Sam Ramirez
A little more than a year ago, James Kyriaco nominated Goleta resident Sam Ramirez to serve on the city Planning Commission.
On Monday, Ramirez announced that he would be challenging Kyriaco for his Goleta City Council seat.
Ramirez, an administrative analyst for the city of Santa Barbara, will try to unseat the man who helped him, in a high-stakes battle for the District 2 council seat.
“Goleta is a beautiful community with limitless potential, but the same problems have plagued us for more than a decade,” Ramirez said. “It’s time for solutions. I am excited about sharing my vision of local government with the residents of the Second District. COVID-19 has taught us there is always a need for leadership at all levels of government.”
In a press release, Ramirez said he has been a strong advocate for affordable housing solutions, safe streets, and local businesses, and that he looks forward to continuing this work on the City Council.
He said “it’s time for a new vision in Goleta.”
“We have so much to be proud of in our district, but still work to do when it comes to housing costs, traffic, addressing homelessness, supporting our local businesses, and public safety,” Ramirez said. “We need leadership that listens, we need leadership that acts, and we need leadership with a clear vision for the future. That time is now.”
Goleta is moving to district elections this November. District 2 includes Old Town Goleta, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, the Goleta Community Center, the Cabrillo Business Park, and the Goleta Post Office.
Ramirez is a senior analyst in Santa Barbara’s Human Resources Department. At the age of 24, he previously was elected to two terms on the Delano City Council. He has a bachelor’s degree in government from Cal State, Sacramento.
Also on the November ballot, Goleta Union School Board member Luz Reyes Martin will challenge incumbent Roger Aceves, who has been in office since 2006.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
