With the Goleta mayoral election approaching, both Rich Foster and incumbent Mayor Paula Perotte have shared their views on the challenges facing the city. While both candidates bring a love for Goleta to their campaigns, Foster’s fresh perspective and focus on fiscal responsibility present a stark contrast to Perotte’s more status-quo approach. Below, we compare their stances on key issues like infrastructure, housing, and public engagement.
Fiscal Responsibility
- Rich Foster: Foster’s campaign centers on tackling the city’s financial inefficiencies. He raises concerns over long-term infrastructure projects that have ballooned in cost, such as the $50 million bicycle path and the $32 million train station, which he views as unnecessary when basic infrastructure like roads and sidewalks are crumbling. Foster advocates for a return to essential spending, ensuring that residents’ needs are prioritized without burdening them with new taxes.
- Paula Perotte: Perotte, while acknowledging the fiscal challenges posed by agreements like revenue neutrality with Santa Barbara County, highlights that the city is not currently in debt. However, her approach focuses on maintaining ongoing projects that Foster argues are draining the city’s resources. Perotte emphasizes financial stability, but has yet to address the growing concerns about underfunded infrastructure.
Infrastructure and Capital Projects
- Rich Foster: Foster’s no-nonsense approach to infrastructure is clear: cut unnecessary projects and focus on fixing the basics. He has criticized the city’s commitment to high-cost, low-impact projects like the train station, calling for a redirection of funds to roads, sidewalks, and core infrastructure that directly impacts residents’ daily lives. His practical stance resonates with voters who are frustrated by decaying streets and delayed repairs.
- Paula Perotte: Perotte highlights her administration’s efforts to improve Old Town and other areas with projects like parks and pedestrian safety measures. However, many of these projects have faced delays and cost overruns, and critics argue that the focus on beautification may overlook the city’s more urgent infrastructure needs. Perotte believes these projects are essential for long-term growth, but some residents remain unconvinced.
Housing Crisis
- Rich Foster: Foster is realistic about Goleta’s housing challenges, acknowledging that while affordable housing is needed, solutions like ADUs and bonus density units may not always provide true affordability. His proposal to cap rents on new units built through these initiatives shows a willingness to address the issue without imposing broad, restrictive policies. Foster’s focus on ensuring housing for essential workers, like educators, police and firefighters, reflects his practical approach to solving the housing crisis.
- Paula Perotte: Perotte champions a more traditional approach, working with developers to negotiate for affordable housing. While she emphasizes the need to maintain Goleta’s character, critics point out that this negotiation process often leads to developments that are either too expensive or too disruptive to the city’s small-town feel. Perotte’s commitment to affordable housing is clear, but her reliance on developers to meet the city’s needs has raised questions about whether these projects can truly provide relief.
Crime and Public Safety
- Rich Foster: Foster recognizes the increasing concerns over fentanyl-related crimes and theft in the community. He advocates for greater neighborhood vigilance and practical measures like securing homes and cars to prevent theft. Foster’s emphasis on personal responsibility and community involvement reflects his belief in empowering residents to protect themselves.
- Paula Perotte: Perotte is confident in Goleta’s low crime rate and attributes this to the city’s strong relationship with law enforcement. While she highlights ongoing efforts to ensure adequate police funding, her more reactive approach to public safety may leave some residents feeling like more could be done to address the growing concerns about drug-related crimes.
Public Engagement
- Rich Foster: Foster is a strong advocate for direct engagement with residents, offering an open microphone event where community members can ask questions and voice concerns. His approach to public engagement is simple and direct, ensuring that residents’ voices are heard without the formality of traditional political events. Foster’s ability to connect with voters across party lines highlights his commitment to focusing on local issues over partisan divides.
- Paula Perotte: Public engagement has been a hallmark of Perotte’s administration, particularly through programs like the Goleta Civic Academy. While these initiatives have successfully encouraged residents to get involved in city government, some may see them as more formal and less accessible than Foster’s direct engagement events. Perotte’s efforts to expand access through language services are commendable, but her approach may feel less personal to voters seeking immediate involvement.
Old Town Goleta
- Rich Foster: Foster takes a critical view of the re-striping project in Old Town, emphasizing the negative impact it has had on local businesses. He suggests practical changes, such as re-striping the middle lane to improve access for customers, presenting a clear solution to alleviate traffic issues without adding unnecessary complexity.
- Paula Perotte: Perotte defends the Old Town re-striping as a long-planned project aimed at improving parking and pedestrian safety. While she acknowledges the concerns of local businesses, she urges patience as the project moves forward. Her approach relies on long-term solutions, but for some, the immediate negative impact on traffic and business access has been frustrating.
Conclusion
As the election draws near, Goleta residents face a choice between Rich Foster’s pragmatic, solutions-driven approach and Paula Perotte’s steady continuation of current projects. Foster’s focus on fiscal responsibility, infrastructure repair, direct engagement, and long-term outlook may appeal to those looking for change, while Perotte’s track record of accomplishments and community engagement may resonate with voters who favor short-term stability.
Sources
This post was written based off of video interviews of both candidates provided by KEYT. These interviews have been embedded below for readers to reference and draw their own conclusions.
Goleta Mayoral Candidate 2024: Rich Foster — KEYT Interview
Goleta Mayoral Candidate 2024: Paula Perotte — KEYT Interview
