Four questions were submitted to each candidate seeking the District 3 seat on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors in the Nov 5 election.
The questions and their respective answers follow:
1. As a supervisor, what steps would you take to strengthen the overall local county economy in terms of securing better-paying jobs as well as having the workforce needed to attract such jobs?
STEVE DEBRUM: The best way to judge what someone will do in office is to look at what they have done when had the opportunity. As a councilman and Mayor, I led efforts to make it easier for businesses to grow and expand — and helped bring in new businesses, including Great Wolf Lodge.
During those efforts, I worked with businesses to identify issues or barriers that prevented their growth or startup, then brought people and departments together to find solutions.
At the county level, I will ensure groups like the Business Alliance and the County Economic Development Department are working together to attract new businesses and jobs. I will look at the successful efforts like Tesla and UniFab to ensure we can replicate and improve those efforts.
San Joaquin County is also poised to be the center for the developing Ag-Tech sector and innovative businesses like vertical farming and transportation logistics.
Finally, we need to maximize the advantages of the Port and expand our air transportation options.
To expand our workforce to accommodate the jobs of the future, we need to expand higher education and technical/training by working with Delta College, Stanislaus State, and other institutions to develop Ag-Tech training programs, and with Trade groups to expand WorkNet and the Trades to create more Apprenticeships & technical training programs
These are all possible if the board demonstrates common-sense and represents honest and trustworthy leadership.
SONNY DHALIWAL: As Lathrop’s Mayor, I have always been proud of my accessibility to my constituents. When anyone calls me with a problem, I make sure to pick up and help out. That especially goes for anyone trying to bring jobs to San Joaquin County. Whether you are a mom-and-pop shop or a large company like Tesla, WayFair, or Sprouts, you should feel welcome to do business here and ask the City and the County for guidance.
That business-friendly leadership brought thousands of well-paying and local jobs to our community. I went the extra mile to make business permitting simpler and faster, and I intend to do whatever I can to improve the permit approval process across our entire County.
Additionally, I am dedicated to making our workforce more competitive, because we should not be losing any job opportunities to other counties. I am the only candidate in this race trusted by our labor unions, because I have a strong record of supporting apprenticeship programs and creating well-paying jobs for everyone.
2. Given San Joaquin County has the largest segment, how would you work to protect the Delta — the ag sector, environment, and recreational uses?
DEBRUM: First, we need to continue opposition to the Governor’s Delta Tunnels Project which would be disastrous to farms and the delta. Draining the Delta to support growth in Southern California would be devastating economically and ecologically. I will fight with all my energy to stop the Delta Tunnels.
Second, we need to ensure greater protection against the rising problem of dumping along the Delta and the numerous channels and sloughs. This includes the growing problem of homeless encampments that are an ecological risk for the Delta.
I have served on numerous boards that are working to address flooding and levee issues along the Delta, which is critical for us to preserve water supplies as well as properties along the Delta.
My ability to bring people together and relentless pursuit of solutions will enable me to forge new answers to the challenges facing the Delta.
DHALIWAL: The Delta falls under the purview of many overlapping state and local agencies. Fortunately, thanks to my decades of experience as a public servant, I know how to coordinate different agencies, achieve realistic objectives, and ensure that our communities’ voices don’t get lost in the shuffle.
That’s why my top priority for protecting the Delta is keeping up the resistance against the Delta Conveyance Project. Leveraging my relationships in Sacramento and DC, I will work hard to prevent any Tunnels from draining our Delta, and to instead make strong investments in expanding our water storage and upgrading our waterways. I will also work with our region’s farmers and conservationists to effectively prevent and mitigate pollution. That is how we keep our environment alive and vibrant, and keep our Delta accessible and attractive for recreation.
3. Any thoughts on how the county could further protect agriculture and have growth that doesn’t replicate sprawl-like conditions?
DEBRUM: San Joaquin County does need more and better housing options, but we don’t want to become another suburban bedroom community - and we cannot allow growth to destroy the agriculture that is the economic engine of our region.
We’ve seen agricultural lands being consumed by sprawl-like housing and agriculture jobs dropping from 16,500 to just over 13,700. Agriculture jobs average over $45K per year, significantly higher than the retail, service, or hospitality sectors, so preserving these jobs is vital for our economic vitality.
To preserve farmlands, we need to remove regulatory barriers that make it harder for farmers to make a living, safeguard our water supply, ensure trucking can prosper, and provide protections for family farms. We can maximize the use of Williamson Act and Farmland Security zones, and should be considering local ordinances like Agricultural Land Mitigation and conservation easements
I am proud to have earned the support of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau —in part because of my demonstrated experience in the agriculture sector.
DHALIWAL: We should be proud of our roots. I certainly am, especially because I am the son of a farmer, and I grew up working in the fields.
San Joaquin is a major food basket not just for our nation, but for our entire world. I know firsthand how difficult it is for farmers to make ends meet, thanks to the challenges of global markets and the rising costs of water, electricity, and regulatory compliance.
As County Supervisor, I will make sure that our leaders make well-educated decisions before developing land, with our farmers’ input as a top priority. We should also promote high-density, multi-family housing, so our housing market and local economy can flourish without relying on sprawl.
4. What steps should the county take to address rising electricity costs that effect everyone in the county but especially those in rural areas under county jurisdiction where they rely on pumps to secure a water supply?
DEBRUM: The lack of alternatives or competition leaves us with no options. We need to find ways to give consumers and municipalities a choice.
SSJID is already working to provide some relief, aiming to provide electric service with rates 15% lower than PG&E. But that is limited to communities in the south county. I will be looking at opportunities that would expand these efforts to other communities across the county.
We should also be looking at other alternatives, like a non-profit municipal power authority, contracting with other utilities, expanding private generation, creating solar farms over existing parking facilities, and other innovations.
Finally, we need to work with the current electrical utility provider (PG&E) to advocate on behalf of our citizens.
DHALIWAL: The rate hikes we’ve been seeing from PG&E and other utility companies are unacceptable. I have always stood firm alongside other local leaders to pressure our state utility regulators and get rate hikes under control.
I am very supportive of the South San Joaquin Irrigation District’s efforts to offer an affordable, locally controlled alternative to PG&E, especially for our rural areas. I have experience with the ins and outs of the community choice aggregation process, and I intend to play my part and do whatever it takes to finally beat PG&E’s unfair monopoly.
