Three candidates, including one incumbent, are running for two open seats on the Yorba Linda City Council in the Nov. 8 election.
The candidates include Ryan Bent, Janice Lim, and Carlos Rodriguez, who is running for reelection. Only Bent responded to a questionnaire sent to all candidates by the Voice of OC.
Yorba Linda’s Measure Z rezoning proposition is also on this year’s ballot, asking voters to decide if the city should rezone 19 sites to satisfy the regional housing needs requirement.
Here’s what Yorba Linda candidates had to say on some of the issues in the city. It’s the exact text each candidate submitted in writing.
Question: What would your top three priorities be if you were elected?
Ryan Bent: Partner with the sheriff to improve public safety, maintaining the vision and spirit of Yorba Linda, and being fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.
Janice Lim: Did not respond.
Carlos Rodriguez: Did not respond.
Question: What do you think the biggest issue is for Yorba Linda? How do you plan to address it?
Bent: The biggest issue is addressing the state-mandated high-density housing requirements and fulfilling promises made in Yorba Linda’s 2021-2029 Housing Element. So far, every city who has sued the state has lost their case and must pay all legal fees. The best approach at this time is to continue to look for ways to fight while staying in compliance.
Lim: Did not respond.
Rodriguez: Did not respond.
Question: What is your opinion on the Measure Z rezoning proposition, which asks voters to decide to rezone 19 properties to satisfy the regional housing needs requirement? Are you in favor of the measure? Why or why not?
Bent: If Z doesn’t pass, the next measure on the ballot in two years will absolutely need to pass. As a new councilmember, it will be my job to work with residents for either the remaining 25% of properties or the full 100% of properties that will be on the 2024 ballot to ensure wide support. There is no way to escape or long postpone the mandate.
Lim: Did not respond.
Rodriguez: Did not respond.
Question: Yorba Linda’s involvement with the North OC Service Planning Area has provided shelter for Yorba Linda’s homeless population. How do you plan on continuing to address homelessness in Yorba Linda?
Bent: This has been an effective approach to battle homelessness in Yorba Linda. We help support shelters in Placentia and Buena Park. Our sheriff’s deputies are also well-trained to facilitate assistance. I am in support of these programs to reduce homelessness in our city to ensure our residents and businesses aren’t negatively impacted.
Lim: Did not respond.
Rodriguez: Did not respond
Question: Recently, there has been an increase in organized theft in California targeting local businesses and residents in Yorba Linda. How will you work to improve public safety in Yorba Linda in order to minimize theft occurrences?
Bent: I have met with Yorba Linda’s chief of police and will continue to partner with the sheriff’s department to keep crime low in our city. Yorba Linda is amongst Orange County’s safest cities. Crime rates are related to not only our residents within the city but in our case, typically more related to the crime rates in surrounding cities and counties.
Lim: Did not respond.
Rodriguez: Did not respond.
Voting opens on Oct. 29 at the Yorba Linda Public Library. Centers open for voting on Nov. 5 include the Church of Grace, the Danish Lutheran Church and Cultural Center, the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the Thomas Lasorda Jr. Field House, which will serve as a drive-through ballot drop-off center.
Residents can find out more information on in-person voting sites here and can learn more about mail-in voting in Orange County here.