Opinion: Two council seats up for grabs

While the mayoral race may capture the most public attention, voters need to be mindful that each seat on City Council is important. And two of those seats are being contested — District 4 and District 6.

Members of City Council must be aware of the various problems that need to be confronted to rectify decades of neglect. Our city is old in the respect that it has not truly benefitted from the “new knowledge” industry, typified by Silicon Valley. But Madera is nonetheless important. Our farms and ranches feed California, the nation, and the world.

Yet, we have a crumbling infrastructure, an extremely high rate of poverty, a crisis of affordable housing, and a never-ending and yet-to-be achieved quest for community beautification. Here are the statements made by candidates (in alphabetical order) who will have to deal with these issues along with the day-to-day chores that are part of city management. The statements have been copied verbatim from the paperwork that was submitted to the County Clerk.