With Election Day less than a week away, candidates running for Santa Maria City Council in Districts 3 and 4 are outlining their priorities for the city’s future, including addressing budget challenges, affordable housing, neighborhood growth and public services.
KSBY News spoke with three candidates about what they hope to accomplish if elected and how they plan to address some of the issues facing Santa Maria residents.
In District 3, incumbent Councilmember Gloria Soto is seeking a third term against challenger Corby Poulis Sr. Meanwhile, Vincent Martinez and Tyler Barksdale are competing for the District 4 seat.
District 3: Gloria Soto seeks a third term against Corby Poulis Sr.
After nearly eight years on the Santa Maria City Council, Soto says she is proud of her work to increase affordable housing opportunities and secure additional funding for the city.
“I’m really proud to have been able to work, you know, with my colleagues, with city staff, to increase the number of affordable housing stock in the area,” Soto said.
She also pointed to her collaboration with state lawmakers, which she says helped secure $1.5 million for Santa Maria.
However, Soto acknowledges that significant challenges remain, particularly when it comes to the city’s ongoing budget deficit and housing affordability.
She says she wants to continue protecting essential city services while exploring additional solutions, including an inclusionary housing ordinance and rent stabilization protections for residents living in mobile home parks.
“We need to ensure that those essential services are not impacted as we’re balancing this budget,” Soto said.
Soto also defended her record on the city’s finances, noting her participation in a budget committee alongside Mayor Alice Patino that helped reduce the city’s projected deficit from more than $20 million to approximately $13 million.
Her challenger, Corby Poulis Sr., says his decision to run was inspired by a personal experience involving city code enforcement.
Poulis says he faced legal action from the city over concrete work completed on his property and struggled to get assistance from his elected representative.
He says the experience made him question how accessible city government is to residents who may not have the resources to navigate complicated legal or administrative matters.
“I think that our leaders need to be very transparent about what City Council can and cannot do,” Poulis said. “I think we need to be very, very vocal and straightforward.”
Poulis believes communication between elected officials and residents is one of the most important issues facing District 3.
He also wants to examine city spending more closely to determine where expenses could be reduced without compromising essential services.
“We need to go through our budget, dollar for dollar, department by department,” Poulis said. “It takes some time, but we need to act the same way that reasonable families do and reasonable businesses do.”
Poulis says the city should prioritize necessary expenses, eliminate duplicative spending and take a more proactive approach to maintaining public infrastructure.
When asked about Santa Maria’s continued growth, Poulis said city leaders must ensure future development accounts for traffic, roads and the impact on existing neighborhoods.
He also emphasized the importance of including the agricultural community in decisions that could affect its operations.
District 4: Vincent Martinez focuses on neighborhood growth and supporting businesses
In District 4, candidate Vincent Martinez says one of his biggest concerns is how Santa Maria’s growth is changing established neighborhoods.
Martinez, who has served on the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission, says increasing housing density and the construction of accessory dwelling units are creating new challenges involving parking, infrastructure and neighborhood quality of life.
He believes the city should consider stronger parking restrictions and enforcement measures in neighborhoods experiencing increased congestion.
Martinez says city leaders must also consider whether existing infrastructure can accommodate additional residents as development continues.
“When you have people who are working here in Santa Maria, they’re spending in Santa Maria,” Martinez said.
As a small-business owner, Martinez says supporting existing businesses should be a priority as the city works to improve its financial position.
He believes creating a safer, more welcoming environment for businesses and customers could help generate additional local revenue.
“There’s existing businesses here that we should actually help them because they’re wanting to be here,” Martinez said. “They’re the ones who are employing people in town here.”
Martinez also raised concerns about the definition of affordable housing, questioning whether some newly constructed units are truly within reach of working families.
He says affordability should be considered more broadly, including the financial pressures facing local employers and small businesses.
Where the candidates stand on Measure C
All three candidates expressed support for Measure C, the proposed half-cent sales tax increase appearing on the November 3 ballot.
If approved, Santa Maria’s sales tax would increase from 8.75% to 9.25%, generating an estimated $13 million annually for local services and infrastructure.
The additional revenue could support road maintenance, parks, recreational programs, the public library and community facilities, including the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center.
Soto acknowledged the financial challenges facing residents and said she understands concerns about increasing taxes.
She also criticized a council decision to increase members’ compensation, saying she voted against the raise while supporting placing Measure C on the ballot.
“I think it’s definitely unfair for City Council members to give themselves a raise when we’re asking City of Santa Maria, the voters of the City of Santa Maria to pay a little bit more in sales tax,” Soto said.
Poulis expressed strong support for the measure, emphasizing that the additional revenue would remain in Santa Maria and be subject to independent oversight.
He believes the measure could help address the city’s financial challenges while preserving essential services.
Martinez also supports Measure C, although he says approval should not give city officials unrestricted spending authority.
“There has to be responsible fiscal spending. You can’t escape that,” Martinez said.
KSBY also reached out to District 4 candidate Tyler Barksdale for an interview but had not received his response by the time of this report.
Barksdale, a military retiree, is running against Martinez for the open District 4 seat.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
Only registered voters living within Districts 3 and 4 can vote in their respective City Council races.
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