOX40.COM) — The primary election in the Sacramento mayoral race is less than a month away and current Mayor Darrell Steinberg has opted not to run for a third term.

Six candidates will be on the March 5 ballot seeking to win a term as Sacramento’s mayor.

In early February, FOX40.com sent a questionnaire to all candidates requesting information on their background and what they consider to be the most important issues facing the city.

Below are the candidate’s responses. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

Jose Antonio Avina II

Occupation: Marine Corps Captain and Small Business Owner

Bio: José Antonio Aviña II bridges the gap between military service and community building. He leads Marines with expertise honed through his years in the Marine Corps, rising from the rank of Private to Captain and earning the title of a Marine Corps Mustang. Beyond the Marines, he fuels his passion for fitness by empowering his Sacramento community through his gym, showing his dedication to both duty and local impact.

Other relevant experience: United States Marine Corps

Party Affiliation: No Affiliation

Key Issues

Crime and Public Safety

Crime and public safety is at the top of my list of priorities. We must enforce the laws of this community and no longer permit criminals to go unpunished. We have to increase the number of Community Service Officers to help fill the gaps of our current Police force and increase our Police presence throughout the community. This will be a perfect opportunity to build greater community relationships and to recruit younger candidates and assess them over time for their abilities to make sound and moral decisions.

We can no longer permit illegal drugs from entering our streets and we must make every effort possible to prevent the drugs from affecting our youth. It’s no secret that some of the homeless population refuses to leave their current situation because they refuse to get clean and we must address this issue if we wish to clean up our streets. I will take a hard stance on drugs, we will not permit them. We will work with state and federal agencies to go after the individuals who are part of the distribution chain, we will not allow them to conduct business here.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is second on my list of priorities. As we enter a new era of remote working we must begin to build for that future and reimagine how the downtown landscape will appear.

We must look to providing more connectivity between communities to ensure the longevity of our local economy. We must invest into making Sacramento a more livable community for all to enjoy. This includes building more housing to help reduce the cost of living that so many community members are feeling the pressure of. We must work with startups and local businesses to help solve some of issues putting a strain on our current infrastructure system and to introduce new concept ideas to help improve our daily commutes.

We must revisit specific building codes and regulations that delay a timely building process and see if the city can find ways to reduce approval times for building plans while not sacrificing safety for time. We have to improve our building process or we will never meet the demands of the growing population and the housing crisis will only worsen.

Sustainability

Sustainability will play a major role in how our city meets its 2040 goal of becoming one of the top most livable cities in the United States and California’s energy efficiency goal as well.

In order for Sacramento to attain its goal of top five livable communities we must address some major issues affecting our daily lives today for example: rising cost of utilities, healthy foods, unhealthy air quality levels, increased road times and most importantly mental health.

My vision for this city is one that’s prepared for the reality of the situation. In less than 30 years we will have a massive generational gap and the available workforce will not be able to meet the demands of a growing city. We must use the available landscape we have now to build for the future. Finding creative solutions to solve our modern problems.

For example, repurposing the downtown skyline to introduce indoor farming to help provide fresh and affordable produce for our communities. By harnessing the power of the newest technology we can maximize each harvest and reduce waste. We can also introduce a water-capturing system to store rainwater for the city to utilize to fight fires during the summer period. Reducing the annual cost to taxpayer and reducing the total demand on the reservoir.

Campaign Website: JoseAntonioAvinaII.com

Who is running for the Sacramento City Council District 2 seat?

Flo Cofer

Occupation: Public health professional

Bio: My parents were both hard-working school teachers. When I was 11 years old I watched my dad die of a heart attack from preventable illness. Today, as a public health expert and advocate I fight for everyone’s ability to live a long, healthy, and happy life. In recent years, I’ve watched the homelessness crisis spiral horribly out of control in Sacramento, as politicians cater to their corporate donors. I’m running for mayor to create a city where all of us can thrive, not just those at the top.

Other relevant experience: Senior Director​ ​of Policy for Public​ ​Health​ ​Advocates; ​led​ ​the​ ​preconception​ ​health initiative​ ​for​ ​the​ ​California​ ​Department​ ​of​ ​Public​ ​Health; served in various capacities on local boards, committees and commissions, including the Active Transportation Commission, Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change, Sheriff’s Outreach Community Advisory Board, Board of Directors for Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, and four-term Chair of the City of Sacramento Measure U Community Oversight Commission

Party Affiliation: Democratic Party

Key Issues

Housing and homelessness

As mayor, I will immediately reduce homelessness and encampments by expanding temporary shelter space and safeground options that provide basic services to our unhoused neighbors and put them on a path to more permanent housing.

Keeping residents housed in the first place creates a stronger community, provides greater family stability, and is a much more effective use of tax dollars. Once residents lose their homes, every step towards re-establishing housing is more difficult.

We cannot adequately address this issue until we help people remain in their homes, stem the flow of Sacramento families pushed onto our streets, and meet the needs of our unhoused neighbors while putting them on a path to permanent housing.

We must immediately act to reduce homelessness and expand affordable housing to ensure that everyone in Sacramento has a roof over their head.

