A standing-room-only crowd showed up Thursday as the two mayoral candidates plus four people running for two other seats on the Lompoc City Council discussed their ideas about a variety of topics. 

Incumbent James Mosby is being challenged by Councilman Jeremy Ball for the two-year term of Lompoc’s mayor.

For the council’s District 2 seat, incumbent Victor Vega is running against Sharlameigne Segovia, a housing site manager. Sarah Anne Read, a registered nurse, and Nick Gonzales, a business owner, are vying to represent District 3. 

The incumbent in that District 3 seat, Dirk Starbuck, decided against seeking another four-year term.

About 100 people listened for more than two hours as the forum covered various topics, including youth programs, public safety, economic development, immigration enforcement, the Allan Hancock College bond measure, revenue sources and more. 

One question asked the six candidates their thoughts about preserving prime farmland versus expanding housing, a topic debated for decades in Lompoc.

Ball said the city needs to look at all of the options, adding that Lompoc has plenty of infill opportunities — building on existing lots or converting empty buildings. He noted that the city’s multiple large lots have sat empty for decades beyond periodically hosting political signs for candidates supported by landowners.

“We need different housing options for young people, for single people — urban lofts. We need to reimagine our downtown,” he said. 

A limited housing inventory has sent rental rates higher, he added. 

“Just to imagine that we can blow up some farmland and put in some big mansions and just get the property tax is not the full answer to the challenge that Lompoc has,” Ball said, adding that city leaders must use their imagination.

Mosby said Lompoc needs to step up to move toward annexing land, known as the Bailey Avenue Corridor, west of the existing border. 

He repeated his common complaint — that Lompoc has been halted from annexation and growth while other cities, such as Santa Maria, Goleta and Santa Barbara, have been allowed to build on agricultural land. 

The corridor encompasses 200 acres of the 5,200 acres of agricultural land west of Lompoc, he said. 

“I’ve said many a time — broccoli’s not an endangered species, but a house that is affordable in Lompoc has become an endangered species,” Mosby said. 

Read said she believed the owners of farmland should be able to sell their properties if they choose.

“We do need more affordable housing here, but I don’t like the idea of just being surrounded by houses all around us either,” Read said. “We’re the City of Arts and Flowers. I think there needs to be an aspect of that that’s kept here as part of our community that keeps us together.”

Noting the pressure from the state to increase housing, Gonzales said that can lead to tall buildings, limited parking and small units.

“So, the community really has to ask itself, we can do some infill here to address the housing, but we also need to expand out somewhat into the farmland so that we have a balance,” said Gonzales, calling himself a housing provider. “That expansion is what’s going to drive an increase in the property tax base to generate the revenues that we need.”

During a discussion about road repairs that should be prioritized or postponed because of funding, Vega referenced state legislation that would allow cities to use solid waste funds to help pay for the street work. 

“I think being more frugal with the bids that we use for contracting out there could go a little bit longer way,” Vega said.

An evaluation of Lompoc’s roads puts their condition under the halfway mark on the pavement index scale, Vega said. 

“So, we’re looking for more money, of course, but it would take a tax measure to bring in enough, to be honest with you,” Vega said. 

Segovia said she wouldn’t delay any projects but contended that the community doesn’t want more taxes.

“One thing that I really am huge on is exploring other options,” Segovia said, noting the large companies “that are just using us.”

“I’m not saying that we have to demand anything, but we can simply have the conversation and say, ‘What can you guys do for us?’” she said, ticking off a few existing and future companies by name such as Chick-fil-A, Vallarta Supermarkets and SpaceX.

“We want to tax our people before we explore other options. It just doesn’t make any sense to me,” she added. 

Some questions were directed at all six candidates, while others aimed at the two running for mayor.

The Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch of the American Association of University Women organized the forum in conjunction with several other organizations.

A video recording of the forum, available by clicking here, also can be found on the City of Lompoc’s YouTube channel.