Santa Barbara City Councilwoman Iya Falcone has scheduled a Monday news conference to announce her campaign for mayor. Falcone will join fellow Councilwoman Helene Schneider as the only declared candidates in the November contest so far.
Falcone will make the announcement at 1:15 p.m. Monday in Storke Placita at De la Guerra Plaza.
In a statement released Sunday, Falcone cited her experience and emphasized the need for the city to “get back to basics” by prioritizing public safety, needed infrastructure improvements, and an environment in which a vibrant economy can flourish.
“As mayor I will ensure Santa Barbara remains safe, clean and economically viable,” she said in the statement. “Fixing our sidewalks and paving our streets, dealing with the gang crisis and graffiti removal may not be glamorous, but they are the heart of what a city must focus on to effectively serve its citizens.
“I will provide proven, experienced leadership as mayor.”
Falcone, an attorney and former crisis counselor, was first elected to the council in 2000. She received a bachelor’s degree in child development from Cal State Northridge, with a concentration in abnormal psychology. She earned her law degree from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento.
She has a daughter, Niki, as well as two step-sons, two granddaughters and two twin grandsons from her marriage to her late husband, Vincent Falcone, who died Oct. 6.
Write to wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com
