Issues

BARBARA ON THE ISSUES

Why Vote for Me?

Experience - Nothing prepares you for being mayor better than doing the job. I have 4 years of experience as Mayor and 10 years as a City Council Member. I know what it takes and I'm up to the task. Click here to learn more.

Teamwork- The Mayor is one vote among 7 on the City Council. To get anything done, I have to work with my colleagues. I am proud to be endorsed by four of my Council colleagues. Together, are committed to keeping the City on track and moving Hayward forward.

Collaboration - Through participation on numerous county and regional boards and commissions I have developed strong working relationships with fellow elected officials. This allows me to direct resources and support to Hayward for projects and programs that help our City.

Issues I Care About

Housing - The Bay Area-wide housing crisis is hitting Hayward hard. I have lead the Council in taking actions to improve the situation in Hayward and we are in the process of exploring more steps to take. So far we have...

Increased the Inclusionary Housing fee by 400% to incentivize builders to actually build the housing with their projects and if not, to pay the city what it actually costs to build the housing elsewhere.
Approved and helped fund micro-homes located next to services to provide a stepping-stone for homeless into permanent housing.
Approved plans to build over 3000 homes in the last few years.

Budget - The current City Council has worked hard to tighten our belt. In the past several years we have:

Increased efficiency which reduced costs of City operations.
Worked with employee bargaining groups to gain concessions that saved millions of dollars in future pension and medical costs.
Developed strong fiscal policies to direct one-time funding to cover future liabilities, resulting in tripling the amount set aside for retiree medical benefits.
Balanced the budget for the past two years without tapping reserve funds.

Public Safety - This is the number one priority of local government, making sure our residents have a healthy and safe place to live.

In the past for years, Hayward Police Department earned re-accreditation with excellence from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
There has been a significant reduction in violent and gang related crime.
The Hayward Fire Department has implemented new technologies and updated stations to better serve neighborhoods.
The HFD is leading a city-wide effort to reduce the risk and damage of a disaster such as an earthquake or wildfire.

Youth - Making Hayward a better place for our kids to grow and learn has always been important to me.

I will continue building on the progress we have made to rebuild Eden Youth and Family Center in South Hayward and transform Tennyson Park into a true community center.
I will work to replace the youth-serving commercial facilities such as bowling alleys and skating rinks that have been lost. I am encouraged by recent plans for a bowling alley/entertainment center at Southland Mall and hope to attract more such businesses.
I am also excited about the new 50 acre Vista Park that is being planned.

Environment - I am proud of Hayward's strong commitment to protecting our environment.

I will work to make sure we stay the course to achieve our goal of being a zero net energy municipal operation by 2025. Our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve water have earned us recognition and awards at the regional, state and national levels.
I will continue to make greening our city a top priority.

In My Own Words...

Mayoral Debate on October 4, 2018

The following videos were taken at the Hayward Democratic Club's Forum. Candidates were limited to 30 second answers.