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Election season in Redwood City has kicked off with three City Council incumbents and a former council member looking to return to office while a relative newcomer seeks to contend.
So far, Mayor Jeff Gee, Vice Mayor Lissette Espinoza-Garnica, Council member Elmer Martinez Saballos, former Council member Diana Reddy and city Parks and Recreation Commissioner Marcella Padilla have pulled candidacy papers since the nomination period to run for local seats opened on July 15.
Up for the November elections are Gee’s District 1, Espinoza-Garnica’s District 3, Martinez Saballos’ District 4 and District 7, which both Reddy and Padilla are eyeing.
District 7 incumbent Alicia Aguirre will be termed out at year’s end as the city’s charter prohibits a council member from serving more than four consecutive terms.
Potential candidates have until Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. to file their nomination paperwork. But if an eligible incumbent doesn’t do so by then, the filing period extends to Aug. 14 for anyone other than the sitting council member.
The city’s residents will vote for candidates by district. In 2020, the city moved away from at-large voting.
Gee
Gee first joined the council in 2009 and served as mayor twice before – in 2014 and 2015.
After stepping away from public office in 2018, he was elected back to the council in 2020 to represent District 1, which encompasses Redwood Shores.
Gee couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Espinoza-Garnica
Espinoza-Garnica was first elected to the council in 2020. Her District 3 is toward the south and east of the city, including parts of the Friendly Acres neighborhood and extending to the Port of Redwood City.
Espinoza-Garnica couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Martinez Saballos
Martinez Saballos was appointed to the council in August 2022. His District 4 is just south of downtown, including parts of the Central and Stambaugh-Heller neighborhoods.
“I want to continue serving District 4 and all of our residents to ensure that we build a stronger, more inclusive and prosperous Redwood City together,” Martinez Saballos said in an email to the Pulse. “While we’ve made meaningful progress on the issues impacting residents, there’s still more work to do, and the experiences I’ve gained on council will ensure we can continue building on the foundation we’ve set.”
Navigating fiscal obstacles, building housing for all income levels and improving transit infrastructure are among his top concerns for another term, he said.
Reddy
Reddy has already launched her campaign for District 7, which is along the city’s western edges and includes parts of the Edgewood Park, Eagle Hill and Farmhill communities.
Her campaign website is up and running, and she is hosting a fundraiser Saturday, July 27.
She previously served a term on the council – from 2018 to 2022 – but was unable to seek reelection due to the city’s redrawing of district boundaries.
Now Reddy hopes to return to the council after a two-year absence.
“I loved serving our community and am proud of my service,” she said in an email to her supporters. “I am committed to putting resident needs first, and I will spend the next few months meeting constituents, hearing their concerns and seeking their support.”
A top issue for her is continuing to support an increase in housing for those in the extremely low-income level, she said in an email to the Pulse. She wants “to address the needs of residents in our community who work here but can’t afford to live here.”
Padilla
Padilla also intends to compete for District 7. This would be her first pursuit of an elected office, although she has served as a member and chairperson of the city Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission for the last 12 years.
“During this time, I have worked to improve the lives of our children and families,” Padilla said in an email to the Pulse. “As a mother raising my young daughter here, I am deeply committed to making Redwood City a better place for all residents and ensuring that diverse perspectives and voices, especially those of women and families, are represented in local government.”
Her key issues include parks, education, childcare and transportation, she said.
Challenges ahead
Among the top citywide priorities for the next council is tackling ongoing financial challenges.
Last month, the current council approved the city’s $373 million budget for 2024-25 but with the understanding that there looms an annual deficit of $9.3 million.
To help address the structural deficit in a significant way, the city seeks to reform its business license tax. On Monday, July 22, the council agreed to place on the Nov. 5 ballot a measure to modernize that tax.
If approved by voters, the revamped tax would generate $7.2 million annually when fully phased in to sustain city services such as police, fire, parks and libraries.
The city also seeks to build momentum in its efforts to develop housing, especially affordable units.
Since last year, the city has entitled or issued permits for at least 900 new dwellings toward meeting a state-mandated goal of 4,588 units in the 2023-31 housing plan cycle. But the city decided to go for more – about 7,000 homes – for that period.
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