Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson for Santa Cruz City Council District 3: I bring experience, a work ethic and a record of success we need to continue

Quick Take

Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson says the Santa Cruz community is on the right track under her leadership and she should be reelected as a councilmember.

Editor’s note: Lookout editors wanted to give you a chance to hear from candidates directly. But we also did not want them to simply repeat their campaign slogans. So we asked them a single question: “How will you provide the sort of leadership our community needs and how are you prepared to meet the moment as it arises?”

We gave them 500 words to answer. We hope their answers will provide one more outlet of information as you decide who to vote for on March 5.

Leadership demands unwavering commitment, compassion and experience, qualities I’ve consistently demonstrated during my first term in office. I believe we are on the right track in Santa Cruz – with our work with the unhoused, affordable housing, environmental sustainability and neighborhood safety.

It’s crucial we keep moving in this direction. That is why I am seeking another term. I want to help continue our progress for a better community.

For me, leadership is about experience, lessons gained through life and work that shape a tested approach to decision-making. It’s also about perspective, the ability to hear and respect multiple (often competing) opinions of others to guide inclusive policymaking. And it is about effectiveness, the ability to make difficult decisions, achieve consensus and produce actionable governance.

I have brought these leadership qualities to the residents of District 3 and want to continue to meet the challenges that confront our city.

We are trying to solve big problems in Santa Cruz, particularly housing inequity and living with climate change. We need the sort of experienced leadership and commitment I have consistently shown.

My journey as an immigrant shaped my values. I believe in strong community, integrity and hard work. Being displaced as a child put me on the path of service. Not only have I served on the Santa Cruz City Council for the past three years, I also bring over 20 years of work in the public health and social services field. I have and continue to serve on public and nonprofit boards that give me deep insight into the challenges we face and their potential solutions.

Our community has struggled with increasing homelessness for decades. When elected to the city council, I knew I wanted to work with my colleagues to create solutions. We passed local measures and put in a framework that included the first-ever Homeless Services Division, plus a three-year action plan. In just a couple of years, we have addressed large, unmanaged encampments with their public health and safety concerns, moved oversized vehicles out of neighborhoods and, instead, provided safe shelter.

This resulted in an unprecedented 29% decrease in homelessness in one year.

The issues facing District 3 (and our city at large) often evoke powerful emotions. It’s important to honor varying perspectives in order to achieve workable compromise. One example of my leadership is the recent city council adoption of our wharf master plan. This has been in the works for years. There has been a push and pull between modernization, accessibility, economic revitalization and historic and natural preservation. I invested the time to intimately understand these issues, and to meet with community members and city staff to ultimately bring forward the compromise plan that was adopted.

When the 2023 storms hit, we lost significant portions of West Cliff Drive. We needed to act quickly.

I worked with the vice mayor and city staff to ensure that we safeguarded the damage, and shortly thereafter safely opened portions of West Cliff Drive. I have since sought solutions to the increased local neighborhood traffic caused during road repairs.

I seek your vote to continue serving as your dedicated District 3 city councilmember.

Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson’s campaign site is here.