SEASIDE >> The upcoming general election will seek to select a city of Seaside mayor and two council members from among seven candidates, three of them incumbents.

In the mayor’s race, sitting city leader Ian Oglesby is being challenged by Dennis Volk and Karla Lobo, while incumbent council members, Dave Pacheco and Alexis Garcia-Arrazola are being challenged by Diana Ingersoll and Shanda LeBeouf.

Mayor’s race

Oglesby said that throughout his public service career, he has served in several key leadership positions, including Mayor of Seaside for three terms and Seaside Council Member for eight years, with four years as Mayor Pro-Tem. He has also held roles on numerous regional and statewide boards and committees, including Chair for Monterey County Veteran Affairs & Issue Advisory Committee, Seaside Groundwater Basin Water-master and Seaside Housing Collaborative; 1st Vice President for Monterey Bay Division of the Cal Cities and Cal-Cities African American Caucus. He was also on the Local Agency Formation Commission and Transportation Agency of Monterey County, County Rail Policy Committee (TAMC) and many others.

Oglesby, 58, is a retired peace officer.

“One of the most pressing issues facing Seaside is the need for affordable housing. Rising costs and limited availability are forcing many residents to spend a significant portion of their income on housing, and some are at risk of displacement,” said Oglesby in an email. “As Mayor, I have taken steps to address this by establishing the Seaside Housing Collaborative, which is focused on creating more affordable housing options. I will continue to advocate and create policies that prioritize: building workforce and affordable housing; and stronger renters protections to ensure that Seaside remains an inclusive, livable, and affordable city for all residents.”Lobo has served as a commissioner on Seaside’s Parks and Recreation Commission, worked with the county through the health department on the VIDA project and has sat on several nonprofit boards helping to steer initiatives that benefit the community.

Lobo opted not to disclose her age believing that “age is a personal matter that should be at the discretion of the individual.”

Lobo said that she held several positions spanning various leadership roles in corporate America, but what she truly identifies as is a mother. “Being a mother is my first priority and job,” she said.

“The most important issue facing Seaside is keeping families in our city while ensuring they have access to affordable housing, good jobs and quality public services. As a connector, I see my role as bridging gaps whether that’s between local government, businesses or community organizations, to create sustainable solutions,” said Lobo in an email. “My focus would be on fostering partnerships that address housing affordability, economic development, and public safety, while ensuring that Seaside remains a vibrant, inclusive place for all residents.”

Volk said as far as experience, he has worked and volunteered with most of the city of Seaside’s agencies throughout his life in Seaside.

He is 69 years old and has been in the grocery business for more than 50 years.

“Discussing Seaside, I would like to get a city manager, city attorney and city finance director who live in the city who will work together with the council to find ways of affordable housing that is reasonable for Seaside, and also enhances our city, not just buildings stacked upon one another,” said Volk in an email. “I would also like to look over the city codes to assure property rights are not being violated. I believe a win for me is a win for Seaside.”

Council race for two seats

Pacheco has served three terms on the Seaside City Council, has worked for the city of Seaside his entire career which he believes has given him a deep understanding of the challenges the community faces.

Pacheco, a retired city of Seaside employee, opted not to disclose his age saying that he “has reached the age of wisdom and it is somewhere between ‘old enough to know better’ and ‘too young to care.’”

“The most pressing issues facing Seaside are affordable housing and creating opportunities for our young people. As our community grows, we must ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable places to live while providing our youth with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive,” said Pacheco. “I plan to advocate for policies that support the development of affordable housing units and work closely with local organizations to enhance educational and employment opportunities for our young residents.”

Garcia-Arrazola, 27, is a first-term council member, former Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee member and former Panetta Institute for Public Policy Washington D.C.

He is currently employed as Communications Director for Assembly member Dawn Addis.

Garcia-Arrazola believes the most important issue facing the city of Seaside is infrastructure and housing.

“I am hopeful to continue making critical investments in these key areas to ensure our residents are represented and not forced out of our city. With the new hotel development, which is projected to increase our (transient occupancy tax), I hope that we may be able to make investments in our roads, sidewalks, and crumbling infrastructure,” said Garcia-Arrazola. “Currently we have dedicated $10 million to fund infrastructure projects over the next few years, but as we know, climate change and winter rain storms are deteriorating our neighborhoods and flooding streets. We need to really look at how we plan and modify our community to withstand these storms.”

Ingersoll, 66, retired after more than 34 years of public service with the city of Seaside. Her last position was Deputy City Manager.

She currently serves as a board member for Community Partnership for Youth, Seaside Lions Club and St. Francis Xavier Church’s Finance Council.

“The most important issue facing the city of Seaside is for the city council to bring in a city manager who has leadership skills, experience in economic development, integrity and professionalism,” said Ingersoll. “The reason this is important is the city manager is responsible for ensuring that the priorities and policies set by the city council are met. I would like to be in the position to make this choice and to work with the rest of the city council members in setting the goals and priorities that would bring prosperity, security and a sense of community to our city.”

LeBeouf’s experience includes being a former Monterey Peninsula Unified School District trustee, Neighborhood Improvement Commission as Chair and current Co-Chair, and was previously a branch manager for Wells Fargo bank.

LeBeouf, 54, said she has a chronic disability and is currently not working.

She believes the city of Seaside has several issues it currently faces including affordable housing responsible economic growth and public safety.

“Insofar as affordable housing goes, I would like Seaside to partner with developers and/or the county to finance building affordable housing,” said LeBeouf. “Reach out to non-profit developers to assist in the implementation and get state and federal assistance with financing.”