1 year ago
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FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - YourCentralValley.com is intimately pursuing respective authorities and section races for the November General Election.
In the Central Valley, 2 Republicans are vying for the Fresno City Council District 6 seat.
The spot will beryllium near vacant by existent Councilmember Garry Bredefield, arsenic helium is seeking a spot connected the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
Local lawyer Roger Bonakdar and U.S. Marine Corps Reservist Nick Richardson are competing to correspond Northeast Fresno.
Both are Central Valley natives and first-time governmental candidates.
Bonakdar has worked with vale tiny businesses and families for astir 20 years. Recently, helium assisted erstwhile employees successful a suit against the present defunct Bitwise Industries.
"I'm the lone begetter connected the ballot and I'm the lone tiny concern proprietor connected the ballot," helium said. "The information that I'm an lawyer and a palmy 1 straight translates to being a palmy metropolis councilman and adding worth for our city."
When asked wherefore helium believes helium is the close campaigner for the job, Bonakdar pointed to his idiosyncratic and nonrecreational acquisition arsenic reasons wherefore assemblage members should ballot for him.
"I'm the lone campaigner connected the ballot that's ever paid a spot taxation measure successful Fresno, that's ever carried a payroll, been liable for idiosyncratic else's paycheck. The lone campaigner that's ever pulled a licence to physique thing and understands what it is to turn this municipality and however to code housing. The lone campaigner to alteration diapers and rise kids. These are things that springiness you existent beingness acquisition and they straight impact your values and your priorities," helium said.
One of Bonakdar's apical priorities is nationalist information which helium said involves reducing homelessness successful the City of Fresno.
If elected, Bonakdar said helium plans to enactment with section nonprofits and utilize instrumentality enforcement agencies to assistance allocate resources.
"The City of Fresno, occupation one, has to ever beryllium nationalist safety. We person to marque definite that our streets are safe, our neighborhoods are safe, that we person archetypal responders similar the large radical astatine Fresno Fire and Fresno Police that are supporting me, having the tools to win and having capable radical retired determination to efficaciously support us," helium explained.
Bonakdar plans to physique upon the caller efforts made by the metropolis assembly to code homelessness, specifically, the anti-camping ordinance enactment successful spot this year.
Another contented tied to his propulsion to assistance vale families consciousness safer is reducing crime. Bonakdar said helium supports Proposition 36 which would undo the limits connected felony charges enactment successful spot by Proposition 47.
Bonakdar explained, "I'm arrogant to accidental that I'm endorsed by some [former] Sheriff [Margaret] Mims and Sheriff [John] Zanoni due to the fact that I recognize the limitations that instrumentality enforcement is moving with. Voting yes connected Prop 36 is going to marque a meaningful change. It's going to archer radical that the smash and grabs are not going to beryllium tolerated. It tells radical that Fresno puts nationalist information arsenic a apical priority."
Bonakdar said helium is besides focused connected gathering much tenable homes which helium says volition make much jobs.
"If you don't person bully housing, caller occupation creators aren't going to privation to travel successful due to the fact that wherever are these qualified, motivated employees going to live? It's a small spot of a chickenhearted and the ovum issue, but if we person amended housing, we tin bring successful and adhd caller some bluish collar, achromatic collar and adjacent greenish collar jobs," Bonakdar explained.
On the different side, Richardson worked arsenic a aviator successful the U.S. Marine Corps for astir a decennary earlier going into the reserves.
He said helium ne'er mislaid his passionateness to serve.
"I've had to comfortableness my Marines erstwhile different 1 of them has died. You know, I've had to marque beingness oregon decease decisions successful a chopper carrying successful the backmost sons and daughters of America," helium explained. "If you unrecorded here, I americium present auditioning for a occupation for you, I americium present to reply your call."
Richardson's determination to participate the contention for metropolis assembly involves wanting representation. A realization that came aft helium moved location successful 2022.
"We were astir to suffer not lone the lone seasoned that we person successful metropolis hallway and by veteran. The lone idiosyncratic connected the assembly who's worn immoderate azygous of immoderate type, police, fire, military, you sanction it, conscionable one. And he's besides the 1 connected a 6-1 metropolis council," helium explained. "If you are not the aforesaid governmental enactment arsenic everybody other successful metropolis hall, you conscionable don't person practice anymore arsenic soon arsenic he's gone and I didn't deliberation it was close to basal idly by and fto my household and my assemblage suffer the dependable that truthful galore of america present beryllium on."
While connected progressive duty, Richardson received awards for creating palmy termination prevention and substance maltreatment counseling programs.
He said these achievements springiness him penetration into addressing issues similar homelessness.
Like Bonakdar, helium supports Proposition 36, but besides believes successful a community-based attack to helping those without a location called "The Four T's."
“It starts with pugnacious love. It goes to triage to dainty our system. Just similar erstwhile you spell to the hospital, right? Find retired precisely what attraction this idiosyncratic needs. It goes to transitional housing. And yet training. They request training. Some of them request substance maltreatment counseling. Yes, that's precise adjacent to my heart. Some of them request intelligence wellness resources. Yes, that's precise adjacent to my heart," Richardson expressed.
Another apical contented for Richardson is repairing roads, thing helium said assemblage members person voiced concerns about.
"Drive eastbound oregon westbound down Nees oregon Alluvial betwixt Cedar and Chestnut, and you'd curse you're driving connected a food grater. And radical consciousness this," helium said.
Richardson emphasized creating amended roads volition trim biology hazards successful District 6.
"You tin spell to each artifact successful this territory and find a antithetic interest that's truly adjacent to their hearts. Some of it's deteriorating infrastructure from the city, usually the enactment betwixt trees and sidewalk, which don't person a large narration there," helium said. "We've got to beryllium liable and we're planting trees. We're planting the shadiness for five, ten, 20 years down the road. We person to beryllium installing things that are going to beryllium tenable and not devour up the infrastructure. We person to beryllium prioritizing the roads that request it most. And a batch of those roads are up present successful District six.”
On affordable housing, Richardson emphasized the value of having pugnacious conversations with the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
He believes uncovering a mediate crushed with officials connected the city-county tax-sharing statement volition assistance bring successful much developers.
“We tin marque definite that rent power doesn't travel immoderate further successful Fresno and we tin bash things similar yet beryllium down, usage a existent beingness negotiator, idiosyncratic who's had to woody with immoderate of the astir analyzable problems that the subject could look to travel up with a elemental solution,” helium said.
Election Day is Nov. 5.
