CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — After a controversial year for District Four in Chula Vista, the district will have a new city council member.
The options are the top two vote-getters from the March primary, Cesar Fernandez and Rudy Ramirez.
Ramirez is a former city councilman, first elected in 2006 and serving through 2014. He's also a retired small business owner, having owned a business on Main Street.
"I've lived in this district all of my life and went to this high school. I graduated from this high school, Castle Park High," says Ramirez.
Cesar Fernandez is a teacher and also a Chula Vista Elementary School District school board member.
"I’ve been teaching for 20-plus years. I currently run all the after-school programs for the secondary district. I'm a father, I'm a little league dad," says Fernandez.
Both say they are committed to restoring public trust. They are taking over for Andrea Cardenas, who resigned after she pleaded guilty in February to grand theft.
Ramirez says his top three priorities if elected are Harborside Park, ensuring the district gets the same attention as those in the east, and homelessness.
Fernandez says his top priorities are public safety, jobs, and community input and transparency.
When asked about homelessness, the pair had the following response.
"I do believe in a regional approach, but I believe that we need to make changes to the way that we're addressing homelessness. I believe in prevention intervention and, yes, enforcement," says Fernandez.
"We have to clean up our streets, we have to clean up the encampments, but we need to be able to take people places where they can get services, and they can get transitioned off of the street," says Ramirez.
Both are in favor of reopening Harborside Park and agree that there should be programs and activities for families to ensure the encampments, drug use, and other activities don’t return.
Both are excited about the Chula Vista Bayfront and the Gaylord Pacific, set to open by next Spring.
"There are going to be just a ton of jobs that are here on the bayfront, and so getting Chula Vistans to work in Chula Vista, if that’s what they chose, is going to be my priority,' says Fernandez.
Ramirez is also excited about the job creation but says there are things that need to be addressed, like ensuring people come into town to explore and spend money in Chula Vista.
"Certainly, traffic and, and how people, you know, the mobility factors, you know, that, that particular project has a, a business model where they like to capture their attendees," says Ramirez.
Both are confident and think they’re the best man for the job and are hopeful voters agree come November 5th.
