The Teacher Who Wants to Fix Our Sidewalks

Maria Santos has been teaching fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary for twelve years, and she’s tired of watching her students navigate broken concrete on their way to school. When she filed to run for city council in District 3 last month, she brought a manila folder thick with photos she’s been collecting since 2019. Cracked sidewalks on Maple Street. Missing crosswalk signals near the community center. A bus stop on Cedar Avenue where kids have to stand in the street because overgrown bushes block the designated waiting area.

“I’m not running because I have all the answers,” Santos told me over coffee at Brew & Bean last Tuesday. “I’m running because I’ve been asking the same questions for years and getting form letters back.” Her campaign focuses on what she calls “infrastructure for humans,” the unglamorous but essential work of making sure people can actually walk, bike, and take transit safely around our neighborhoods. She’s proposing a dedicated sidewalk repair fund, sourced from a modest increase in commercial property fees for businesses with more than 50 employees.

Santos faces incumbent Tom Bradley, who has held the District 3 seat for eight years. Bradley points to his work securing federal grants for the new fire station and his consistent support for business-friendly zoning changes. Both candidates will participate in the community forum at Roosevelt High School this Thursday at 7 PM, where residents can ask questions directly.

The Ballot Measure That Could Change Everything (Or Nothing)

Measure C looks simple on your ballot: “Shall the city establish a Community Land Trust to preserve affordable housing?” But behind those twelve words lies a complex mechanism that could fundamentally reshape how we think about housing in our community. The measure would allow the city to purchase land and lease it to developers or homeowners, keeping the land permanently affordable while allowing the buildings to be bought and sold.

The idea came from the Housing Justice Coalition, which spent two years researching models in Burlington, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. Coalition member James Chen, who works as a carpenter and lives in the Riverside neighborhood, explained the concept during a community meeting at the library last month. “Right now, when we build affordable housing, it’s only required to stay affordable for 15 to 30 years,” Chen said. “After that, it can go market rate. A community land trust means affordable forever.”

Opponents, led by the Greater Metro Chamber of Commerce, argue the measure is too vague about funding sources and could discourage private development. Chamber president Lisa Rodriguez points out that the measure doesn’t specify how the city would finance land purchases, potentially putting taxpayers on the hook for expensive acquisitions. The city attorney’s analysis estimates initial costs between $2 million and $8 million, depending on which properties the city pursues.

What makes this measure particularly interesting is who’s supporting it. Along with housing advocates, you’ll find endorsements from the Downtown Business Association (which sees affordable housing as crucial for retaining workers) and the Teachers Union (whose members increasingly can’t afford to live where they work). The unusual coalition suggests this issue cuts across traditional political lines in ways that might surprise voters.

The Race Nobody’s Talking About (But Should Be)

While the mayor’s race gets most of the attention, the contest for city treasurer might be the most consequential on your ballot. Current treasurer Rebecca Walsh is retiring after 16 years, leaving an open seat that controls how our city invests its $47 million in reserves and manages debt on major projects. The two candidates bring radically different philosophies to what many voters see as a purely technical role.

David Kim, who currently works as finance director for the county, wants to shift city investments toward local projects. Instead of buying federal bonds and corporate securities, Kim proposes investing in community development financial institutions that provide loans to local small businesses and affordable housing projects. “We can earn similar returns while keeping our money working in our own neighborhoods,” Kim argues. His background includes helping the county establish its own small-business loan program, which has funded 23 local startups since 2020.

His opponent, Sarah Mitchell, brings 20 years of experience managing pension funds for public employees. Mitchell argues for a more conservative approach, emphasizing steady returns and capital preservation over local investment goals. “The city’s money isn’t a development tool,” she said during a recent candidate forum. “It’s a safety net that needs to be there when we face budget shortfalls or emergency expenses.” Mitchell points to cities like Stockton and San Bernardino, which filed for bankruptcy partly because of investment losses, as cautionary tales about taking too much risk with public funds.

The School Board Shake-Up You Didn’t See Coming

Three seats are up for election on our school board, and the results could shift the balance on everything from budget priorities to curriculum decisions. The most surprising development is in Area 2, where 28-year-old Marcus Thompson is challenging school board veteran Patricia Hoffman, who has held her seat for 12 years and seemed unbeatable just six months ago.

Thompson, who graduated from our district in 2014 and returned after college to teach high school math, gained attention when he started attending every school board meeting and posting detailed summaries on social media. His Instagram account @MarcusForSchools has 800 followers who tune in for his plain-English explanations of budget documents and policy proposals. Thompson’s campaign focuses on what he calls “transparency without the jargon,” making school board decisions accessible to parents who don’t have time to decode education bureaucracy.

Hoffman, a retired principal with deep institutional knowledge, defends her record of steady leadership through budget cuts and the pandemic transition to remote learning. She emphasizes experience over energy, pointing out that effective school board work requires understanding complex state funding formulas and special education law. The race has become a proxy battle between newer residents who want more community engagement and longtime families who value continuity and expertise.

In Areas 1 and 3, incumbent board members face challenges from candidates focused on different issues entirely. Engineer Anna Rodriguez wants to prioritize building maintenance and technology infrastructure, while parent organizer Kevin Liu advocates for expanding mental health services and reducing class sizes in elementary schools.

Where to Get More Information (And How to Actually Use It)

The League of Women Voters has compiled a comprehensive voter guide with candidate responses to identical questions, available at the library and online at lwv-metro.org. The city clerk’s office publishes campaign finance reports showing who’s funding each candidate, updated weekly through election day. For ballot measures, the city attorney’s office provides plain-language summaries alongside the official legal text. These are surprisingly readable and worth your time.

But the most valuable information often comes from showing up. The school board meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM in the district office conference room. City council meetings happen every other Wednesday at 6:30 PM at city hall, with public comment always welcome. Both bodies livestream their meetings and post recordings online, making it easier than ever to see how your potential representatives actually work when they think nobody’s watching.