Candidates for Lompoc Mayor, District two and District three city council seats spoke about community issues at an election forum Monday night.
Jim Mosby is running to unseat incumbent Jenelle Osborne for Lompoc Mayor. Challenger Shirley Sherman is running against Victor Vega for the District two seat and challenger Robert Cuthbert is seeking to unseat incumbent Dirk Starbuck in District three.
The candidates spoke about ongoing city projects, homeless and the Lompoc Riverbed, rising crime, recreation and tourism attractions, as well as the possibility of bringing a four-year-degree program to Lompoc.
"I believe Lompoc is an amazing city and we should be investing in ourselves by improving our parks and building broadband infrastructure. I believe we need to fully support public safety so you are safe and want to be here," said incumbent Osborne.
On the topic of homelessness, Osborne said it’s important for the city to support the homeless population but Mosby argued that any money given to social services may have a negative impact on the police department budget.
The two candidates agreed on the biggest issues facing lompoc, but said they have differing solutions to those issues.
"There’s definitely a difference between the two of us," said Mosby. "As far as ethics, remember when I put everything on the table when I was running to be appointed council member."
The forum was hosted by the Lompoc chapter of the American Association of University Women. The next forums include:
- 35th Assembly District forum, September 20th
- Hancock College and Lompoc Unified School District bond issue, September 24th
- Lompoc Unified School District board of education candidate forum, Oct. 3
All forums will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Lompoc City Hall.
