EDITORIAL – In Madera County the ballots are in the hands of the voters and our month long “Election Day” has begun. For the next four weeks voters will select a new Governor and pick who will represent them in the United States Senate and Congress, State Senate and Assembly, School Boards and City Councils. We will also be selecting a new Madera County District Attorney.
In the following few paragraphs we will be sharing our recommendations for the local city council races. These are only our opinions based on past experience, candidate’s performances at public debates and public statements. We recommend that every voter take the time to research each candidate and the issues on their own; then form their own opinions.
While only one third of the citizens eligible to vote in Madera County are registered, what this county needs other than more registered voters is a more informed electorate who takes the time to learn the issues and select the most qualified candidates. Voting is the most important job citizens have in our community. So if you are not registered, REGISTER. If you do not know the issues, LEARN THEM. Attend a city council or school board meeting. And most important if you don’t vote – DON’T COMPLAIN.
MADERA CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
In the race for Madera City Council District 1, Cece Gallegos is defending her seat on the council which she has held for nearly two years since the resignation of former council member Sally Bomprezzi. Her challenger is a newcomer to politics, wine and spirits sales representative Steve Salter.
Gallegos is an elementary teacher for the Madera Unified School District; she has also served several years on the executive committee of the Madera Unified Teachers Association. Salter is a graduate of the City of Madera Citizen Academy but has not served on any local board or commission.
While BVN has not always agreed with Gallegos, we respect the voice she provides for the council. What Madera needs is a variety of voices from all areas of our community with different ideas coming together in the council chambers to work for the betterment of our community. We need a council member that will question staff and demand the best from them.
We believe that Cece has the best interest of all Maderan’s at heart and not just her district. This is why we recommend a vote to retain Cece Gallegos on the city council for the next four years.
As for Mr. Salter, we applaud his willingness to step up and work to better the community. For that reason we have recommended to Councilmember Gallegos that the council might find a place in the city for this newcomer to serve. The city has several commission and board positions which would allow Mr. Salter to participate in a meaningful way while also gaining the experience that would prepare him for another political run in the future. Perhaps a run for a county or district school board position?
MADERA CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3
Madera City Councilmember Will Oliver is facing his first challenge for his seat on the Madera City Council. Oliver ran unopposed in 2014 and was appointed to his first term, as were all other members of the Madera city council other than Gallegos and Jose Rodriguez. His opponent is former Madera Redevelopment Agency staff member Steven Montes.
Will attended the Sid Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno (CSUF) where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He is currently employed by the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) as the Director of Business Services where he leads a team committed to providing advocacy, outreach, and support services to area businesses to foster job retention and business expansion. With the experience Will has gained through his job with the Fresno County EDC, he is applying to the work he is doing to improve conditions in the City of Madera on the City Council.
Steve Montes is currently employed as a Senior Community Revitalization Specialist with the City of Fresno. Previously, Steve was a Neighborhood Preservation Specialist for the City of Madera. During that time, he accomplished the writing and presentation of the City of Madera Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program Ordinance.
However, during this campaign Montes has taken a large donation from a shady Bakersfield home developer with a one-star review on Yelp who was accused of bilking a disabled home buyer out of a large deposit. Montes is also heavily supported by factions in this city that for the last year have been trying to cause irreparable harm to the City of Madera, due to their disagreement with the council over a proposed liquor store near the Madera High School campus that the council struck down.
Because of his vast resume of work in local government for both the city of Madera and Fresno County Economic Development Corporation, Big Valley News overwhelming endorses Will Oliver for a second term on the Madera City Council.
MADERA CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 5
Like Oliver, Charles Rigby is another city councilmember that has not faced an opponent for the position he holds. In 2014 he ran unopposed and as such was appointed in Lieu of Election to the council. This year Rigby is facing one of the founders of the ‘Madera Votes’ movement and a community organizer for the AFL-CIO, Santos Garcia. In real life, Rigby is a youth pastor at Valley West Christian Center where he has served for the last 12 years.
As a city councilmember Rigby has co-authored an incentive program to cut through the red tape to bring new businesses into the Downtown Madera area. He is also working towards bring two new affordable housing projects for Veterans and Madera families also into Downtown Madera.
On the other hand Garcia represents a segment of the public that has not been represented on the city council for several years, the blue collar workers. Garcia, a former United States Postal Worker, now works for the Central Labor Council defending the rights of labor throughout the valley. His insight will be advantageous in negotiating with the different employee bargaining units within the city.
As one of the founders of the Madera Votes movement, Santos has been instrumental in voter registration campaigns and organizing a segment of the community that has avoided involvement in local government, young adults and the youth of Madera. He has helped energize a movement to bring people into the political process. These folks are the future of our city and its time to welcome them, educate them on the process of democracy and respect their voices and contributions.
It is because of Santos ability to fire-up the citizens to get involved, his work in labor and how he represents a voice that has been missing on the council since former Councilmember Sam Armentrout passed away that BVN endorses Santos Garcia to the Madera City Council District 5.
These are only the opinions of Big Valley News on what we feel is best for the Madera City Council. You should certainly do your own research on each of these candidates. Don’t just rely on the opinions of BVN or the Madera Tribune (lots of factual mistakes in their editorial).
Attend a city council or school board meeting. Talk to your representatives. Ask them questions. The websites for both the city and MUSD have the email addresses for all of your representatives. Voter education is a good thing. A well informed voter can only help in the success of our community no matter how they vote.
We will also be sharing our opinions on the Madera County District Attorneys and the Madera Unified School Board races as well as the Measure M Bond Initiative to support school facilities throughout Madera Unified in the next few days.