Steve DeBrum, Sonny Dhaliwal and Angel Sepulveda are in the running for San Joaquin County Board of Supervisor District 3.
Since the announcement of their candidacy several months ago, they've developed respect for one another although they may agree to disagree.
Sepulveda called that “refreshing.”
She indicated this during her closing statement at Monday evening's forum hosted by the League of Women’s Voters held in Delta College’s Dawn Mabalon Forum.
DeBrum and Dhaliwal, of course, have known each other for the better part of the past two decades thanks in part to their involvement as elected leaders in Manteca and Lathrop, respectively.
The three are seeking the District 3 seat on the Board of Supervisors that includes Manteca, Lathrop, parts of northwest Stockton and the Delta area west of Stockton.
If a candidate doesn’t receive more than 50 percent of the vote March 5, the top two finishers will square off in the Nov. 5 general election.
The candidates tackled questions from the panel on such issues as homelessness, mental health, housing, infrastructure, and bringing in sustainable jobs.
A retired dairy farmer and businessman, DeBrum has long served the City of Manteca. He was elected to the Manteca City Council in a special election in 2002, and from there was overwhelmingly elected in 2004, 2008, and 2012. He served one term as Mayor of Manteca.
When addressing homelessness, DeBrum harkened back to 2017. “We brought in (Community Resource Officer) Mike Kelly to our police department to help with our homeless (people),” he said of what Manteca did under his watch as mayor.
DeBrum showed concerns about the levees, identifying flood protection as the area’s biggest issue. “We need to protect our citizens in Stockton, Manteca, and Lathrop and work jointly so our levees do not breach,” he noted.
Dhaliwal, who served six (two-year) terms as Mayor of Lathrop, took pride in his city and its economic development.
For the past 25 years, he’s been part of the staggering growth of the City of Lathrop, being involved in the development west of Interstate 5 and River Islands – the largest planned community ever in the Central Valley – while serving on the Lathrop City Council, Lathrop Planning Commission, and a number of local boards and commissions.
“We also started our own police department,” Dhaliwal proudly said.
He favors bringing in jobs locally that will not only attract but would keep young professionals closer to home.
Dhaliwal was concerned of the commuter traffic that impacts his city, in particular, the Highway 120 Bypass, going from Interstate 5 to Highway 99. “We need to improve our public transit,” he said.
Sepulveda grew up in the greater San Joaquin County area, living at times in Stockton, Lathrop, and Manteca.
She opened her own business in 2014, and has been involved in various organizations in the county – SJC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Stockton, the Boys & Girls Club of Stockton, and the Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin.
“I’ve been involved in non-profits while running my own business – I know what it takes to make those tough decisions with employees,” Sepulveda said.
She noted that the underlying issue of those who are homeless range form mental illness to drug addiction.
In addition, Sepulveda would like to do more for those dealing with market-rate housing – non-subsidized properties that are rented or owned by those who pay market-rate rents or who paid the market value to purchase the property.
“There are a lot of people who are struggling to pay rent, which is more than the mortgage,” she said.
All three are vying for the seat currently occupied by Tom Patti, who is running for Mayor of Stockton.