Community Safety

Public safety means everyone can enjoy our city’s neighborhoods and walk around midtown and downtown without worrying. We should feel safe in our communities and across the city. Supporters have called me the “fund public safety” candidate because I’ll prioritize programs that prevent violence and poverty, in addition to supporting emergency response.

Sacramento went two years without any youth homicides. Then politicians cut the youth programs that prevented homicides, and we’ve seen violence rise. We must invest in our youth, and invest in programs that prevent violence and poverty in order to keep everyone safe.

Economic Prosperity in a Changing Climate

The climate crisis is an enormous challenge. It’s also an enormous opportunity for Sacramento to invest in our infrastructure, our economy, and our families’ futures. Transforming our energy system to 100 percent renewable will create thousands of jobs from building new bike lanes, to weatherizing existing homes, planting trees, and building thousands of new units of sustainably designed affordable housing. Sacramento can be a national leader for a just transition.

Campaign Website: FloForMayor.com

These are the candidates and measures on the primary election ballot in Stanislaus County

Julius Engel

Occupation: Asset Protection Officer (Federal/DHS for 4 years now private)

Bio: I am a 46-year resident of Sacramento. I am 67 years old and a McGeorge Law School graduate. I have decades of experience in law enforcement. My late wife and I raised three fine adult children in Sacramento; one a lawyer, the second an entrepreneur and the third Federal Asset Protection, all born and educated in Sacramento.

Other relevant experience: Attorney, Small Claims Judge, 7-year US Military Veteran (Vietnam era)

Party Affiliation: Republican Party

Key Issues

Homelessness

Minimum Wage

Reduce SMUD Bills

Campaign Website: Engel4Mayor.com

Measures and candidates on the primary election ballot in Sacramento County

Steve Hansen

Occupation: Small Businessman

Bio: Steve is a small businessman, dad, and former City Councilmember, running for mayor to tackle Sacramento’s homelessness crisis, improve public safety, build more housing, and create good-paying jobs. Steve is endorsed by grassroots Democrats, small business owners and working families.

Party Affiliation: Democratic Party

Key Issues

Homelessness

Tackling homelessness with bold, urgent action is Steve’s top priority and one of the core reasons why he is running for Mayor. When Steve left the Sacramento City Council, he never thought he’d run for office again, but over the last several years, homelessness and neighborhood safety have gotten to crisis levels in Sacramento. Steve is stepping up and will make the hard choices and put in the work necessary to truly address this crisis.

Steve has been focused on genuinely addressing the homelessness crisis since long before it started getting the attention it is getting today. While serving as a Sacramento City Councilmember, Steve helped create the city’s first homelessness program, opened the first long-term homeless triage center with over 100 beds, helped build 300 emergency shelter beds and permanent supportive housing, and worked to secure millions in new funding to get those in need off of the streets.  Since Steve left the City Council, homelessness and community safety have only gotten worse. Additionally, people’s trust in the City to take action has also diminished. We need to do more.

As Mayor, Steve will ensure that the City properly enforces, streamlines, and strengthens existing laws like the camping ordinances on sidewalks, near schools, and on private property, while simultaneously working with the County and State to implement new programs like the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, which will bring mental health and other treatment options to the individuals who struggling the most and may present a danger to themselves or others. Steve firmly believes that tent encampments are not a housing solution and that the City needs to expand their efforts to make everyone in our community feel safe walking and biking in their neighborhood.

While the City can make major improvements on homelessness policy, Steve will make sure the County and the State are playing their part, including providing the necessary funding and assistance to properly implement the CARE Act and Project Homekey, which rehabilitates hotels, motels, and vacant apartment buildings into permanent supportive housing. Additionally, Steve is a supporter of Proposition 1 – a $6.38 billion bond to build new behavioral health housing and treatment settings across the state that will be on the March, 2024 ballot. As Mayor, Steve will secure these funds and ensure Sacramento gets its fair share to address the homelessness and mental health crisis in our community.

Public Safety

Steve understands the impact of crime, social justice, and failed public safety policy firsthand. Growing up – he lived it. Raised in a poor, disadvantaged community in Minnesota, Steve overcame significant struggle and societal barriers living through poverty and crime as a child, forced to move around constantly, even staying in domestic violence shelters. It is undeniable that Steve’s experiences have now become an all too common reality in Sacramento – people in our community simply do not feel safe. Failed leadership, lack of resources, and an absence of political will to address homelessness has allowed crime to proliferate throughout the City, disproportionately impacting our low-income and historically disadvantaged communities.

As Mayor, Steve will prioritize expediting law enforcement response times, increasing training for first responders, and ensuring we improve public safety through thoughtful leadership, compassion, and collaboration with the community. He will also ensure that proper enforcement and prosecutions of those who commit criminal activity are upheld to stop the cycle of the early release of dangerous individuals into our community.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining a responsible and equitable justice system, Steve will expand upon his successful reform efforts. During his service as a Sacramento City Councilmember, he helped mandate body-worn cameras, reform use-of-force policies, and created implicit bias training for all law enforcement officers. Additionally, Steve helped pass mandated de-escalation training and expanded efforts to diversify the police force, hiring from neighborhoods that traditionally did not always see law enforcement or officers from their communities.

