As November nears, the city news desk created a voter guide for Davis residents to make informed decisions about the local candidates and measures on their ballot

By THE CITY NEWS DESK — city@theaggie.org

Linda Deos:

Linda Deos is running for the Davis City Council in District 2. For the last few years, she has also served on the Utilities Commission and Planning Commission for the city of Davis. The key issues her campaign is targeting are building a climate-resilient city, addressing housing and homelessness and improving roads and greenbelts. 

To make Davis more climate resilient, Deos advocates for the city to work with partners in the county so that it can become part of a regional battery storage facility. She also wants to explore the option of smaller, cheaper solar panels that people can install on their balconies or on walls facing the sunlight. 

To address homelessness, she plans to work with the Daytime Homeless Respite Center and Paul’s Place to make sure unhoused people have somewhere to go after 4:00 p.m.

To increase access to housing, she wants to go back to building smaller, more efficient units. This would involve building more dense housing like duplexes, triplexes and quads. She also wants to look into building flats that residents can buy and own to build equity. 

She is a vocal advocate for passing Measure Q, which would increase the sales tax by one cent and generate $11 million for the city if it passes. She said that the money will go into the General Fund and thus can be used for a variety of purposes, from providing assistance to unhoused populations to supporting public safety efforts. While the city will have to weigh different options for where to direct the money, she said her first priority for any extra money is to invest it back into crumbling infrastructure. 

“I want it to go to our bike paths, our parks and our greenbelts,” Deos said. “I would like to see road maintenance with the bike paths […] Until I hear more, I’m going in the direction of maintenance right now, because that’s what people are experiencing in their day-to-day lives.” 

Dillan Horton:

Hailing from Los Angeles and a working-class background, Dillan Horton is running as a candidate for District 2 in Davis’ upcoming city council race. Initially, Horton moved to Davis for his education, but in the wake of his mother’s death, his desire to give back to the community that gave him comfort and grace inspired him to work in public service.

Among his various tenures in local government, Horton was appointed by the Davis City Council to the newly formed Police Accountability Commission where he served as vice chair and later, the chair for three consecutive terms. Horton elaborated on the importance of the work that he’s done for this commision.

“I have shown by my work in creating the Davis Department of Social Services and Housing, expanding the city’s mental health commissions and doing audits of the police use of force policies in the wake of George Floyd’s death,” Horton said. “I am the candidate that is able to bring about meaningful change in people’s lives.” 

Aside from police reform, Horton also pushes for resources to allow Davis to be more accessible and inclusive. Horton said he recognizes the need for more accessible infrastructure and aims for improvement and making a greater effort for community outreach, going along with his experience working and taking walks with mobility-impaired individuals. Horton supports infrastructural improvements such as repairing damaged roads, creating more bus shelters and removing barriers to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility. 

Additionally, Horton’s climate action plan aims to increase protections for trees to help mitigate the urban heat island effect — due to various factors, warmer temperatures and heat waves are exacerbated by reduced vegetation cover. 

Horton also expressed his deep interest in the topic of inclusivity.

“I want to make sure, across the board, city services are fully inclusive and accessible to folks in the LGBTQ+ community,” Horton said. “As for private sector folks, it is important to make sure that people’s rights aren’t being infringed upon for housing in particular.”

To address the effects of the housing crisis in Davis, Horton advocates for a better staffed and funded Renters Resources Program, bringing back funding to the First-Time Homebuyers program and encouraging the development of affordable and mixed-use housing, especially on city-owned rather than agricultural land. Horton also hopes to direct more resources to the Homeless Outreach Coordinator. 

As for Davis’ issues for economic development, Horton wants to address the barriers to opening small businesses in Davis as opposed to other cities in the area. 

“An entry-level business is a lot harder than one would think to start in Davis than it should be,” Horton said. “And if we want a community that is sustainable and innovative, the city council needs to be as supportive as it can be.”

Horton’s plan for more equitable development involves bringing greater meaning to the notion that Davis is a union town.

“Being sure that the city council is a proactive leader when it comes to labor and workers rights issues is something important that I want to lean into,” Horton said.

Regarding the role of the city council, Horton emphasized the importance of leadership.

“The job of a city council is very particular,” Horton said. “It requires listening to your constituents, which as an activist and an organizer for 13-plus years, I am particularly adept at making sure that the concerns of working-class, under-represented and underserved people are heard.”

Victor Lagunes:

Victor Lagunes, a local Davis junior high teacher, is running for the Davis City Council in District 2. Lagunes was born in Washington, D.C. to parents who immigrated from Mexico to the United States to further pursue their education. Lagunes came to Davis 14 years ago as a transfer student from the College of San Mateo with the hopes of pursuing a degree in psychology and a career in marriage and family counseling. However, he found his career goals shifting to education after volunteering in a classroom and getting the opportunity to work with youth. 

In 2013, Lagunes earned his teaching credentials and master’s degree from UC Davis. For the past 12 years, he has worked at Da Vinci Junior High, a project-based middle school in West Davis. He is also currently serving as the president of the Davis Teachers Association for his third term. Additionally, Lagunes is a founding board member of the Davis Community Action Network, a non-profit focused on affordable housing and climate change solutions.

Lagunes’ policy goals and vision are shaped by his strong connection and background with education. 

“We have discussed the future of Davis and how we can ensure that our city can maintain its unique character while also moving forward into the future with strength and resilience,” Lagunes said in a statement on his campaign website.

