All candidates running for elected office in Chula Vista this November expressed their vision for Chula Vista at a candidate forum hosted recently by the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce.
Mayoral candidates Mary Casillas Salas and Hector Gastelum kicked things off explaining how they would improve the second largest city in the county.
Casillas Salas, the incumbent, said the city has improved under her leadership and she is the better choice to keep that improvement going.
Gastelum, a director for the Otay Water District, vowed to put Chula Vista taxpayers first and run a city not beholden to special interests. He said he would hire more police officers to combat illegal drug activity
He also proposed putting a substation in eastern Chula Vista. His last solution was to harshly go after marijuana dispensaries.
“I’m against marijuana,” he said. “I am in favor of putting the stiffest fines, a $100,000 fine, to illegal marijuana dispensaries.”
Casillas Salas highlighted the city’s efforts in already punishing all liquor and drug stores that sell alcohol and tobacco to minors. She said the city fines operators who illegally sell these products to minors.
After the mayor’s forum, District 1 and District 2 candidates explained how they would improve their districts and the city at large.
One of the questions was about how committed each candidate is to working with the business community to ensure the bayfront project does not become an island of its own and not benefit business around the Broadway corridor.
District 1 candidate Mark Bartlett said community members should be involved in giving input on how the bayfront should work.
Incumbent John McCann said he supports the bayfront and that it would serve as its own version of Seaport Village. He said with the bayfront, property value is expected to increase.
City attorney candidates Glen Googins and Andrew Deddeh where the last ones to address voters at the forum.
One of the questions that was asked of them was whether or not they supported the rule of law when it comes to stealing campaign signs.
Both Googins and Deddeh were in agreement that the rule of law has to be followed, but both offered their own perspective.
Googins said enforcing the rule of law is a more complicated issue than what is perceived.
He said there are some rights that must be followed when it comes to campaign sign stealing.
“It’s been a real challenge for us to balance first amendment rights,” Googins said.
Deddeh said campaign signs are part of the political process and just like with anything else in the city, the rule of law must be followed.
