On Tuesday, May 21, Salinas City Clerk Patricia Barajas announced the rules by which 11 candidates would make their pitch to be appointed to fill a vacancy on council. They would be seated in a conference room with no devices then, in a randomly selected order, each would be escorted into the council chamber, where they would have 10 minutes to answer questions related to the city’s budget, role of council and more.
Each of the 11 were seeking to be appointed to represent District 3, vacated by former councilmember Steve McShane, who resigned May 10 after 14 years on council.
The applicants included people with a range of professional and volunteer credentials. Among them were Cary Swensen, an educator and small business owner who ran unsuccessfully against McShane in 2022; Joel Panzer, a land-use planner and vice president of the Oldtown Salinas Foundation and a longtime community volunteer who also ran in the past for District 3; Jesus Valenzuela, who works as community engagement manager for the City of Soledad; Angela McNulty, a rotarian who recently retired after a 37-year career as a prosecutor; and financial adviser Albert Fong, who has served for 10 years on the city’s Library and Community Services Commission. (You can read all 11 applications on the City's website or in the PDF attached below.)
When it came time to make an appointment, current councilmembers expressed thanks to all of the applicants for stepping up. “I commend all of you,” Councilmember Tony Barrera said.
Several Salinas residents, including voters from District 3, spoke to support to different candidates. Many expressed support for Swensen, Panzer, Valenzuela and Juan Chavez, an elementary school teacher.
Citing those public comments, Councilmember Anthony Rocha made a motion to appoint Swensen, which failed on a 2-4 vote. Andrew Sandoval followed with a motion to appoint McNulty, but Rocha’s next motion, to appoint Valenzuela, passed 5-1 (with Mayor Kimbley Craig dissenting).
Valenzuela has experience both as a city employee in Soledad and as a community organizer. He has worked with United Farm Workers and Building Healthy Communities. Staff retention and community engagement are priorities he cited, with a specific intention to create a civic academy for residents to learn how to participate in government.
Valenzuela will be sworn in on June 11.
The appointment is temporary and District 3 will be up for election in November for the remainder of McShane's term for two more years. That is the result of an April 23 decision by City Council to pursue a temporary appointment.
The price tag for this special election in November 2024, thanks to consolidating with the presidential election, is between $102,000 to $146,000.
(1) comment
Salinas is drowning in deficits, and Valenzuela’s focus on staff retention misses the mark. The city’s roads are in dire need of repair, and fiscal accountability should be a top priority. Valenzuela’s background in Soledad and community organizations doesn't translate to effective governance. Salinas needs practical solutions, not bureaucratic distractions. Staff retention sounds nice, but without fiduciary responsibility and infrastructure repair, it’s a hollow promise. Valenzuela’s priorities seem disconnected from the city's real needs.
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