Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below.<\/p>\n
Name: Oscar Valadez<\/p>\n
Age: 54<\/p>\n
Current job title: Construction Contractor<\/p>\n
Incumbent: No<\/p>\n
Other political positions held: Fullerton Planning Commissioner and current Chair (2025\u2013present); former Fullerton Parks and Recreation Commissioner (2024); former Fullerton Transportation and Circulation Commissioner (2023\u20132024)<\/p>\n
City where you reside: Fullerton<\/p>\n
Campaign website or social media: ValadezforFullerton.com<\/p>\n
How can the city best meet the demand and mandates for more housing, including at lower price points, while also preserving local control and the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)<\/p>\n
Fullerton needs more housing that working families, seniors, and young people can actually afford \u2014 and we need to grow responsibly. As a Planning Commissioner, I believe we can meet our housing obligations while protecting the quality of life that makes our neighborhoods special.<\/p>\n
New housing should be focused in appropriate areas, particularly near transit, jobs, commercial corridors, and other locations where additional density makes sense. Fullerton should offer a range of options \u2014 starter homes, townhomes, apartments, ADUs, and senior housing \u2014 so residents at different stages of life have real choices.At the same time, Sacramento should not dictate every land\u2011use decision through a one\u2011size\u2011fits\u2011all approach. Cities need flexibility to determine where and how housing fits their communities.<\/p>\n
Housing also cannot be planned in isolation. New development must be paired with adequate streets, water and sewer infrastructure, parks, public safety, parking, and other essential services. My approach is responsible growth: meet our housing needs, preserve established neighborhoods, involve residents in the planning process, and ensure development strengthens Fullerton for future generations.<\/p>\n
How should the city balance rising costs, paying off debts, such as pension liabilities, and building reserves, all while meeting residents\u2019 needs? Should a solution involve finding new revenue, economic development, trimming the budget, or something else entirely? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)<\/p>\n
Fullerton\u2019s financial challenges will require discipline, teamwork, and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 rebuilding public trust. The City Council must work together and put service above self, setting aside personal and political differences to focus on what matters most to residents.<\/p>\n
We should scrub each department\u2019s budget line by line to identify unnecessary spending and inefficiencies while protecting essential services like public safety, streets and infrastructure, and parks. We must also address pension liabilities responsibly and build healthy reserves so we do not pass today\u2019s obligations to future generations.<\/p>\n
But we cannot simply cut our way to long\u2011term stability. Economic development must be part of the solution by making Fullerton a better place to invest, open a business, and create jobs.<\/p>\n
If additional revenue is ultimately needed, City Hall must first earn the public\u2019s trust by demonstrating that it is spending existing resources responsibly and transparently. Residents deserve a City Council that works as a team, sets clear priorities, and puts the community ahead of politics.<\/p>\n
The public expects transparency from public leaders in spending and governance. How can this be achieved? How can the city do better in this area? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)<\/p>\n
Transparency is essential to rebuilding trust in City Hall. It begins with electing council members who operate in good faith, put service above self, and are willing to work together even when they disagree.<\/p>\n
Residents should not need to be experts in government \u2014 or file public records requests \u2014 to understand how their tax dollars are being spent. Budgets, contracts, major expenditures, meeting materials, and financial information should be easy to find and easy to understand.<\/p>\n
Important decisions should be discussed openly, with enough time for residents to review proposals and provide meaningful input. City Hall should clearly explain not only what decisions are being made, but why, what they cost, and what results residents should expect.<\/p>\n
Transparency also requires accountability. The City should set clear goals, measure progress, and report results to the public.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, rebuilding trust requires a culture of good faith, teamwork, accountability, and openness, with councilmembers focused on serving the community rather than personal or political agendas.<\/p>\n
In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)<\/p>\n
Fullerton\u2019s biggest need is rebuilding trust in City Hall and restoring our ability to work together to solve problems. We face real challenges \u2014 aging streets and infrastructure, financial pressures, public safety concerns, homelessness, housing affordability, and maintaining our parks and neighborhoods. We will not solve them if City Hall is divided and residents have lost confidence in their government.<\/p>\n
As a councilmember, I would focus on what matters: setting clear priorities, making responsible financial decisions, investing in essential services and infrastructure, and measuring whether we are actually delivering results.<\/p>\n
Just as importantly, the City Council must work as a team. We will not always agree, but councilmembers should operate in good faith, listen to residents and one another, and look for common ground rather than allowing personal or political differences to prevent progress.<\/p>\n
My approach to public service is simple: service above self. Put the community first, rebuild trust through transparency and results, and bring people together to make Fullerton stronger for the next generation.<\/p>\n
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)<\/p>\n
I was born and raised in Fullerton, and this community has shaped who I am. I grew up in South Fullerton, attended local schools, built a business, and raised my family here. I understand Fullerton not just from City Hall, but from our neighborhoods, parks, schools, businesses, and community organizations.<\/p>\n
Leadership starts with listening. As Chair of the Fullerton Planning Commission, a business owner, and an active community volunteer, I\u2019ve learned that good leaders bring people together, listen to different perspectives, and look for practical solutions. We may not always agree, but we can operate in good faith and work toward common goals.<\/p>\n
Fullerton is a diverse city, and every neighborhood deserves a voice at City Hall. I will be present in our communities, accessible to residents, and committed to ensuring that people who have historically felt overlooked are heard.<\/p>\n
My approach is service above self: represent the entire community, work collaboratively with fellow councilmembers, and focus on delivering results that leave Fullerton stronger for the next generation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":487929,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[1400,163,165,164,7,126915,204,205,100,13],"class_list":["post-487928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-2026-elections","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-california","tag-candidate-questionnaire","tag-election","tag-local-politics","tag-news","tag-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=487928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487928\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/487929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=487928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=487928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=487928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}