After thorough discussions and voting, the staff of City on a Hill Press collectively decided to endorse the following candidates and measures. Our decision was made by a two-thirds majority vote from all current staff, which in some cases led to no endorsement. As you continue to read through our opinions, we want to remind our readers that our endorsements do not inform our reporting, but that our reporting is what informs our endorsements.
Candidate Endorsements
District 4 City Council
City on a Hill Press gives no endorsement for the District 4 City Council seat.
District 6 City Council
City on a Hill Press endorses Sean Maxwell for the District 6 City Council seat. Maxwell serves on the planning commission and advocates for affordable housing. While the suggestions were rejected, Maxwell and the planning commission sought to rewrite the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance, which criminalizes houselessness. Maxwell’s approach to houselessness isn’t without fault, but his proposed solutions were better than those given by his opponent.
Santa Cruz Supervisor Race
City on a Hill Press endorses Justin Cummings for supervisor. We believe Cummings’ close ties with on-campus groups, personal experience with renting in Santa Cruz, and environmental studies background make him the best choice to advocate for both the interests of students and the community as a whole.
Santa Cruz City Mayoral Race
City on a Hill Press endorses Joy Schendledecker for mayor. Her approaches are grounded in the Santa Cruz community, and she provides a younger perspective to city issues that are typically dominated by older views. Schendledecker made a concerted effort to engage with her community, including the student residents of Santa Cruz.
Measure Endorsements
Measure K + L
City on a Hill Press endorses a “Yes” on K and L. The measures support middle and high schools that currently have inequity and infrastructure issues. The inclusion of staff housing allocations is an important step to ensuring schools remain staffed and that quality applicants seek employment in the area. We believe that this is a necessary measure for maintaining and improving the quality of education offered by Santa Cruz schools.
Measure N
City on a Hill Press unanimously endorses a “Yes” vote on Measure N. Voting yes on N allocates funding towards addressing houselessness. We believe that the monetary benefits of the measure outweigh the privacy concerns that the plan’s implementation would entail. Empty homes do not contribute to the Santa Cruz community.
Measure P
City on a Hill Press gives no endorsement for Measure P.
Measure O
City on a Hill Press gives no endorsement for Measure O.
