Here are Fresno City Council District 4 candidates. They talk police, housing and homeless
The only Fresno City Council race this year is for the District 4 seat representing central and eastern parts of the town.
Councilmember Paul Caprioglio has termed out and will leave office this year. The election has drawn opponents in Nathan Alonzo and Tyler Maxwell, either of whom will become the youngest on the council dais.
Alonzo, 27, grew up in Firebaugh after his parents immigrated from Mexico. The Fresno State graduate is the community relations director for the Caglia Family of Companies.
Maxwell, 28, earned his degree from UC Berkeley and is a staffer for Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza. Maxwell grew up in District 4.
The district stretches from Bullard and Blackstone avenues to the eastern edge of the city near Locan and Shields avenues. It includes both the Fresno State campus and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
Each candidate was asked to write responses to five questions from The Fresno Bee. Here are their answers:
The council has started looking at changing the general plan, allowing new home building mostly on the southern edges. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not?
Alonzo: “We must take a thoughtful and balanced approach to ensure that we are building enough market-rate, affordable housing, and infill projects, while staying competitive with other cities and counties. We will be smarter on where and how we build in order to maximize our potential housing stock and our infrastructural resources.”
Maxwell: “Before voting to expand housing stock, which would reduce the cost of housing, I would first need to see from the administration that there has been investment in our district. I will be looking for more officers patrolling our neighborhoods and freshly paved roads before extending our city limits.”
Mayor Lee Brand (or his successor) will be hiring another police chief soon. What do you want to see in the next chief, and should that person come from within or outside the Fresno Police Department?
Maxwell: “Our next chief of police needs to be someone who will prioritize community policing. I will advocate for a chief who leads the city with respect, not fear. I believe we have many qualified candidates from within Fresno PD who would make a great chief and already know the city.”
Alonzo: “This decision will be one of the most important taken by the next mayor of Fresno. The individual chosen must show an understanding and respect for all of Fresno, the diversity of our neighborhoods, and the need to proactively and sincerely engage with all of our residents. Fresno’s next chief must prioritize community policing and creative solutions to addressing crime.”
Homelessness is often called Fresno’s biggest issue. What can be done to solve it?
Alonzo: “Homelessness in Fresno is at crisis levels, with a 23% increase in the last calendar year. While housing options are needed, there are a significant number of homeless individuals that have serious mental illness and/or a substance use disorder. We need to explore options to compel treatment, and work with the county to leverage state funding to address this component of homelessness by providing outreach and services.”
Maxwell: “We need to invest more into homeless shelters and affordable housing, while also working to bring good-paying jobs to Fresno. Additionally, we need to look at increasing our Homeless Task Force with an emphasis on connecting homeless to the services they need.”
What’s a decision in recent years you think the council got wrong? Please explain.
Maxwell: “Measure G was a wrong decision that the voters saw through and rejected. The city of Fresno attempted to privatize our award-winning garbage service based on faulty information. We rejected Measure G, but the city of Fresno did not go bankrupt as the city government was claiming it would.”
Alonzo: “The distribution of Fresno’s infrastructure funding, and our allocation of state ‘gas tax’ dollars is an area in which we must improve. Our district is heavily traveled because of our retail, educational, and commercial amenities, yet we don’t receive adequate funding to repair our aged infrastructure. I’ll fight for our fair share.”
Why should voters pick you over your opponent?
Alonzo: “I love our district, my family and I are proud to call it home. We deserve a leader with the life and job experience, track record, and detailed approach that I bring to this race. I’ve proven throughout my career that I can work with leaders from all sides in order to create positive results for Fresno.”
Maxwell: “My opponent is the special interest candidate. He is spending a lot more money than me, given by those interests who want something in return. I am the grassroots candidate, I have been walking the neighborhoods, my campaign is funded by hard-working middle-class groups. We cannot let special interests buy this election.”
Mail-in voting for the March 3 primary election begins Monday, Feb. 3.
Two unopposed
Two other council terms are up this year but the seat-holders (Garry Bredefeld and Mike Karbassi) are unopposed. Bredefeld is finishing his first term; Karbassi won a special election in August to finish the term vacated when Steve Brandau won a seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 10:29 AM.
