Steve Lavagnino has some competition for the 5th District Santa Barbara Supervisor seat now that Santa Maria City Council member Alice Patino has announced her intention to run for the position being vacated by Supervisor Joe Centeno.
In a release to the media dated Sept. 29, Patino said the focus of her campaign will be “jobs, housing, and family development.”
In her announcement, Patino explained how, if elected, she plans to create jobs, housing, and more through savvy money management.
“Although $40 million of stimulus package money is due to come to the Santa Maria Valley through 2011, the district will need a strong, experienced advocate to assure that federal money is used in ways that create jobs for the residents of this district,” she said in the release.
Drawing on her experience as a City Council member, Patino emphasized the importance of collaboration between city and county government: “These two entities need to stand united in our approach to the [U.S. Army] Corps of Engineers and other service-providing agencies as they begin to specify these stimulus package projects,” Patino said in the release. “They must know we are serious about protecting the jobs and our quality of life for the people we represent.”
Patino also put emphasis on supporting the county’s agricultural industry as a means of employment and development.
This article appears in Oct 1-8, 2009.
