Hayward Voters to Elect New Mayor, 2 City Council Members

Hayward voters will go to the polls on June 3 to elect a new mayor and two City Council members.
 
Four candidates, three of them City Council members, are running for the position being vacated by Mayor Michael Sweeney, whose term expires at the end of the year.
 
Council members Barbara Halliday, Mark Salinas and Francisco Zermeno are running, as is Rakesh Kumar Christian, a political newcomer. Halliday said in her ballot statement that as a councilwoman, she has helped the city reduce crime and speeding, eradicate blight and improve streets and sidewalks and promised that as mayor, "I will work to get even better results."
 
Halliday said she also would boost students' test scores by expanding a homework support center.
 
"I believe we must do all we can as a city to keep our children healthy and safe," Halliday said.
 
Salinas said he is running for mayor because "I am concerned about what Hayward has become due to years of ineffective leadership." He said, "Today our comeback starts with new leadership. Our city's image hurts."
 
Salinas said, "People feel unsafe. Buildings have remained empty for decades." He said if elected, he would restore Hayward's positive image, put 200 patrol officers on the street and "fill empty buildings by making it easier to open businesses and create jobs for Hayward workers."
 
Zermeno said that as a councilman, he has brought a "Hayward First" philosophy to economic development and neighborhood reorganization. Zermeno said that means "any good or service a family needs can be found right here in Hayward, provided by locally owned businesses."
 
He said, "I love our city and as mayor I will fight to help our schools be the best they can be, and our neighborhoods safe, vibrant and rich with the culture and commerce that makes Hayward special."
 
Christian, a small business owner who also is running for governor, didn't submit a ballot statement.
 
An incumbent and six challengers are running for two City Council seats. Councilman Marvin Peixoto is seeking re-election but the second seat is open because Salinas is giving up his seat to run for mayor.
 
The other candidates are city planning commissioners Rodney Loche and Sara Lamnin, former planning commissioner Julie McKillop and former Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District board member Ryan "Rocky" Fernandez.
 
Other candidates are Ralph Farias Jr. and Phillip Gallegos. Fernandez said he is running for a City Council seat because, "I believe Hayward can do much more to attract young entrepreneurs that will grow our economy."
 
He said that he has worked on transit-oriented development projects in the past and, "I believe we need a plan for the next decade that will revitalize the South Hayward BART and downtown areas, fill vacant storefronts and create good-paying jobs."
 
Lamnin said if elected, she would provide "responsible oversight of our city budget to ensure efficient, consistent delivery of public safety and services and to develop innovative solutions for revitalizing our commercial districts."
 
She added, "I will work to attract employers and prioritize local hiring, ensuring that Hayward dollars stay in Hayward." Loche said he wants to "improve our quality of life and strengthen our community partnerships by building a stronger relationship with schools, fully funding public safety, cultivating economic development and creating jobs."
 
McKillop said she believes "Hayward is poised for greatness" and "as the economy improves, I want to be a voice on the City Council for smart economic development and job growth."
 
She said, "These are the keys to increased funding for police, fire, street maintenance and neighborhood services that residents tell me they value most." Peixoto said in the four years he has been on the council, business has improved, crime is down, and "Hayward has indeed turned the corner."
 
But he said, "We need leaders who have the courage to continue the upward course despite the criticism and pressure from outside interests."
 
Farias and Gallegos did not submit ballot statements.

—By Bay City News