What are the most effective approaches for Fullerton’s elected officials to take on fixing long-neglected roads, revamping a slumping municipal budget and building more affordable housing?
Those were some of the top questions residents asked seven city council candidates at a forum Monday night, hosted by the League of Women Voters.
Instead of a debate, the forum was run in a question-and-answer style – giving each candidate one minute to answer questions submitted by residents.
Residents asked about homelessness, housing, road repairs, increasing tax revenue and rent control – among other issues.
Monday’s debate comes after city staff projected Fullerton could be staring down the barrel of a $20 million budget gap in three years.
[Read How Can Fullerton Prevent a Projected $20 Million Spending Deficit in Three Years?]
While every candidate offered up different approaches to issues raised by residents, they all agreed on one thing: Fixing roads and increasing tax revenue.
“Everybody’s priorities are streets right now in Fullerton,” said Kitty Jaramillo, a retired city code enforcement officer running for the District 4 seat in the southwest part of town.
City Councilman Fred Jung, running for District 1 reelection in the northwest part of the city, said Fullerton’s aging infrastructure goes deeper than roads.
“We have water pipes that we dig up and are often made of clay,” Jung said at Monday’s forum.
Here’s where the seven candidates stand on some of the city’s most pressing issues.
District 1
Jung, current councilman and small businessman, is running against Matt Truxaw, an IT consultant.
Jung said his biggest priorities are the aging infrastructure, adding more police officers and increasing tax revenue.
“We have to enhance and mainstream and streamline the way we do things to make sure businesses come to Fullerton,” Jung said.
Truxaw said his biggest priority is getting “the voice of the people back in the government,” adding that council members too often side with campaign donors.
Residents also asked how the candidates view inclusionary housing ordinances – policies that mandate a certain percentage of housing developments be set aside for low-income housing.
“Quite frankly, there are other ways to incentivize property owners and developers who have invested millions upon millions of dollars to build these units,” Jung said. “Let them know there are state incentives … for density bonuses, where they can recoup some of that by having affordability at a high number.”
Truxaw also pushed back on mandating affordable housing.
“There’s never going to be enough supply naturally to meet all the demand,” Truxaw said. “I definitely think there should be incentives.”
Both candidates also said they were against rent control.
“I don’t think, generally speaking, rent control is a great idea,” Truxaw said.
“Rent control is not the answer,” Jung said.
When asked how to reverse the city’s finances and generate more tax revenue, Truxaw said city officials should consider expanding things like Walk on Wilshire – a closed section of Wilshire Avenue in downtown where people can dine and shop in the street that started during the pandemic.
Jung said the city should streamline business and building permit processes, which could attract new business.
District 2
Mayor Nick Dunlap is looking to keep the District 2 seat in the north part of town that encompasses Coyote Hills and Brea Dam Park.
He’s being challenged by former City Councilwoman Jan Flory, a retired family law attorney.
Dunlap said public safety and bringing in new businesses are among his top priorities.
“Got to fix our roads and streets. Got to grow our economy,” he said.
On top of roads, Flory said her biggest priority is fixing what she considers a disconnect between the current city council and residents.
“What I have witnessed over the Union Pacific trail issue is that the council was not listening to the public,” Flory said, also adding affordable housing is a top priority.
[Read: Fullerton’s Nature Trail Moves Forward After Resident Advocacy]
While she didn’t specifically say what her stance is on mandating affordable housing, Flory defended the affordable housing developments, noting she’s done volunteer work with one in recent years.
Dunlap said some recent studies have shown affordable housing mandates don’t work.
“I would not support these mandates,” Dunlap said.
[Read: Are Affordable Housing Mandates Working in Orange County?]
Both candidates said Fullerton shouldn’t adopt a rent control ordinance and noted California already has a statewide rent cap law.
When asked how they would increase tax revenue, Dunlap said the city should be more innovative and work with companies like Boeing, which could launch flying taxis ferrying people from Fullerton’s municipal airport to LAX.
“The reality is we got $2.5 billion in investments … taking place in our city right now,” Dunlap said.
Florey hinted at a sales tax increase, saying she saw recent polling that suggests favorable views on a sales tax increase, noting the city gets one cent of every sales tax dollar generated.
She also said corporations are abusing Prop 13, the landmark property tax law from 1978 that limits the tax rate to 1% of the property’s assessed value and restricts yearly increases to 2%.
“I think that it’s high time that Prop. 13 be looked at. I know that it is the third rail in politics,” Flory said.
District 4
Four candidates are running for Fullerton’s southwestern District 4 seat: Jaramillio, the retired city code enforcement officer; Linda Whitaker, who’s been a involved in local politics for years along with her husband, City Councilman Bruce Whitaker, who terms out this year; Jamie Valencia, a registered nurse and Scott Markowitz, who wasn’t there Monday night.
Valencia said some of her top priorities are infrastructure repair and economic development.
“We probably have to address our budget – we have to look at that,” she said during Monday’s forum.
Jaramillo said homelessness and redeveloping old commercial centers are among her top priorities.
“What are we going to do with all the vacant commercial buildings in the city?” she said.
Whitaker also said homelessness is among her top priorities.
“We need to address safety issues involved. We need to incorporate the oldest and newest methods in dealing with the homeless,” she said.
While the other candidates stood against mandating developers build certain levels of affordable housing, Jaramillo supported it.
“More of the same? No, that doesn’t help anything,” she said, adding “I don’t think it’s going to kill” the developers.
“We aren’t going to know if it can be done until we try it,” Jaramillo said.
Whitaker said she opposes it, adding the costs could shift onto the other people who buy or rent at the new housing developments.
“I’m not really inclined to force a business owner or a property owner – to mandate him – to say, ‘here you’re going to have to have this much affordable housing,’” Whitaker said.
Valencia also said she’s against inclusionary housing mandates.
“I feel developers are here to develop our city and make growth,” she said. “So I would like to work as a team to make sure we’re collaborating.”
Valencia and Whitaker explicitly opposed rent control, while Jaramillo said the city should focus on building more affordable housing.
When asked how they plan to increase revenue, Whitaker said “No new taxes.”
She added that officials need to examine how to best trim spending first, but said it shouldn’t be massive layoffs.
“We don’t mean to make people suffer,” Whitaker said, adding that closely examining spending is “just a matter of common sense.”
Valencia largely echoed what Jung said: streamline the permitting process and establish Fullerton as a business-friendly town.
Jaramillo hinted at supporting a sales tax increase if officials can’t increase revenue otherwise.
“It hurts me everytime I go into the city of La Habra or the City of Placentia because we were always ranked above,” Jaramillo said. “Now those two cities look better than our city and it’s because they put in half a cent or a cent tax. I know nobody wants that.”
Spencer Custodio is the civic editor. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio.
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