After 36 years with the Santa Maria Police Department, Lt. Mike Cordero wants a change, and he definitely doesn’t want to retire. Instead, he’s throwing his hat in the ring for one of the two open spots on the Santa Maria City Council.
“People have approached me for years about running for City Council,” Cordero said. “This year I’m going to go for it.”
Two members of the council are up for re-election this year: Bob Orach and Leo Trujillo. If both decide to run again, then the top two vote-getters between candidates will be elected to the council.
Cordero pointed out that both men, along with most of the council, have held their positions for many years. He believes some fresh ideas are in order.
“I think it’s time to get some change in there,” he said.
If elected, the first thing Cordero wants to do is push for a more open government.
“As a police officer, I understand the need for confidentiality,” he said. “But there’s a difference between confidentiality and secrets.”
Cordero also points to his many years on the force as an advantage, and said that he definitely has had some experiences that the average person hasn’t. He understands the city in a different way than a typical Santa Marian.
If Cordero were elected to the City Council, he would retire from the police force and enter a new sector of public service. That’s something that he dearly wants to do.
“This city has been very good to me,” he said.
This article appears in Aug 7-14, 2008.