Lompoc residents will vote in November to elect the city's next mayor.
The three candidates are incumbent Jenelle Osborne, James Mosby, and first-time candidate Lydia Perez.
Osborne, who has served as mayor for three terms, says her entry into politics was driven by community needs.
“When I was first asked to run, we had a council that for the first time in nearly 40 years didn't have a female on council," Osborne said.
She highlights her focus on public safety and stresses the need for more housing.
"We have lots of low-income housing, but we're missing that middle. We're missing a healthy housing cycle," Osborne said.
James Mosby, a former city council member from 2014 to 2020, is running for mayor for the third time.
As a longtime resident, he points out the need for city maintenance.
“The community is desperately in need of good quality parks, which helps with quality of life," Mosby said.
He also wants to expand the police department to address homelessness and drug issues.
“I’m looking at bringing three new positions to the police department to address this, to address the aggressive crime that's been going on in town, the broken windows, the theft of cars," Mosby explained.
Mayoral candidate Lydia Perez is new to politics. She says she aims to bring a fresh perspective and serve the city’s diverse population.
If elected, she would be Lompoc’s first Latinx mayor
“Your voice does matter," Perez said. "A lot of our Hispanic demographics think that, 'Oh, it's just one vote. It's not going to count.' It counts. Every small action people make.”
She says with over 60% of the population being Hispanic in Lompoc, she feels as if many are not coming to city council meetings and voicing their concerns, her goal is to help that with the use of interpretation devices at city hall.
"It's really important to have those available for all the, all the meetings, all the resources, and just making sure that the community knows that those are available so that it can be inclusive," Perez said.