Lagunes has three main areas of focus he plans to highlight as part of his campaign: housing, economic development and climate. Some of his goals include expanding housing affordability for all income levels and exploring possibilities for workforce housing, soliciting creative ideas of how Davis can attract newly graduated UC Davis students to start new businesses and improvement of roads and bike infrastructure focusing on cooling and safety.

Lagunes emphasized the need for Davis to be more inclusive, accessible and in balance with the natural environment. 

“I’m running for [Davis] City Council because I believe we can be a community that lives up to its ideals and works for an inclusive and thriving city for future generations,” Lagunes said. 

Lagunes has been endorsed by multiple organizations and Davis local leaders including Davis City Council Member Will Arnold, former Mayor Robb Davis, Davis City Council Member Bapu Vaitla, the Davis College Democrats and the Davis Teacher Association.

Donna Neville:

Council Member Donna Neville is currently representing District 3 in the city of Davis and will be seeking re-election this November. Neville was first elected into office in May 2023 during a special election to fill former Mayor Frerichs’ seat after he was elected to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.

In Neville’s 2023 campaign, her focuses included: funding city infrastructure, enhancing climate resilience, taking action on affordable housing and maintaining integrity in city finances.

Neville discussed her time in office thus far and her dedication to upholding her commitments to the people of Davis.

“From the day I was sworn into office, I have worked hard to honor the commitments I made during my first campaign,” Neville said via a press release. “I promised that I would listen to everyone and do my homework before making decisions, and that is what I have done. Over the past year, I’ve had countless meetings with community members and have worked hard to address their concerns.”

In a continuation of Neville’s reflection of her time as a city council member, she discusses how she feels she has changed because of the role.

“I felt very connected to this community well before I came into office, but over the past year, I’ve gotten to know many more people and my understanding of, and love for, this community has only gotten stronger,” Neville said.

While in office, Neville has gotten approval for a housing element in Davis and also begun to update the city’s general plan.

For this upcoming election, Neville has similar priorities as to her 2023 campaign — a focus on affordable housing and climate-friendly city planning — but she now includes an emphasis on providing city services.

Josh Chapman:

Mayor Josh Chapman has served on the Davis City Council since November 2020 and represents District 5 in the city of Davis. Some of Chapman’s campaign priorities include: developing strategies to enhance transparency in city goals, working with the county to find compassionate solutions to address homelessness and working with constituents to promote diversity and inclusion in education.

Chapman made clear his embrace of the District 5 community in a statement on his website.

“I am extremely proud to call South Davis my home,” Chapman said. “We are one of the most diverse communities in Davis, which is why I strongly supported the transition to district voting, as it has felt that South Davis has too often been ignored, and I want to be an advocate specifically for South Davis.”

Chapman then went on to discuss some of the local organizations that endorse his campaign.

“I am humbled and honored to have the support of the Democratic Party, Davis Firefighters, Yolo Indivisible and hundreds of local South Davis residents who believe that I am the right choice to represent our community on the Council,” Chapman said.

Chapman then discussed the need for better solutions to the mental health problems of the Davis community.

“The budget decisions we make must reflect the values of our community,” Chapman said. “Reform methods such as de-escalation and wrap services are consistent with my professional training in mental health support services to juvenile delinquency-involved youth and their families, and in suicide prevention.”

Measure Q:

This election season, Davis residents will see Measure Q on their ballots. Measure Q is a new tax proposal to raise sales tax in Davis by 1%, from 8.25% to 9.25%. The revenue from this increase can be utilized for the needs of the city of Davis, including bike path and road improvements, affordable housing support, infrastructure improvement and more. 

Davis City Attorney Inder Khalsa released an impartial analysis of Measure Q explaining more of the specific ramifications and details surrounding the proposal. 

“The city estimated that this Measure will raise approximately $11 million per year in new local revenue for use by the city,” Khalsa said. “The City Council’s adopted ballot question states this new revenue would be used for essential city services, which include public safety and emergency response, crime prevention, pothole repair, parks, road, sidewalk and bike path maintenance, addressing homelessness, affordable housing and climate change.”

Within Yolo County, three other cities’ ballots will include a measure for a 1% increase in sales tax. Davis residents have conflicting views on this measure and have created an Argument in Favor of Measure Q as well as an Argument Against Measure Q.

Those in favor of Measure Q include community leaders and business associations, including five former Davis mayors: Lois Wolk, Robb Davis, Brett Lee, Gloria Partida and Lucas Frerichs. Their reasons for supporting this measure include improving safety, quality of life, financial stability and affordable housing. 

“The city of Davis has worked diligently to manage existing resources efficiently, trimming expenses while protecting residents’ services and staff positions,” the argument in favor reads. “Now we need to catch up to inflation, increasing costs, and our growing population. Thoughtfully developed, Measure Q is an investment in our community’s future, ensuring that Davis remains a safe, vibrant, and welcoming place for all.”

Those against Measure Q, which include commission members and business owners, believe the Davis City Council is unnecessarily increasing taxes on account of their own budget issues. 

“Our Davis City Council is out of control with no plan to rein in costs,” the argument against reads. “Instead they referred to new programs and services, while continuing to spend our tax dollars on exorbitant salaries. We simply cannot trust them with more of our money until appropriate oversight and controls are implemented.”

The city of Davis’ website has provided an informative FAQ document on Measure Q along with other resources related to the election should community members have more questions regarding their ballot. 

Written By: The City News Desk — city@theaggie.org