PRIORITIES FOR TRACY
PUBLIC SAFETY
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As Deputy District Attorney of San Joaquin County, Dan advocates for justice in our community each and every day. Having experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, Dan has the unique perspective of both passionately defending the safety of our community—by holding those who commit crimes accountable for their criminal actions—and also ensuring that the constitutional rights of those charged with crimes are upheld—by advocating on their behalf in court. As the first-ever Neighborhood Deputy District Attorney assigned to South San Joaquin County, Dan worked alongside Tracy Police Officers and has an intimate understanding of law enforcement needs in our community.
As Mayor, Dan will:
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Work with local law enforcement officials to make sure they have the tools necessary to protect our community.
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Develop a Homeless Strategic Plan to support individuals experiencing homelessness in our community through a partnership of local law enforcement, county agency services, community organizations, and faith-based groups.
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Work with Tracy Unified School District to develop a Neighborhood Violence Reduction Plan to prevent gang affiliation for students who are most at risk in middle-school and high-school.
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Expand student access to city-supported resources to prevent child abuse, unhealthy relationships, human trafficking, and other issues that put vulnerable students at risk in our community.
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Support the role of community-based organizations to provide services to at-risk youth and their families in Tracy.
STRONG LOCAL ECONOMY
After growing up in Tracy, then going to college and becoming a lawyer, Dan immediately returned home to start his own business, briefly becoming the youngest attorney in the State of California to own and run a law practice. Dan then founded the Young Professionals of Tracy and also served on the Board of Directors for the Tracy Chamber of Commerce. As a former business owner, and a young business leader in the community, Dan knows that the next generation of working class people in Tracy need adequate CAREER options to support their households, not merely entry-level jobs.
As Mayor, Dan will:
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Encourage a diverse range of business industries to support CAREERS in Tracy.
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Support economic incentives for businesses to relocate to our city that provide head-of-household jobs with strong wages and benefits.
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Support Transportation Access to the Bay Area and throughout the Central Valley to ease the burden commuters face who travel to jobs outside the City of Tracy.
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Work with Tracy Unified School District, the Tracy Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses to develop a CRADLE-TO-CAREER PATHWAY to ensure that there is a continuum of services, programs, and policies to support local citizens from youth to career-readiness in our community
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
As a lawyer with experience in civil rights law, Dan was part of the legal team that exposed severe corruption and brutality in Los Angeles County jails, ultimately resulting in the conviction of L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca on felony criminal charges in 2016. Dan knows that transparency in government is NECESSARY to maintain public confidence and trust in the integrity of local government, and Dan stands on his record of FIGHTING CORRUPTION and being unafraid of opposing high-level politicians and special interests who violate the law.
As Mayor, Dan will:
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RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND TRUST in the integrity of the City of Tracy’s government.
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Commit to the CODE OF ETHICS for the Tracy City Council.
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ENFORCE PENALTIES against local elected or appointed officials for failing to abide by the Code of Ethics or failing to disclose CONFLICTS OF INTEREST while in their official capacities.
INFRASTRUCTURE
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The City of Tracy was incorporated in 1910, but the City must enhance its infrastructure to be competitive as a community in the 21st-century. As a young business leader in the community, Dan has advocated for young professionals to live, work, and socialize in our City—yet there are basic needs that must be met so that new businesses can support future generations in our city. As a law enforcement officer, Dan also knows that infrastructure, economic investment, and public safety are intrinsically related. Dan will focus on re-evaluating the distribution of the city’s resources to ensure that our community invests in targeted regions which also have opportunities to enhance public safety.
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As Mayor, Dan will:
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Support economically-sustainable infrastructure development in the City of Tracy.
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Develop a master plan for a Fiber-Optics Network to support cutting-edge internet accessibility for high-tech businesses to join our community.
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Support investing in Historically Underserved Regions of the City, such as historic Central Tracy and North Tracy.
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Support local, state, and federal efforts to maintain Delta-controlled water resources within San Joaquin County
HOMELESSNESS
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After years of prior City Councils ignoring the growing Homelessness problem in our community, Dan has fought to finally address the problem in a compassionate manner and in accordance with legal and constitutional mandates. After passing the first-ever Tracy Homelessness Strategic Plan, Dan fought to secure $3.66 million from San Joaquin County, and also additional federal dollars, to complete construction of Phase 1 of the Tracy “Temporary Emergency Housing Shelter”. As part of the Strategic Plan, a centralized “Navigation Center” will be built alongside the shelter to ensure that individuals experiencing homelessness have supervision with case management and access to support services including mental health services, addiction services, job training, medical access, family reunification, and more. Although faced with challenges related to pandemic supply chain issues, Dan has worked with city staff to pivot and make sure that interim solutions are enacted to allow people to enter shelter space and exit our public parks as quickly as possible, while acting in accordance with legal and constitutional requirements.
