Meet the candidates: Roxanne Stephens

The general election is almost two months away and area voters are getting informed on the local races and measures with large implications for San Benito County’s future. In Hollister, the mayor’s seat will be contested between an incumbent and a political newcomer. 

Earlier this year, the Hollister City Council voted to extend the two-year term limit for the mayor’s office to four years, and the winner in November would be the first to serve under the new term limits.

Challenger Roxanne Stephens is a Hollister resident and social work consultant running on a slow growth platform calling for infrastructure improvements and the preservation of rural landscapes. Incumbent mayor Mia Casey is running again after two years at the helm and is seeking to continue the work she started in her first term.

The Free Lance submitted questions to the candidates and this week we are featuring Stephen’s responses below.

Why are you running for Mayor of Hollister?

City leaders continue to ignore the public’s call for slowing the growth and repairing roads. Instead, they have made it easier for developers to build thousands of additional houses, which have added more and more cars to our streets. Our families deserve to spend more time at home rather than in endless hours of traffic. I am running for mayor because I have experienced firsthand how the poor decisions around growth have negatively impacted our lives.  

How do you think the new term limits for the office affect city governance and benefit residents? 

In 2012, voters decided a mayoral term should be limited to two years. The current city council wants to change this and increase the term to four years. I stand with the voters to limit the term to two years and always hold the mayor accountable. The council’s effort to extend the term is just another attempt to ignore the will of the people and hold onto their own power.

What are your positions on Measure A and Measure X and how consequential do you believe these to be for the region?

Measure A will allow voters to make decisions on future land use and zoning changes. Residents of our community have overwhelmingly disagreed with the decisions made by elected leaders about growth.This initiative gives the power back to the people so they can decide on future growth in our county. I support voting “yes” on Measure A. 

Voting no on Measure X allows voters to stop the sale of our community hospital to a company from Flint, Michigan. Losing our hospital to an outside corporation would be a grave mistake, and we should do everything we can to keep our hospital in the hands of our community. I support a “no” vote on Measure X.

What are some pressing issues you would like to work on if elected?

My number one priority is fixing our roads. No more excuses. The condition of our roads is unacceptable and will be my top priority. Also, I will focus on creating an economic development plan that focuses on bringing much needed business and jobs to our city, by promoting retail, commercial and industrial opportunities, rather than building thousands of additional houses. 

Why should Hollister vote you in as mayor?

I’m asking Hollister residents to vote for me because I will keep our city focused on what’s most important: slowing the growth and improving roads. I will use my 30 years of experience working with families and communities to solve problems. As mayor, I will take the time to listen, be accessible, be open and honest, and create a better quality of life for all of us.