Marina candidates in the race for the District 4 seat talk housing and Measure Q.

Three candidates are vying for the District 4 seat on the Marina City Council in November.

District 4, which covers the southern end of Marina and the new development in and around the Dunes, will have a new face, as incumbent Liesbeth Visscher is running for mayor in a race against Mike Moeller and Ana Luz Acevedo-Cabrera. As the representative for the fastest-growing area of the city, the new councilmember will have to navigate the growing pains that come with it, while also ensuring the rest of the city keeps pace.

Voters in the district will choose between Athena Burciaga, Brad Imamura and Mike Simmons.

Burciaga, a computer science major at CSU Monterey Bay, is the co-chair of the Central Coast Democratic Socialists of America. She is involved with the Rainbow Raft Pride Center at CSUMB, and has worked with the city and county officials to draft resolutions in support of LGBTQ+ residents, including Transgender Day of Visibility in Marina.

Burciaga says it is through efforts such as these that have allowed her to interact with members of the community and learn what the needs are.

With housing, “I haven’t met one Marina resident who can afford these new homes being built,” she says. The City needs to work with CSUMB to develop “missing middle” housing for young adults and working families, while also continuing capping the rent increases on the City-owned Preston Park and Abrams Park developments.

Burciaga says she is a “hard no” on Measure Q, the 7-percent utility users tax on the November ballot.

“We can’t balance the budget on the back of working class folks in Marina,” she says.

Imamura is a director on the Marina Coast Water District Board who has spent his career in public service, including with the City of San Jose and Santa Clara Valley Water District.

Water security, housing and commercial development are some of the top issues why Imamura says he is running for council.

Imamura says there is “no such thing as affordable housing” in Marina—“It’s expensive.” Instead, it should be categorized as “subsidized” housing while the City pursues homes that the general public can actually afford, according to Imamura, such as exploring more high-density developments.

While he agrees Marina is in need of upgraded public facilities, Imamura says he is opposed to Measure Q, adding that there is no guarantee in the measure’s language it will be used for that new infrastructure.

“We already have issues with affordability,” he says. “I understand that we have some infrastructure needs. I’m really pro-smart development to get more commercial and retail in Marina to help our tax base and get them to partner and remodel this infrastructure.”

Simmons, who currently sits on the Marina Planning Commission, has worked in retail for 30 years, managing budgets and teams. Before moving to Marina, Simmons served on other committees, including the Contra Costa County Civil Grand Jury.

That time in government and business gives him the leadership experience that carries over into public service, he says.

Simmons says Marina has done a good job with affordable housing and crafting regulations for accessory dwelling units. The City is also in the midst of updating its short-term rental ordinance, which Simmons says can be a “good thing if they’re managed properly.” But “we still have a long ways to go,” he notes, saying the City needs to have a focus on workforce housing.

Measure Q needs to pass to provide updated facilities to serve residents, Simmons says.

“I don’t see any other alternative,” he says. “If the UUT passes, I’m dedicated to making sure those funds are used for the building of the facilities and that’s it. If we can lower that percentage, we should do so.”

In District 1, incumbent Brian McCarthy is running unopposed. First elected in 2022, McCarthy said he will continue to be publicly accessible and research issues to make decisions that are best for Marina residents.