Will This Be the City Council to Get Things Done?

You may have noticed we have been quiet for a couple of months. That is because we are about good government, not election campaigning. Since we are essentially apolitical, we decided to let the election run its course and then reengage about City Hall activities and all too frequently shenanigans. So, let’s get started!

We start by reflecting on the implications of the November election results. Tracy has a lot of unfinished business at hand when it looks to 2023. The question on everyone’s minds is will it be another several years of the same talk-but-no-action city council or will it be one that gets stuff done? Here are a few of our thoughts about the results and current situation.

Community amenities mandate.

The majority win by the incumbents does indicate certain mandates the public desires. The most significant of those is the community amenities. Every one of these elected officials have indicated in some public forum or event their support for more public amenities, including the completion of Legacy Fields, the Multi-Generation Recreation Center, the Aquatic Center, the upgrades to Ritter Family Park, and the Nature Park. The public clearly wants these public benefits now it’s time for the city to come through. Councilman-elect Dan Evan’s clearly gets it.

Evans attended the community workshop for the rec center held recently at North Elementary School. He posted about it on his Facebook page. There are a lot of questions about the project, particularly as it relates to the funding. However, it’s his response to questions that should make residents feel good about his election.

The make-up of the council didn’t change much, but significant enough.

The terming out of Veronica Vargas is huge for the residents of Tracy, particularly with newly elected councilman Dan Evans taking her place. The two couldn’t be more opposite, and it’s the only change to the council voters made, but it’s a significant one. As Transparent Tracy has documented for the past several years, Vargas brought controversy, toxicity, and animosity to the city council driven by her personal agenda. It can be said that Veronica Vargas alone drove the likes of Evans and English to run for city council. Like her disgraced husband, Patrick Vargas, Veronica cannot exit stage left soon enough! Evans is a welcomed change!

Mateo Bedolla is this election’s biggest conundrum.

On the surface it looks as though Bedolla is without a doubt 2022’s biggest loser. He got blown out of the water in the State Assembly race, and he finished dead last in the mayoral race. It’s too close to the holidays for us to sit around and ask ourselves, “why?” Or more specifically, why did he run in the first place? However, with all that said, he is still on city council for another two years, and he now has a chance to rehabilitate his reputation and be considered a positive influence to improve Tracy. The question is: did he learn the lesson of 2022?

This November election reflected that good amenities and good development go together. The candidates who supported the community amenities won; those who didn’t, or at least made it clear, lost. If Mateo demonstrated anything this past election, it’s that he lacks a base. He needs to decide whether he will work collaboratively with his fellow council members on projects the city wants and needs or continue being an unfocused Don Quixote.