The seat for District 1 Santa Cruz City Council is up for grabs in this year’s elections.The district encompasses neighborhoods from Water Street to Highway 1 and from Highway 1 to Delaveaga Park.Gabriela Trigueiro and David Tannaci are the two candidates running for the seat.Trigueiro is the executive director for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Santa Cruz and serves on the City Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women.Tannaci works for the Santa Cruz Water Department. He’s also a biologist and negotiated a 12% pay increase over three years for a union with over 400 Santa Cruz City workers.Both are passionate when it comes to the issue of affordable housing.“We have an unprecedented amount of change that we’re going to see both downtown and at large, the city in general. So we want our voice at the table to make sure that the new units being built, address affordability first and foremost,” said Tannaci.“Affordable housing is at the top of everyone’s discussion,” said Trigueiro. “I’d like to see application fees for rentals be removed, I’d like to see a county-wide universal bilingual application for tenants to use when they’re applying.”Homelessness in the city of Santa Cruz is another issue that’s being addressed by the city. Trigueiro wants to add to those efforts.“Homelessness is a longitudinal issue for our community and we’ve seen some great efforts from the city in these past three years. I think there’s a lot more work to be done and I’m excited to contribute to that,” said Trigueiro.Tannaci says there needs to be long-term funding for the Homeless Response Program.“Step one, find long-term stable funding for that and expand on the great work that that outfit is doing. In the long term, we need to bring all the stakeholders to the table and find the ability to get a housing-first policy moving forward,” said Tannaci.As alternative transportation continues to evolve in the city, making the city safer for bicyclists is at the top of the minds of both.“The county is finishing the Soquel buffered bike lanes project, right there at Harbor High at La Fonda at the bottom of the hill in Soquel. It would be great for us to pick up that torch and continue that safe bicycling infrastructure all the way downtown to produce that thoroughfare. We are one of the most dangerous communities for cyclists within California,” said Tannaci.Trigueiro also has extensive experience in this area.“I actually built my master’s thesis around equitable fares for vulnerable communities in the Bay Area for the Bart system,” she explained. “How do we make safer bike lanes and those buffers, especially on school routes? Accessibility of parks. Linear parks that might be able to connect some of our standing parks already.”Trigueiro wants to focus on shedding light on more vulnerable communities.“I’m hoping to bring forward more vulnerable communities: youth, folks who live in town who may not be citizens and working families,” she said.Tannaci feels his background makes him the perfect candidate.“I have proven leadership experience, I have proven bridge-building experience,” said Tannaci. “I’m a perfect candidate because my background is directly tailored to the issues that we see present today.”
The seat for District 1 Santa Cruz City Council is up for grabs in this year’s elections.
The district encompasses neighborhoods from Water Street to Highway 1 and from Highway 1 to Delaveaga Park.
Gabriela Trigueiro and David Tannaci are the two candidates running for the seat.
Trigueiro is the executive director for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Santa Cruz and serves on the City Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women.
Tannaci works for the Santa Cruz Water Department. He’s also a biologist and negotiated a 12% pay increase over three years for a union with over 400 Santa Cruz City workers.
Both are passionate when it comes to the issue of affordable housing.
“We have an unprecedented amount of change that we’re going to see both downtown and at large, the city in general. So we want our voice at the table to make sure that the new units being built, address affordability first and foremost,” said Tannaci.
“Affordable housing is at the top of everyone’s discussion,” said Trigueiro. “I’d like to see application fees for rentals be removed, I’d like to see a county-wide universal bilingual application for tenants to use when they’re applying.”
Homelessness in the city of Santa Cruz is another issue that’s being addressed by the city. Trigueiro wants to add to those efforts.
“Homelessness is a longitudinal issue for our community and we’ve seen some great efforts from the city in these past three years. I think there’s a lot more work to be done and I’m excited to contribute to that,” said Trigueiro.
Tannaci says there needs to be long-term funding for the Homeless Response Program.
“Step one, find long-term stable funding for that and expand on the great work that that outfit is doing. In the long term, we need to bring all the stakeholders to the table and find the ability to get a housing-first policy moving forward,” said Tannaci.
As alternative transportation continues to evolve in the city, making the city safer for bicyclists is at the top of the minds of both.
“The county is finishing the Soquel buffered bike lanes project, right there at Harbor High at La Fonda at the bottom of the hill in Soquel. It would be great for us to pick up that torch and continue that safe bicycling infrastructure all the way downtown to produce that thoroughfare. We are one of the most dangerous communities for cyclists within California,” said Tannaci.
Trigueiro also has extensive experience in this area.
“I actually built my master’s thesis around equitable fares for vulnerable communities in the Bay Area for the Bart system,” she explained. “How do we make safer bike lanes and those buffers, especially on school routes? Accessibility of parks. Linear parks that might be able to connect some of our standing parks already.”
Trigueiro wants to focus on shedding light on more vulnerable communities.
“I’m hoping to bring forward more vulnerable communities: youth, folks who live in town who may not be citizens and working families,” she said.
Tannaci feels his background makes him the perfect candidate.
“I have proven leadership experience, I have proven bridge-building experience,” said Tannaci. “I’m a perfect candidate because my background is directly tailored to the issues that we see present today.”
