Salinas at a Crossroads Young Voices interviews Chris Barrera, Candidate for Salinas Mayor

YOUNG VOICES |

Editor’s Note: This November, Salinas voters will elect council members in four districts and the next mayor. With five seats at stake, the council’s make up could change dramatically.

In an effort to keep Salinas voters informed,  Young Voices correspondent Isaac Díaz González has sent the same questionnaire to all the Salinas city council and Mayoral candidates. Voices of Monterey Bay will be publishing the responses as the candidates respond.

By Isaac Díaz González

CHRIS BARRERA, BUSINESSMAN

VOICES: What is your position regarding the renters protection recently approved by a majority of the city council? Will you support a process to enforce them or will you advocate to repeal them?

My position regarding the renters protection recently voted by the Salinas City Council is I am in favor of it. I am a real estate agent / business owner, and I see first-hand the need of some kind of renter protection. I will support a process to enforce. The Salinas City Council will review in one year to see the progress, if any, and maybe adjust either way. 

VOICES: According to the U.S Census, nearly 48,000 children lived in Salinas as of 2020 — almost 30 percent of the city’s population of 163,542. Salinas is younger than other cities in California, as its proportion of youth is higher by 8 percentage points. What projects can be offered so children and youth can thrive and feel they belong in the city?

Knowing that Salinas has such a high percentage of youth living here, I will be creating a youth committee to bring them to the table and ask them what their dream of a better Salinas looks like. As the mayor of Salinas, I will be visiting all schools and engaging with the youth so they can feel like they matter, and they can make a difference. I want to be a part of their educational journey. City-wide STEM program, reading to children, so they are prepared by the 3rd grade. Engaging with all the programs already in place and being a positive role model. The youth are our future leaders, and we must invest in them. We must do our best to make sure our children do not fall through the cracks.

VOICES: Is the city doing enough to build housing? What would be the solution to support people who don’t have stable housing?

No, the city is not doing enough to build housing. The city could increase the percentage of low-income required [housing].

VOICES: Business owners have been complaining about the permit process, arguing that it takes too long to open a business. The challenge has been pinpointed to a lack of employees. What can be done to recruit more city employees? What is your plan to recruit more people to work for the city?

I know first-hand the frustration business owners have with the city, Permit and Planning Department and Code Enforcement, as I receive a lot of these complaints and calls. Many future business owners give up and go elsewhere to open their businesses. They are asked to jump through many obstacles. The city prolongs the process and many times when one thinks it’s complete, there are more hoops to conquer, all of which are very frustrating. 

One of the challenges is lack of employees, so one of the answers is to advertise as soon as there is an opening on all recruiting platforms and not wait to outsource all of these positions, hire from within, and have the ability to take lateral positions within the city and make our current employees feel appreciated and wanted. My plan is to make Salinas a favorable destination for businesses and all looking for a job where they can make a difference, feel good about themselves, and know that they will be treated right. 

VOICES: In which areas could the city work together with schools to improve services? How can they work together to improve student safety?

 As the mayor of Salinas, I will work hand-in-hand with all school districts, superintendents and school boards. We must be very involved with after-school programs, reading and STEM programs, open school facilities for the youth to use the fields and be present as a role model from the mayor’s office. Student safety? Before and after school, [have] enforcement present for traffic safety, children crossing the street, speeders, and loitering. 

VOICES: What is the most important contribution that the immigrant population makes to the city of Salinas in particular and the Salinas Valley in general?

The most important contribution, I would say, is their contribution to society. Good neighbors, hard-working people, law-abiding citizens. 

For more information on Chris Barrera, visit https://chrisforsalinas.com/

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About Isaac González Díaz

Isaac Alberto González Díaz graduated in 2023 from North Salinas High School and is now attending Hartnell College. He plans to transfer to a four-year university to pursue a degree in journalism. He enjoys photography, building Legos, listening to music, reading, and taking walks around his neighborhood.