Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide
Name: Ulises Cabrera
Current job title: Mayor of Moreno Valley
Incumbent: Yes
Other political positions held: Moreno Valley City Council
City where you reside: Moreno Valley
Campaign website or social media: ulisesformayor.com, instagram.com/iamulisescabrera
How can the city best meet the demand and mandates for more housing, including at lower prices, while also preserving the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents?
Housing affordability and access is arguably the greatest issue affecting Californians today. Moreno Valley is exceeding our state mandates for housing, and in 2023 we were designated a “Pro-Housing” city by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Only 23 California jurisdictions received that designation out of over 500 cities and counties in the state, because we are exceeding what is required and approving a wide range of housing options. I’m proud that our city has consistently approved a diverse portfolio of housing projects during my time on the council, ranging from affordable apartment units to single family homes. These are efforts I will continue supporting to lead by example so that other cities in our region are also meeting their requirements and doing their part to address the housing crisis.
As we grow, we should require that portions of each new development are affordable and that our city has housing options for every income range. Even though Moreno Valley has done well on this topic, we cannot do it alone and it must be a statewide approach in order to solve this issue.
How should the city balance paying off debts, such as pension liabilities, and building reserves all while meeting residents’ needs? Should a solution involve finding new revenue, trimming the budget, or something else entirely?
Because of consistently responsible financial management of the city’s budget, Moreno Valley is consistently rated one of the most fiscally strong cities in our region. Our budget is balanced every year, and for at least the past five years, we have had budget surpluses, which are reinvested into our community. Nonetheless, we must not get comfortable and look for more ways to diversify our local economy, by attracting new industries such as technology, renewable energy, and electric vehicles. In 2023, we officially welcomed the $200 million-plus Kaiser hospital expansion, and we should continue expanding our local healthcare sector.
By growing our local economy, diversifying our tax bases, and attracting high paying jobs we can continue our record of balanced budgets and healthy reserves for emergencies. I believe this is the best path forward to prepare for future liabilities.
In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it?
I think the most important issues in Moreno Valley are public safety, housing affordability, and addressing homelessness in the city.
From 2022 to 2023, crime went down by 4.4% in Moreno Valley, and I’ll continue working to make our community safer for families and residents. We can do that with continued investments in our community and by making sure that our first responders have the tools and resources they need.
We will continue to make sure that our financial position is strong while continuing to invest in our city. Moreno Valley is doing our part to address housing affordability with responsible development that allows for growth while maintaining our city’s quality of life. On homelessness we will continue to make local investments while working with county and state agencies to provide additional funding to address a crisis that is ongoing statewide.
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city?
I’m running to continue to champion the issues most important to our residents. We have achieved a lot during my first term as mayor including approving the Moreno Valley Mall revitalization project, completing the $250 million Kaiser Hospital expansion, approving five new hotels, completing the Moreno Beach Drive bridge, filling over 35 vacant seats on city boards and commissions, funding three new nonprofit organizations to address homelessness, completing the $50 million citywide pavement project, and allocating an additional $20 million to further enhance our infrastructure over the next two years. In my first year as mayor, crime decreased by 4.4%. We’ve funded additional deputies and a new medic squad for our fire department. I will continue to work to improve public safety, bring more job opportunities to the city, improve our infrastructure, reduce homelessness, increase educational opportunities and more.
I am asking voters to judge my leadership by my past accomplishments and my commitment to working on behalf of all the residents of Moreno Valley. When I am re-elected, I look forward to working with constituents and continuing the great work we’ve accomplished together. I would be honored to earn the city’s support for two more years.
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