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. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide
Name: Henry Nickel
Current job title: County Workforce Development Analyst/Business Owner
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: San Bernardino City Council Ward 5
City where you reside: San Bernardino
Campaign website or social media: henrynickel.com, www.facebook.com/NickelforCC5
How can the city best meet the demand and mandates for more housing, including at lower prices, while also preserving the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents?
Increasing homeownership and providing services and incentives to existing and prospective homeowners must be a priority over the next several council terms. The city’s current homeownership rate is below 48%. This compares to 64% in Fontana, our county’s second-largest city, according to the Governor’s Office. Furthermore, the city must focus on mixed-use redevelopment of the downtown core to create a sustainable engine of economic and community vitality. This must be coordinated in partnership with county and regional stakeholders, able to reduce the city’s disproportionate concentrations of chronic homelessness, poverty, blight, crime, mental illness and substance abuse.
The city must streamline and fast-track community development approval of routine accessory dwelling unit construction for primary residence homeowners including waivers of fees, same-day city plan checks, and encourage a qualified five-year deferred property reassessments after construction. Furthermore, the city should consider down payment, rehabilitation and refinance assistance for primary residences within the city’s Economic Opportunity Zones. Finally, provide a 10-year deferred/forgivable housing purchase or upgrade loan to city and possibly county employees with a primary residence in the city.
How should the city balance paying off debts, such as pension liabilities, and building reserves all while meeting residents’ needs? Should a solution involve finding new revenue, trimming the budget, or something else entirely?
Our city agreed to give all property tax revenue to San Bernardino County as part of the city’s 2016 bankruptcy settlement. Thus, the city’s general fund depends upon sales tax. Yet our downtown is among the least attractive for generating robust sales tax. Over the last four years we have witnessed further decay and decline within our downtown due to adolescent bickering and corrupt political opportunism. By advancing a coherent and competent mixed-use redevelopment strategy and plan, such as was accomplished in Riverside, we can stabilize our community while generating significant necessary sales tax revenues.
Cooperation from our county is essential to this renaissance. Ironically, as the largest employer and benefactor of our city’s property tax wealth, the county will benefit greatly by helping our city prosper. Current total assessed values of all city parcels amount to only 50% that of Ontario and below 60% of Fontana, all smaller than San Bernardino. With even a modest increase in assessed property values through effective mixed-use downtown redevelopment, the county stands to reap hundreds of millions of dollars by helping our city overcome its present disproportionate concentrations of chronic homelessness, poverty, blight, crime, mental illness and substance abuse.
In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it?
Our city lacks confidence. It lacks the confidence to stand up against the corrupting influences of outside special interests and donors. It lacks the confidence to stand up against those who seek to exploit our present challenges. It lacks the confidence to take actions that hold accountable those in positions of regional authority and influence. It lacks the confidence to adopt best practices from communities throughout the nation that have overcome similar obstacles. It lacks the confidence to acknowledge that we already have the resources and opportunities required to transform our city for the better.
As a long-time prior councilmember who witnessed and weathered some of our city’s most significant challenges, I am ready to roll up my sleaves once again. Unlike others, I have refrained from accepting contributions from outside special interests and donors. Unlike others, I have good working relationships with fellow council members and regional officials. Unlike others, I intentionally meet with constituents and our local press to ensure transparency and accountability. I will once again host community discussions before ALL council meetings open to the public and press while inviting other local officials as guests to ensure we stay the course and regain confidence.
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city?
We must demand accountability from our elected officials and regional leaders. After nearly two decades of public service, it is apparent that the job of an elected official must be to advance the interests of those they represent rather than themselves. Time and time again we have witnessed our city exploited by disgraced elected officials seeking personal gain. Today our city faces many challenges. I not only have the expertise to address complex issues but the heart to do the right thing.
Our family has called San Bernardino “home” for over a century. I understand the strength of our diverse heritage. While a teenager, I served on our former Norton Air Force Base and as a congressional intern while attending Crafton Hills College. At age 20 I earned a undergraduate degree in communication, government and economics from American University in Washington, D.C. I served in the U.S. Treasury Department and overseas. I attended law school and earned my graduate degree in national security studies. I worked in the fields of transportation, education, economic and workforce development and served our community in both public health and the arts. I am a well-rounded person who gets things done while a steward of our tax dollars, committed to family and our community.
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