Four Candidates, One Seat Awaits the Future of District 4…
By Iris Heckes
On Sept. 28, four candidates representing the neighborhoods of the Riviera, Upper Eastside, Mission Canyon, Eucalyptus Hill, and parts of Foothill and San Roque gathered to discuss the future of Santa Barbara District 4.
Around 50 people observed the debate hosted by the Santa Barbara Independent. The candidate forum for the future councilmember of District 4 was held in the district’s very own Unitarian Society’s Parish Hall at 1535 Santa Barbara Street. The event started at 5:30 p.m. and concluded at 7.
The four candidates included Devon Wardlow, Jason Dominguez, Genevieve Taft-Vasquez, and Monte Wilson as part of Ryan P. Cruz’s series of council debates for the Independent, available on YouTube (courtesy of DP News).
The discussion kicked off with introductions, the candidates’ opening statements, speaking on why they wanted to represent District 4, and the approach they would take on council.
Wardlow, a Santa Barbara High School alum, has five years of experience on the Planning Commission and is committed to protecting the cherished aspects of Santa Barbara while working to address challenges. Wardlow said she is a “policy nerd” and is “knowledgeable about the details of the issues that are facing our city.” Wardlow is “endorsed by leaders in our community” like State Assemblymember Gregg Hart and Santa Barbara City Councilmembers Mike Jordan and Oscar Gutierrez. Other endorsements include the Democratic Party and the Sierra Club.
Dominguez—former city councilmember and Santa Barbara attorney—is running in honor of future generations, like his daughter, and building on his work from previous terms on city council. “I know government,” said Dominguez. Working as a judge and a teacher of constitutional law has given him the experience needed to make change on the council. “I made an impact from day one…. I know how to turn good ideas into results,” said Dominguez.
Taft-Vasquez was born and raised in District 4, where she currently serves on the neighborhood advisory council. Taft-Vasquez is running to take leadership in the community. “I want a city council that is responsive to citizens’ needs, residents’ needs, and that gets things done.” In her previous career leading ethical sustainable sourcing initiatives with the Coca-Cola Company, she was tasked with “managing very complex issues, managing large budgets and bringing together people who don’t often agree to get things done,” which has prepared her to serve on a council with divided opinions. For example, Taft-Vasquez said, “I got Coke and Pepsi in the room working together on pre-competitive things…. So if I can get multibillion-dollar companies working together, I think I can get along with anybody at City Hall.” Taft-Vasquez said, “I am not a politician, nor do I aspire to be a politician.” Instead, she is a community member and homeowner hoping to “serve the residents of District 4 in Santa Barbara overall.”
Wilson has been a resident of District 4 and owns a State Street business, The Painted Cabernet, with his wife. Wilson has led large organizations and managed significant budgets, bringing broad business management and community experience to the table. Similarly to Taft-Vasquez, Wilson said, “I love this town, and I’ve never been a politician.” Wilson can relate to the residents of District 4 as a community member who has been evacuated and had his homeowners insurance canceled. “I felt the pain of what happens when we have some of these issues.” Wilson called himself a “data geek” and said he would prepare with heavy research before any city council meeting.
After introductions, the forum progressed with questions from Cruz, starting with how candidates would deal with polarization and how they would use their vote as the District 4 representative. Next was a question about wildfire and rain preparation, where Wilson and Dominguez made sure to discuss the renovations of District 4 fire stations three and seven. All four candidates became passionate about the mission housing project, especially Taft-Vasquez, who argued for reevaluation in terms of evacuation concerns. Candidates all voiced their plans and perspectives on how to speed up permit review processes, rent stabilization efforts, and State Street. All four candidates emphasized the importance of infrastructure as the first step to executing the State Street Master Plan. After discussing the city budget, the questions concluded with one final note that candidates hoped to leave the voters with.
“This election is a big deal,” Wilson said. He urged voters to look at the election as if the candidates were applicants for a job, and asked, “Would you hire this person to run District 4?”
Taft-Vasquez’s final note to the voters was “just do your homework…. Understand what our background is, what we stand for.” She also mentioned her campaign takes no PAC money. “I am part of the community. I’m not here for the title. I am here to do a job.”
Candidate Dominguez reminded the voting pool of his experience. “I brought results in infrastructure, housing, public safety, [and] a balanced budget…. If you use the lens that my colleagues have talked about, you’re hiring someone. Would you want to hire someone who’s done the job successfully in the past?” Dominguez closes with his position as a community member. “I’m also here as a homeowner to protect the rights of homeowners. I want to help you if you need to get a permit, if you need to get development done…. So to me, it’s about how do I listen to the public?”
The final statement of the night was given to Wardlow. She vowed to “do everything to protect this community and really fight for our shared values.” Wardlow continued, “I know that I understand the policies, and I’m ready to hit the ground running. I’m really delivering results for our community. I promise to listen, I promise to answer every email, and every call…. and I promise to be a representative that is addressing the issues of our community and working together.”
It will be a hard choice for the residents of District 4 as well as a tight race for the candidates. All candidates are enthusiastic about making their community a better place, but will have different ideas and plans of execution. The election is Nov. 3, with ballot drop boxes opening on Oct. 6. Stay tuned for more election coverage.
