Vince’s Plan for Monterey

Campaign Policy Priorities
Common Sense Leadership for Monterey

My campaign is focused on five core priorities grounded in common sense policies that serve Monterey’s residents first.

1 Public Safety Comes First

The first and most important responsibility of a city government is protecting residents. Public safety is not a line item to be cut when budgets get tight — it is the foundation of everything else. As Mayor, I will ensure our Police and Fire departments have the resources, staffing, and modern equipment they need to do their jobs — funded through smarter spending, not new taxes.

• Maintain strong police and fire staffing levels — and say YES when the Police Chief requests critical equipment like updating outdated radio communications systems
• Ensure fast and reliable emergency response times across all neighborhoods through strong community policing that builds trust, visibility, and partnership between officers and the residents they serve
• Strengthen wildfire preparedness, evacuation planning, and utility hardening coordination
• Work directly with the Monterey Police Chief to pursue and implement smart policing technology — including a Real-Time Intelligence Center, automated license plate readers, integrated surveillance systems, and AI-assisted tools for evidence and investigations, modeled on proven programs in San Jose and leading California agencies
• Explore community-based technology partnerships — such as neighborhood camera networks and smart doorbell programs — that extend the eyes and ears of public safety while deepening the connection between residents and law enforcement

The first and most important responsibility of a city government is protecting residents. Public safety is not a line item to be cut when budgets get tight — it is the foundation of everything else. As Mayor, I will ensure our Police and Fire departments have the resources, staffing, and modern equipment they need to do their jobs — funded through smarter spending, not new taxes.

2 Responsible Financial Leadership & the Common Sense Audit Committee

• Conduct a comprehensive fiscal stability review within the first 90 days in office and form a Common Sense Audit Committee to conduct annual departmental budget reviews, identify waste, and report findings publicly
• Launch Mayor’s City Performance Dashboards — monthly, quarterly, and annual public dashboards showing city performance, budget status, and project progress as a major ongoing accountability measure
• Implement a rolling five-year financial forecast so the city is never caught off-guard by obligations it should have seen coming
• Ensure taxpayer money is spent exclusively on core city responsibilities — not on items that should be funded by nonprofits, private organizations, or outside grants
• Introduce performance metrics for every city department and address long-term financial obligations, including pension commitments, with discipline and honesty

I oppose new broad-based taxes and fees on Monterey residents and businesses as long as the city government has not yet demonstrated it can spend existing revenue wisely. Residents deserve a city that lives within its means, eliminates wasteful spending, and reduces bureaucracy — not one that reaches deeper into their pockets to cover for its own mismanagement. The Common Sense Audit Committee will make fiscal accountability a permanent part of how we govern.

3 Strengthen Neighborhood Associations & Restore Community Trust

Monterey’s Neighborhood Associations are the most important assets our city has. They are the voice of residents, the eyes and ears of our neighborhoods, and a direct link between the people who live here and the government that serves them. I will protect and strengthen them — not exploit them or ask them to pay for City Hall’s mistakes.

• Strengthen Neighborhood Associations as genuine community voices with real influence over local decisions — never as vehicles to absorb budget shortfalls caused by past administrations’ poor financial decisions
• Hold regular community forums in every neighborhood so residents can speak directly with their Mayor
• Provide public-facing dashboards showing city performance, budget status, and project progress — keeping Neighborhood
• Associations informed and equipped to advocate for their communities
• Work collaboratively with Neighborhood Associations, community leaders, and the City Council to ensure resident voices shape city decisions
• Approach every decision affecting our neighborhoods with calm, independent judgment — not political calculation

Monterey works best when residents, businesses, and city leaders solve problems together. Neighborhood Associations should be empowered — not burdened — by City Hall. That includes fully funding neighborhood improvement districts so that communities receive the core services they were promised, without being asked to make up the difference caused by wasteful city spending..

4 Support Family Businesses, Hospitality & Protect Monterey’s Public Assets

Monterey’s economy is built on hospitality, tourism, small businesses, and the remarkable natural and civic assets that make this city unique. As Mayor, I will ensure city government is a partner to our local economy — not an obstacle. That means no new taxes or fees on local businesses while the city government still has not demonstrated it can spend existing revenue responsibly.

• Support family-owned businesses and the hospitality sector that form the backbone of Monterey’s economy — keeping the tax and regulatory burden low so they can grow and thrive
• Establish a Water and Economic Strategy Task Force to align responsible growth with infrastructure capacity and water availability, prioritizing low-water-use, high-value industries including marine science, professional services, and innovation sectors
• Invest in structural and seismic improvements to Wharf 1 and Wharf 2 — critical public assets that must be preserved for future generations
• Develop a 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan encompassing the Conference Center, Sports Center, Marina, and other key public facilities — and pursue federal funding through MARAD, FEMA, and Congressional Community Project grants
• Address deferred maintenance across all city-owned facilities before neglect turns into a far costlier crisis

Monterey’s public assets and local businesses are what make this city extraordinary. Protecting them means spending limited tax dollars wisely on the infrastructure and services that support them — not expanding government programs that crowd out private investment and burden the businesses that drive our economy.

5 Protect Monterey’s Natural Beauty & Coastal Environment

Monterey’s greatest asset is its breathtaking coastline, beaches, parks, and walking trails. As Mayor, I will always stand firm in protecting what makes this city so extraordinary — and I will do it by directing existing resources toward what matters most, not by creating new fees or expanding government bureaucracy.

• Defend Monterey’s coastline, beaches, and public open spaces from overdevelopment and neglect
• Maintain and improve parks, walking trails, and recreational areas so every resident can enjoy them
• Partner with state and federal agencies to secure funding for coastal preservation and climate resilience
• Enforce strong environmental standards that protect Monterey Bay’s water quality and marine ecosystem
• Ensure all development decisions prioritize the long-term health of Monterey’s natural environment over short-term financial gain

Monterey’s natural beauty is not just what draws people here — it is what defines us. Protecting it does not require bigger government or higher taxes. It requires focused leadership, smart use of existing resources, and the courage to say no to development and decisions that put short-term gain ahead of what makes this city irreplaceable.

The Common Sense Audit Committee