Election 2018: Yorba Linda City Council candidates share their priorities and thoughts on local issues

Voters will go to the polls Nov. 6 to pick who will represent them on the City Council.

Ahead of the election, all candidates were invited to share information about themselves and answer questions about their priorities and local concerns for this voter guide. In each city, all were asked the same questions and given the same word count for their answers.

In Yorba Linda, three are vying for two seats on the City Council.

The candidates

Lourdes Cruz, 34, contract management for the county of Orange (LourdesCruz.org)

Peggy Huang, 48, deputy attorney general for the state of California (peggyhuang.com)

Carlos Rodriguez, 47, CEO (rodriguez4yl.net)

Question 1: What are your top two priorities if elected?

Lourdes Cruz: The city should be better positioned when it comes to handling emergency preparedness and natural disasters. My No. 1 priority will be to ensure that we have a full-time emergency response director and that our emergency services are properly funded. As well as, it is important that we maintain Yorba Linda’s heritage of being a tight-knit community with a small-town character and I will work hard to protect our great parks, keep our businesses thriving, and strengthen services for all residents.

Peggy Huang: 1) Ensure that our new library breaks ground this fall. 2) Improve Yorba Linda’s roads, parks, and water.

Carlos Rodriguez: I will only vote for city budgets that are balanced, in order to ensure accountability and prevent overspending. I will work to ensure that the city is business-friendly to attract new jobs and businesses by cutting red tape, bureaucracy and delays to provide quality service.

Question 2: How should the city balance paying off debts, such as pension liabilities, and building reserves with meeting residents’ needs? Should it involve finding new revenue or trimming the budget?

Lourdes Cruz: It is important for the city of Yorba Linda to attract new revenue streams in order to properly fund programming, as well as maintain benefits and pay in line with the rising costs of living. As your City Council member, I will make sure to direct staff to do an analysis of our city expenditures and ensure that we are allocating enough of our resources to necessary city services, while also balancing our budget and trimming the budget where needed.

Peggy Huang: Our budget in Yorba Linda is extremely well managed. We do not currently face problems with paying off debts. If this were to become a problem in the future, I would emphasize trimming the budget.

Carlos Rodriguez: I will work to attract more businesses to expand the city’s revenue streams, in order to pay off debts and invest in quality-of-life priorities such as police patrols and crime fighting programs.

Question 3: What should the city’s role be in encouraging the development of low-income housing units? Would you support a mandate or an incentive of some kind?

Lourdes Cruz: It is important for the city of Yorba Linda to attract new revenue streams in order to properly fund programming as well as maintain benefits and pay in line with the rising costs of living. As your City Council member, I will make sure to direct staff to do an analysis of our city expenditures and ensure that we are allocating enough of our resources to necessary city services while also balancing our budget and trimming the budget where needed.

Peggy Huang: I’ve supported development projects that balance property rights and blend with the surrounding communities. I refuse to support pre-annexation agreements that include eminent domain to benefit a developer. It would not be in the best interest of Yorba Linda to support a mandate of low-income housing units.

Carlos Rodriguez: No written response provided.

Question 4: Communities across the state are grappling with rising pension and other post-employment benefit costs. What do you think needs to be done to deal with this problem?

Lourdes Cruz: I believe one way of dealing with this problem is by establishing a city-fund trust to help with post-employment benefit costs. Public sector workers contribute every day to the city of Yorba Linda, and I believe the council should continue to support them even after they have retired. As your City Council member, I will have an open-door policy with constituents and hold community-meetings to engage all residents, listen to their concerns and help provide solutions.

Peggy Huang: We need to reform the pension system in California. The system that we have in place right now is not sustainable. By focusing on defined contribution plans, we can start the process of reforming the rising costs we face. Cities should consider trust accounts where they set aside surpluses.

Carlos Rodriguez: No written response provided.

Question 5: On the ballot this November, voters will be asked to decide on whether to repeal the recently enacted increase to the state gas tax. What is your position on the gas tax?

Lourdes Cruz: The tax has provided jobs for California and we cannot deny that California’s roads needs improvement. I support necessary infrastructure investment. The city of Yorba Linda is estimated to receive $1,548,000 in state funds for road repairs, which should be used wisely and efficiently for the residents of Yorba Linda.

Peggy Huang: I am opposed to the gas tax. We are overtaxed in California and it seems like a focus should be on cutting wasteful spending in Sacramento to come up with more funding to fix roads.

Carlos Rodriguez: I support the repeal of the Gas Tax. California state taxes are already among the highest in the nation.

Question 6: The high cost of housing in California has spurred increased interest in rent control. On the ballot this November is Proposition 10, which would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act. What are your thoughts on rent control?

Lourdes Cruz: I do not think local jurisdictions should implement rent control. Instead, I think we need to look for sustainable solutions. One example is concentrating on housing affordability, and programs for first-time buyers. The city of Yorba Linda has the Mortgage Assistance Program to assist low- and moderate-income households in purchasing a home in Yorba Linda. As a City Councilwoman, I will continue to support programs that invest in working families, so they are not priced out of homes.

Peggy Huang: I am not in favor of rent control and believe that we should let the market dictate pricing. Rent control also creates a problem because landlords cannot necessarily make repairs to buildings due to a lack of capital.

Carlos Rodriguez: I oppose rent control, as it has resulted in the opposite effect of what is was meant to control. It has historically resulted in reduced housing supply and has increased rent in the long term.

Question 7: Proposition 64 authorizes the legalization of marijuana, while granting local jurisdictions the authority to approve or deny certain marijuana-related businesses. What are your thoughts on marijuana legalization to date and what do you think of your own community’s policies on marijuana?

Lourdes Cruz: I support Proposition 64 and believe that the city of Yorba Linda can benefit from taxes that can be collected from potential businesses while regulating the sales. 44 percent of the voters voted yes on Proposition 64. Whether we are against or in favor of the legalization of marijuana, residents are using and will continue to use marijuana. As a city, we can be smart and regulate these types of businesses legally and benefit from tax revenues.

Peggy Huang: I am opposed to legalization and am in full support of the Yorba Linda ban on marijuana.

Carlos Rodriguez: No written response provided.

Question 8: Senate Bill 54 limits the role of state and local law enforcement in enforcing federal immigration laws. The law has drawn legal challenges from some localities which want the flexibility to work with the federal government. What do you think of SB54?

Lourdes Cruz: The California Value Act will help ensure that victims of human trafficking, domestic abuse, and other serious crimes feel comfortable reporting their experiences to the police rather than keeping them secret and letting the perpetrators walk free. I support SB 54 because we need to focus our resources on the most dangerous criminals, not just any and all undocumented immigrants who in many cases are victims of crime themselves.

Peggy Huang: I cannot answer this question due to my employment and the State of California pending lawsuit.

Carlos Rodriguez: I oppose SB 54. Local law enforcement should be granted the flexibility to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to prevent someone with a criminal record from returning to our neighborhoods.