West Sacramento is ready for a new generation of leaders. These are the best candidates

West Sacramento once had a reputation for being a place to avoid, but the community directly across the river from Sacramento has experienced a transformation in the 35 years since it was incorporated.

A city of roughly 51,000, West Sacramento has seen a boom in new housing and investment, bike trails and parks. All of it was accomplished by smart leaders such as former Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, who was a central figure in a city now considering its next generation of leaders.

This fall, for the first time, West Sacramento will elect its City Council members by district. Like many cities in California, West Sacramento was sued to force a change from at-large to district representation. And as in many other cities, the process of dividing the city into districts was difficult.

The southern part of West Sacramento, where much of the city’s infill development and growth has occurred, is now split into two districts from which voters will elect their representatives in November.

In the 3rd District, in the southwestern part of the city, The Bee endorses Dawnté Early for a four-term. In 2021, Early was elected to fill an empty seat on the council with the Editorial Board’s endorsement based on her knowledge and experience.

“Early has a proven track record as a change agent at some of the most complex agencies in California, “ we wrote then. “At the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Early led a joint research project between CDCR and the Department of Health Care Services.”

In the current election, it’s Early’s experience that is the most important difference between her and her opponent, Leanne Linares. Early understands the complexity of serving on the council and making difficult decisions. She has supported the use of West Sacramento motels to rehouse formerly homeless people, the construction of badly needed affordable housing and reforms to make police responses to mental health problems more effective.

Linares, a schoolteacher who grew up in West Sacramento, said was recruited to run by community members who feel their concerns are not being addressed by the council. But she is better at relaying grievances than proposing solutions.

In an interview with the Editorial Board, Linares suggested that West Sacramento needs to improve services before it allows more housing. Early understands that in a region and state with a huge housing shortage, the city needs to do both. She has supported investment in parks and neighborhoods to accommodate West Sacramento’s rapid growth.

In the 4th District, in the southeastern part of the city, The Bee endorses Verna Sulpizio Hull for a four-year term. A First 5 Commissioner for Yolo County, Sulpizio Hull grew up in West Sacramento. She is a past president of the West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce and understands the importance of attracting investment. She also has a nuanced view of the council’s role and recognizes the importance of making sure city infrastructure keeps up with development.

Sulpizio Hull sees affordable child care as a priority for a growing city. She wants West Sacramento to create its first fully accessible park for children with special needs. And while she understands that public safety, infrastructure and traffic top the city’s concerns, she wants to make it easier for residents to connect to mental health services.

Sulpzio Hull’s opponent is Alex Hirsch, a policy expert for the California Senate. Hirsch has lived in West Sacramento for nearly 10 years and is a solid candidate for office; we hope he stays involved in city politics. But the endorsement goes to Sulpizio Hull because of her depth of knowledge about West Sacramento and what it needs to continue its promising trajectory.

Sulpizio Hull and Early are ready to be part of the next generation of leaders in West Sacramento.

This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM.