A political newcomer who grew up in Santa Maria, left for college and a career, only to return to his hometown, has tossed his hat in the ring for City Council.
Hector Sanchez, 53, said he plans to run for a 4-year seat on the City Council this fall.
The council has two seats up for grabs in November, with one incumbent, Terri Zuniga, announcing plans for another four years, and the second incumbent, Bob Orach, saying he is retiring from politics at the end of the current term.
Mayor Alice Patino also said she intends to seek another four-year term.
For more than 20 years, Sanchez worked in the software industry, including for startup firms in the San Francisco Bay Area for approximately six years.
“Part of my strategy is looking at bringing technology firms and really diversifying our economy here. We have to look at ways to expand the pie, so to speak,” said Sanchez, who will kick off his campaign this week.
Sanchez noted that city budgets forecast losses in the next two years.
“My concern is financially where we’re at and the direction we’re going in the city,” Sanchez said. “I’m running for City Council based on two aspects — one is job creation and the other one really is looking at a safe city.”
He is working with One Community Action, and has researched potential prevention and intervention programs, including ones in Richmond and Salinas, as models to potentially bring to Santa Maria.
The programs would help address youth violence and youth empowerment while getting federal funding.
“We need to move boldly to a new future,” he said during a June 21 council meeting in urging the city to provide $150,000 to support One Community Action’s goals.
He said his primary focus is on job creation, including recruiting technology firms to come to Santa Maria.
“But the other side of the coin is we have to have a safe city and a good place for them to land,” he said, noting Santa Maria already boasts plenty of affordable housing, a good airport and available commercial space.
“There’s a lot of good indicators here, but what’s not working is how we’re marketing the city and some of our economic development being done here,” he added.
He said he is well qualified since he is familiar with technology companies’ needs and what the city offers.
“We have a story to tell, and I think we need to market that and really push that story,” he said. “I certainly speak their language, so me speaking to those audiences will make a big difference as opposed to somebody who doesn’t.”
A Santa Maria native, Sanchez grew up as the oldest of three boys of Roberto and Maria Sanchez.
He attended Oakley Elementary School and St. Mary of the Assumption School before graduating from St. Joseph High School in 1981.
A stint at Allan Hancock College led to San Francisco State University, where he majored in international business.
Since returning to Santa Maria nearly four years ago, he has joined the family’s business, Sanchez Immigration and Tax Services.
Sanchez has two grown children, a son pursuing a master’s degree in engineering at USC, and a daughter working on her master’s degree in anesthesiology at Washington Hospital Center.
Even before the filing period opened, Sanchez has been on the campaign trail, including making a presentation to the Santa Maria Valley Democratic Club in the spring.
The filing period opened Monday and continues through Aug. 12.
In races in which an incumbent does not file for re-election, the nomination period will be extended to Aug. 17.
More information about running for Santa Maria City Council is available here.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.