Council candidate forum notes: The 1st Ward contest

The race to represent the city's 1st Ward features incumbent Esther Estrada and challenger Virginia Marquez.

Debate between the two candidates during a Tuesday night candidate forum started with a sharp note. Marquez had the opportunity Tuesday to offer the first response to the first question, and although the candidates were asked to explain what they would do if given full support for any policy inititative, Marquez used the opportunity to accuse Estrada of being inaccessible to the general public.

Estrada answered the question by saying she wants more police downtown and supports a potential city/county civic center on the current site of Carousel Mall, but didn't get into the policy aspects of her response until after saying that she would actually provide a direct answer to the question.

The opponents also squared off over the issue of diesel pollution emanating from BNSF Railway's rail yard on the Westside. Marquez charged that the issue has been ignored.

"I will be a voice for the 1st Ward and a voice for cleaner air," Marquez said.

Estrada, who has participated in town hall meetings to discuss rail yard pollution replied that she wants to sue BNSF Railway over pollution.

"That's the only way that they're going to come to the table," Estrada argued.

In response to a question on how to attract new business - a question that came with a caveat against recruiting "marginal businesses" - Marquez said she supports tax breaks and incentives for business and the establishment of a business advisory council.

Estrada replied that anytime City Hall offers a tax cut, politicos should be prepared to make some kind of cutback to city operations to make up for the loss of revenue and noted her opposition to using the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency's money to balance the city's budget.

When asked how to change San Bernardino's reputation of being a "black hole," Marquez said she supports the creation of a city communications director.

The City Council voted 4-3 in July - with Estrada being one of the "no" votes - to establish a city spokesperson as a way to communicate city policy to the media and market San Bernardino to businesses.

Although the position is not slated to be financed through general fund revenues, opponents of the idea have been critical of the creation of a new position with six-figure salary shortly after the council approved layoffs for other city employees.

Estrada said in response to that question (Tuesday's questions were generally concerned with improving San Bernardino's business climate and image) that San Bernardinians should stop badmouthing their own city. She also proposed that officials could defer the collection of development impact fees as a carrot to business.