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As Mayor, Dan will:
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HOUSING – Short Term: Emergency housing at the Tracy Shelter (in construction now)
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HOUSING – Mid-Term: Transitional housing with supervision and support services
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HOUSING – Long-Term: Affordable housing throughout Tracy
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SERVICES – Facility: Create centralized navigation center located adjacent to homeless shelter
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SERVICES – Case Management: Supervised support services to include mental health, addiction support, job training, and more
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ENGAGEMENT – Direct Contact: Support pilot program “Operation Familiar Faces” to partner Tracy Police Officers with paraprofessionals to conduct outreach and offer crisis support
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ENGAGEMENT – Public Parks: Enforce newly updated anti-camping and anti-storage policies in public parks
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PREVENTION – Specific Plans: Implement plans developed to prevent homelessness for vulnerable groups
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PREVENTION – Vulnerable Groups: Prioritize ending homelessness for Veterans, Youth, Victims of Crime, and Families in “Near” Homelessness
MIDDLE-CLASS AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Dan grew up in the City of Tracy, but unfortunately—like many in our community—Dan’s family lost his childhood home during the Great Recession. Having grown up in a low-income household which required him to work as a janitor and housecleaner from the age of 13, Dan is VERY familiar with the struggles facing low-income families in the City of Tracy. Also, as the first ever “millennial” elected to office in Tracy, Dan understands how challenging the current economy has made it for many young adults and professionals to secure housing for themselves. As the prices of homes in the City of Tracy SKYROCKETS, Dan will fight to secure affordable housing for low-income and middle-class members of our community.
As Mayor, Dan will:
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Articulate the definition of “affordable housing” with a new municipal code ordinance which defines “affordable” for our community. This definition should be limited to 30% of a moderate household income.
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Increase the stock of affordable housing units in the City of Tracy.
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Develop economic incentives for developers to build mixed-income housing.
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Authorize an expedited permitting process for housing projects that guarantee at least 25% affordable units.
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Authorize “mixed-housing” variances to permit new developments to build outside current zoning requirements if the projects guarantee at least 25% affordable units
YOUTH & EDUCATION
Educational attainment in the Central Valley continues to fall behind the rest of California and it is time that students receive the support necessary to succeed in today's modern world. While 32% of the general population in California has a Bachelor's Degree or higher, only 22.2% of people in Tracy have earned the equivalent. These rates are simply unacceptable. As one of those students who was told that he "would never get into college," Dan is incredibly passionate about providing educational support for underserved students in our community. Having been raised in a low-income family, Dan knows that education is the most effective way to ensure success in one's future. As he proved while serving on the Tracy School Board, Dan will continue to fight to support student success and education in Tracy!
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As Mayor, Dan will:
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Establish a city-wide central resource for distributing information regarding scholarships to high school students.
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Enhance the role of the City of Tracy’s Youth Advisory Committee to be utilized as an actual ADVISORY COMMITTEE to make suggestions to the Tracy City Council.
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Support a MULTI-GENERATIONAL RECREATIONAL CENTER in Tracy that serves the needs of local youth and seniors in the community with diverse programming opportunities.
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Encourage partnerships with community groups and non-profit organizations to provide direct educational and socio-emotional services to students.
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Work with local and state public officials towards making a CSU San Joaquin campus a reality for our community.
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Enhance community partnerships, like the “Hire Me First” program with the Tracy Chamber of Commerce, to provide as many opportunities as possible for our students.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
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Dan believes in the philosophy of servant leadership, and he knows that true leadership requires tough decisions to be made to produce the best outcomes for all involved. The City of Tracy needs everyday citizens to be seated on the City Council to make decisions for our community. As a School Board Trustee, City Councilmember, and Deputy District Attorney, Dan has experience engaging the community, becoming informed on the issues, and making tough decisions. As the demographic of our community changes, millennials and young professionals—the next generation of working class citizens in our city—deserve to be represented and have their voices heard on the City Council!
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As Mayor, Dan will:
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Offer “office hours” by appointment to ensure that Dan is available to communicate with families and community members on a regular basis.
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Ensure that the City’s resources are distributed throughout the ENTIRE community, not simply in new residential developments.
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Engage different stakeholders throughout the community to ensure that all groups have a voice in the decisions that affect them.
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Support the development of new business that are interesting to local students, young professionals, and middle-class community members.