Jose Santibanez, Greenfield City Council - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

Jose Santibanez, Greenfield City Council

Party/Affiliation: n/a
Current Job: Behavioral Specialist

Top 3 Priorities if Elected:

CAREFUL SPENDING OF TAXPAYER MONEY

Because of the difficult economic times we're facing, the city can't always finance projects to the extent that we would like to.  As elected officials, I believe it's our job to balance two important priorities: adequately funding our city services so that residents remain safe, and being good stewards of tax payer money. That being said, I would like our city to think more progressively and be open to new ideas that are beneficial to our citizens. Recently, considerable cut-backs in resources for small towns have risen to accommodate the increasing economic distress that the state of California is facing.   In this time of financial difficulty, it is apparent to me that our city's elected officials must take whatever possible action necessary to recover from this and contribute to our city's loses.  If I am elected to The Greenfield City Council, I will voluntarily take a cut in my stipend and would challenge all other council members and the Mayor to take the same cut across the board.  Cutting our stipend by 50% would save the city $11,550.00 annually.  Cutting the stipend altogether would save the city $23,100.00 annually.  

SAFETY FOR OUR FAMILIES 

The implementation of the shared police chief between Soledad and Greenfield and The Gang Task Force throughout the county has united law enforcement departments and has been valuable in solving crimes. Shared services are a new and modern way of thinking and people can be apprehensive about change. However, I believe that if it saves the city money while providing services that we need, it is definitely worth exploring future joint endeavors. I'd like to see anti-gang efforts expanded even further. Safe streets in Greenfield should be our top priority.  The whole Salinas Valley suffers from gang violence and we have to be committed to funding public safety measures, meaning officers and related task forces, to rid this element from our neighborhoods. The police department's staffing level is inadequate and needs to be increased right away.

ECONOMIC GROWTH 

My priority is to create a safe and beautiful environment for our citizens. With safety and security, business will grow;  and with that growth, jobs will grow and city revenues will be increased. As it is extremely important to help and support existing businesses grow, I would also support new economic development.  I believe our future will be bright if we set our sights in motion down a path of progression; leading towards success for our businesses, increased economic growth, and community pride.