Three people are seeking a rare short term on the Santa Maria City Council, a two-year stint that occurred because of a resignation earlier this year.
The abrupt departure of Carlos Escobedo left a vacancy for District 1. The council appointed Ricardo “Richard” Batalla and set the stage for the seat to appear on Tuesday’s ballot.
Batalla was appointed from a field of five candidates and is seeking to be elected to the seat with two challengers: Celest Mendoza, a nonprofit manager, and Gary Janek Michaels, a small-business owner.
District 1 encompasses the northwest neighborhoods of Santa Maria, with an interactive map available by clicking here.
Appointed incumbent Batalla, 36, said he had followed city government before deciding to apply for the vacancy, so he knew he was walking into a mess.
“I pretty much took a leap of faith — give it an opportunity, see if I can help out, be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” he said, adding that he soon discovered he had walked into an even bigger mess than expected.
Not surprisingly, he cited controlling the city’s financial spending as a key concern.
He said that when he learned the department heads met only quarterly, it was “a big red flag,” contending that “you can mess up a budget real quick. … I moved it from quarterly to monthly.”
“So, now the department heads meet monthly, and I participate in those meetings to ensure there’s transparency and we’re not spending money that we don’t have,” Batalla said.
He also ticked off public safety staffing and infrastructure among other top concerns, noting that he represents the oldest area of the city.
He said he has been working to restrict parking for tractor-trailer rigs and recreational vehicles, and pushing for the city to implement painting curbs red at problem intersections where parked vehicles impede firefighter vehicles.
Batalla, a 2009 graduate of Pioneer Valley High School, works as the youth development director at the Santa Maria Valley YMCA. He previously worked as a special-education teacher and for the U.S. Postal Service.
A lifelong resident of District 1, Mendoza, 27, works as a nonprofit program manager with Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. She has been employed by Goodwill for five years.
She said she decided to run for a City Council seat for a number of reasons, including a belief that the city deserves a fresh perspective for both her peers and future generations.
“I’m enjoying every bit of it, and it’s a learning experience,” she said.
Her campaign platform includes creating more affordable housing, with Mendoza adding that she supports rent stabilization.
She also said she wants to see more collaboration between city government and the nonprofit community plus other sectors to provide services to residents.
“I think it just boils down to having that collaborative mindset,” she said.
Mendoza also wants to focus on accountability when it comes to the city’s finances, adding that her public administration classes mentioned going line item by line item and engaging departments in the discussions.
“I’m not sure if that’s currently done. If it is, cool. How can we make it better? Having measurable milestones, whatever that might look like,” she said.
The 2017 Pioneer Valley High School graduate went on to UC Santa Barbara. She now is working on a master’s degree focused on nonprofit management.
Michaels, 70, is self-employed in the telecommunications industry and arrived in Santa Maria in 2005.
A few months ago, he was among the candidates who applied to fill the seat after Escobedo’s resignation.
“I really believe the city is financially deteriorating. I don’t know that most people fully understand how deep a crisis it is,” Michaels said, adding that he has noticed fewer police patrols and other cutbacks.
He contended that the federal funds given to government agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic went to salary raises that the city must still give.
“The city needs to reinvent itself, and it has to be done immediately,” he said, adding that the city uses a 20th century approach.
Michaels said the city leaders should protect and expand the local housing infrastructure.
He also called for the city to recruit agriculture technology firms to bring high-paying jobs to the community.
“We’re just missing opportunities,” Michaels said.
He also claimed the city has neglected the tourism industry since room rates in Santa Maria sit below many neighboring cities.
It is not Michaels’ first foray into politics. In 2022, he lost the primary for an Assembly seat representing the Coachella Valley in Riverside County and the High Desert in San Bernardino County.
In 2020, he faced off with Monique Limón for the California Senate seat representing the Central Coast. In 2018, he sought a seat on the Santa Maria-Bonita School District board.
Santa Maria City Council Elections
In addition to District 1, two other council seats are on the ballot this year. Only registered voters in each district cast ballots for the races in the individual districts.
For District 3, incumbent Gloria Soto is seeking a third four-year term with political newcomer Corby Poulis Sr., a small-business owner, challenging her re-election bid.
Two candidates are running for the District 4 seat: Vincent Martinez, an attorney and Santa Barbara County Planning Commission member, and Tyler Barksdale, a military retiree.
Incumbent Maribel Aguilera-Hernandez did not seek another term and instead is running against Ricardo Valencia to represent the Fifth District on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.
The winners of the three Santa Maria City Council races will join Mayor Alice Patino and District 2 Councilwoman Gloria Flores, with the new terms starting in December.
While Santa Maria has been carved into four districts, the role of mayor, a four-year term, remains an at-large position, meaning voters across the city vote for that position.
Read more about the candidates and issues on the ballot in the Noozhawk Voter Guide.