Affordable Housing

Steve’s track record fighting for affordable housing is extensive and notable for some major successes in our community. Steve also successfully authored and passed a major affordable housing bond that has helped accelerate the construction of affordable housing and the preservation of existing affordable units in our community, and set in motion a plan to build 10,000 new units in the City of Sacramento.

As Mayor, Steve will expand upon these housing wins with plans to build more housing at all levels of affordability to ensure all Sacramento residents can meet their housing needs through two comprehensive plans: a regional affordable housing finance plan that ensure Sacramento secures its fair share of state and federal funds to build workforce housing, senior housing, and permanent supportive housing, and an expansive streamlining plan to cut red tape, bureaucracy, and reduce costs so that housing projects do not stagnate waiting for approval to get built.

Steve has also been a champion for tenants and renter protection. As a Sacramento City Councilmember, Steve led the successful passage of the Tenant Protection Relief Act, a historic rent control measure that made Sacramento the first major non-coastal city in California to adopt significant renter protections. The law enshrined tenant protections that included a cap on how much landlords can increase the rent and a prohibition on evictions without a cause.

Campaign Website: Steve4Sacramento.com

Maggy Krell now running for state Assembly seat

Kevin McCarty

Occupation: State Assemblymember

Bio: Kevin McCarty has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to serving the people of Sacramento. His track record of delivering results at multiple levels of government over 20 years is a testament to his effectiveness and dedication to serving the people of Sacramento.

Other relevant experience: City Councilmember, Housing and Redevelopment Commissioner

Party Affiliation: Democratic Party

Key Issues

Homelessness

Our city’s epidemic of homelessness is a crisis. We see it around us every day. This affects public safety, affordability, and public health. In the Assembly, I’ve been working on reforms that are beginning to show results. New ideas like working with regional District Attorneys on a new law to provide drug treatment program opportunities for those incarcerated. Sacramento’s District Attorney aims to begin this program later this year.

As Mayor I will set a clear policy for our homeless situation. We need to end urban camping in our neighborhoods, but those on the street need to be directed to safe places – not just moved around. We will need to continue to find safe camping sites without creating more problems for our neighbors. These sites have to be in cooperation with the county – who has the resources for the badly needed services.

Keeping Our Neighborhoods Safe

The residents of Sacramento are looking to address our rising crime rates, but they want to make sure the city makes smart reforms that will actually make a difference. I’ve made a career out of enacting smart solutions to public safety. We need to think differently about how our police deal with issues like those who are having a mental health crisis. I worked on a new law that allows our city to use trained professionals to handle these calls. But we need to ensure that our police are fully staffed and able to do their job. I will not cut police funding as Mayor.

Affordable Housing

Sacramento needs more affordable housing. The region’s cost of living is rapidly increasing, pricing many working families out of this great city. I will tackle this issue on day one as Mayor because I already have a record of enacting meaningful reforms that are helping increase our housing stock.

In the Assembly, I authored the adaptive reuse law that is currently helping to convert underutilized state office buildings into much needed housing. Right now these vacant state office buildings create a hole in our central city. By turning these buildings into quality affordable housing we can jump start parts of our downtown core.

The city also needs to be more nimble and lower barriers including reforming the permitting process to build more housing. Sacramento needs to be a city where it is easy to build the type of housing that will ease our communities affordability crisis.

Campaign Website: McCartyforMayor.com/

Who is running for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Dianne Feinstein?

Richard Pan

Occupation: Physician, Educator, Small Business Owner

Bio: Dr. Richard Pan is a pediatrician, educator, small business owner, and proud Sacramento father who dedicated his life to building healthy, safe communities. He delivered results for California including fixing the state budget deficit and reducing the number of uninsured Californians by over half. He is the child of Taiwanese immigrants who lives with his wife, a dentist, and two young children in Sacramento.

Other relevant experience: CA State Senator; Vice-Chair, United Way California Capital Region

Party Affiliation: Democratic Party

Key Issues

Homelessness

I will make reducing homelessness my top priority as Mayor, addressing the frustration of city residents witnessing the deterioration of their neighborhoods and city. As a physician, public health expert, and former state legislator, I have the experience and expertise necessary to make real progress. I will bring a fact-based, results-oriented approach that is focused on more housing, counseling, outreach, mental health services, and enforcement strategies proven to work.

Public Safety

It is unacceptable when people do not feel safe on Sacramento streets and parks. We all deserve a city where people want to live, work, and play in. I will bring a Back To Basics agenda to City Hall focused on improving city services, response times, cleaning up blight, and restoring order and safety to our parks and streets.

Create Jobs

Sacramento needs our businesses to create good jobs. As a small business owner, I want Sacramento to help small businesses grow instead of doubling their taxes this ballot. I recruited a Fortune 100 regional headquarters and a teaching hospital that will generate billions in economic activity.

Campaign Website: DrRichardPan.com/

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