Where I Stand on the Issues

By Roger S. Aceves

Here's a list of issues I think are important in this race and what I think about them. If you have any questions about something that is not here, please email me at rogeraceves@mac.com.

Goleta is still a young city with a great deal of budgetary priorities that have not been met. The city, however, was founded on a poorly managed deal with the County of Santa Barbara that let the County keep too much of the funds generated by our own businesses and residents which make up our city. When I was President of the Board for the 19th Agricultural District, I worked hard on keeping a realistic budget that both cut costs and raised revenues for Earl Warren Showgrounds. I intend to put the same skills to work in the City of Goleta in raising revenues and bringing our community's budget priorities into shape. I am interested in better maintaining our streets, expanding Parks and Recreation programs and revitalizing areas such as Old Town as my main budget priority. I am also interested in increasing our budget reserves as the $6 million reserve is too small for a city our size.

Law Enforcement

With my extensive experience in law enforcement, making Goleta the safest city in the county will be my primary goal. I'd like to achieve this by emphasizing a community-based approach to law enforcement in our city. I want to make sure that our streets and neighborhoods are safe by working closely with our police department and county sheriff. You can count on me to work with law enforcement to make sure they have the right tools to get their job done.

Managed Growth and Housing

I oppose rampant growth in the Goleta Valley and am committed to protecting agricultural areas, open space and the character of our neighborhoods. I oppose rampant growth in the Goleta Valley and am committed to protecting agricultural areas, open space and the character of our neighborhoods. I feel strongly that the City of Goleta does not have the infrastructure to handle unchecked growth and that it is far more important to improve the city's revenue streams and services to our residents. I also believe, however, that our council needs to do a better job at addressing housing needs and find ways to place low impact, mixed-use projects in appropriate locations. Telling the State of California that we will ask for a 55% inclusionary rate rather than the normal 25-30% that most cities require, for instance, is really just a way to keep any affordable to moderately priced units from being developed at all. Not everyone can afford to live on the South Coast and we by no means have an obligation to house everyone -- but we should be creating more affordable housing where appropriate and within limits.

Old Town Revitalization

Right now, when you ask someone where downtown Goleta is -- you will get several different answers. Rehabilitation of our Old Town should be one of our top priorities as a city. One of the ways we can make Old Town a destination is to create a "sense of place" through assertive leadership in finding redevelopment funds and creating incentives for land owners to upgrade their properties and create mixed-use buildings where our residents can live close to where they work.

Parks and Recreation

I'm interested in finding ways to create more recreational opportunities for our residents but most especially for our youth.

Regional Cooperation

I am looking forward to creating more regional cooperation with other cities, the school districts, the county and the state in finding ways to make Goleta an even better place to live.

Sidewalk and Streets Maintainance

This is an area where a great deal of improvement is needed and, as I speak with Goleta residents, I am finding is one of their top concerns. As a 24-year resident myself, I've experienced many years of inattention by the County of Santa Barbara to the public works needs of Goleta. All one has to do is walk through Old Town to see there is a lot of work to be done in this area. I don't feel that this issue has been adequately addressed by the present council and is something that I would concentrate on as a council member by lobbying heavily for any federal and state funds available for maintaining our streets.

Transparency and Participation

I believe City Council Members should not be acting as the city's planning commission and I am glad they have announced plans to create a Planning Commission this fall. I'll make sure that council and planning commission meetings are both televised and put on the internet in order to increase public participation. Council cannot truly be accountable if the public does not have multiple ways of seeing what they are doing.

Transportation

We need to promote alternative transportation to lessen traffic and this can start with making sure our council has a representative on the MTD Board of Directors like other cities in our area.

55 Percent Inclusionary Rule

I believe that our council needs to do a better job at addressing housing needs and find ways to place low impact, mixed-use projects in appropriate locations. "Testing" the resolve of the State of California's housing mandate invites a law suit that we can ill afford as a city. In creating a 55% inclusionary housing rule for new developments rather than the normal 25-30% that most cities require, I assert that this rule is really just a way to keep any affordable to moderately priced units from being developed at all.

I believe that 'testing' the State of California is not fiscally prudent in that Goleta will surely be sued by a state government that has many more lawyers and a lot more resources than our small city. It makes me question our council's commitment to affordable housing when the primary initiative they create will have a questionable success rate.