Merced City Council’s District 1 candidates Darin Dupont, Walter Smith answer key questions
With incumbent Jesse Ornelas not running for re-election, there will be a new council member in District 1 elected in November.
The two challengers vying for the open seat in District 1, which includes Southeast Merced, are planning commissioner Walter Smith and local civil attorney Darin DuPont.
Both candidates agree the most pressing issues facing District 1 and Merced include affordable housing, infrastructure improvements and economic development.
“Our community needs strong leadership to address these challenges and create a more equitable and prosperous future for everyone,” Smith said.
Dupont says he’ll be a strong advocate for an underserved part of the community.
“District 1 is one of the most important districts to the future of Merced and that is a future that I and my family will experience,” Dupont said.
Both candidates answered questions similar to those posed to candidates running for Merced City Council in Districts 3 and 5, focusing on issues and challenges facing Merced, including public safety, economic development, infrastructure and homelessness.
Q: If elected, what housing policies and programs will you advance to ensure that residents have access to quality and affordable housing, including for low income?
Dupont says the City of Merced has put an emphasis on affordable housing in the city. He says the city should also look at different types of affordable housing to accommodate different families.
“I want the City to be flexible, where affordable housing projects can be brought to the city council and we can promote all housing from single family to multi-family because in the long run all types of housing helps with the affordability of housing in Merced,” Dupont said.
Smith says the city needs to offer incentives for developers to include low-income housing units with new project and support nonprofit housing organizations.
“I also support strengthening tenant protections and providing resources for first-time home buyers,” Smith said. “By collaborating with local organizations, and leveraging state and federal funding, we can make significant strides in ensuring that every resident has access to quality housing.”
Q: If elected, what are some solutions you propose to ensure existing disadvantaged communities, such as those in South Merced, get the infrastructure improvements and investments they need, including road improvements, sidewalks, lights, water, storm water, drainage and sewer?
Smith says he wants to create a comprehensive infrastructure improvement plan that addresses the most urgent needs. He also wants to seek out the public’s opinion on what those most urgent needs are.
“The plan should include allocating a dedicated portion of the city budget for these projects and actively seeking state and federal grants,” Smith said. “We also need to establish a community advisory board to ensure that residents have a voice in determining the priorities and monitoring the progress of these investments.”
Dupont says it’s important for the City of Merced to continue its partnership with the Merced County Association of Governments and other regional government entities to work on projects.
“We need to be better at partnering with other jurisdictions because we do not have the funding to fix all of the curbing, sidewalks, and roads, etc. that need to be fixed,” Dupont said. “This means working to receive grants, in addition to the (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grants that we already receive.”
Q: How will you ensure all residents, including children, youth and seniors, have access to safe, vibrant parks and accessible community spaces and recreational programs?
Dupont says one key is finding a new location for a youth and senior facilities with the High Speed Rail Station coming.
“We need to start planning now where our youth and senior center facilities will be located,”Dupont said. “If we are not planning now, later down the road we will have a gap in providing that space for our youth and seniors.”
Dupont also says youth don’t have enough access to recreational facilities.
“We need to find a balance between safety and access so our youth have an opportunity to engage in recreational activity,” Dupont added. “As for the safety aspect, we need to ensure we are enforcing our ordinances and laws, which include our anti-camping ordinances.”
Smith says he wants to work with local organizations to provide diverse programs for youth and senior groups. He wants to expand funding for park maintenance and development. He wants to make sure all parks are equipped with necessary amenities and safety features.
“I also support creating that Parks and Recreation master plan to guide long term investments and ensure equitable access to recreational spaces across the city,” Smith said.
Q: Merced residents face issues with speeding and pedestrian safety. How will you address these concerns?
Smith says he will advocate for a comprehensive traffic safety plan which will include traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and improved signage — particularly in high-risk areas.
“I also support the expansion of safe pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, including more crosswalks, bike lanes and pedestrian signals,” Smith said. “Additionally, I’ll work with law enforcement to increase traffic enforcement in areas with high incidence of speeding and accidents.”
Dupont says the Merced Police Department has done a good job to ramp up their efforts in traffic safety and wants to support that effort in both a strong traffic unit and new technology in enforcing traffic violations.
“Additionally, we need to work towards better lighting throughout the city,” Dupont said. “This is ensuring that we have increased lighting in areas that have the most pedestrian traffic and improving the type of lighting.”
Q: So what are your long term and short term goals to address the needs of the unhoused population in Merced?
Tackling this issue is complicated, according to Dupont. He feels the city needs to work with outside organizations to help the unhoused population.
“This is not a one-stop solution, this takes working with county, state, and federal partners to ensure the proper services are being provided to those that are unhoused,” Dupont said. “It is also important that we protect our community from those that are vandalizing properties and enforce our anti-camping ordinances.”
Smith says as one of the planning commissioners he helps oversee a lot of the projects getting done in Merced.
“In order to do anything short-term or long-term we have to have the money in the budget and come together with the city and the federal grants,” Smith said. “Merced is hurting and economy is going down. We need jobs in Merced.”
Q: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the city of Merced is about 10%. How will you create economic opportunities that provide sustainable wages for all residents and allow them to achieve upward mobility?
Smith hopes to help residents earn high-paying jobs through training programs and wants to help local businesses.
“I will work to attract new businesses and support local entrepreneurship through small business grants and training programs,” Smith said. “I also support investing in workforce development initiatives that provide residents with the skills needed for high demand industries. By fostering a diverse and resilient local economy, we can ensure that residents have access to good paying jobs and opportunities for upward mobility.”
Dupont says it’s important to work with UC Merced as a community partner.
“We need to be mindful in the types of programs and degrees that graduates from UC Merced are receiving,” Dupont said. “Because we want them to continue to stay in the community and contribute to the economic benefit of the city, which means we need to work with business owners and investors to bring in the job opportunities that match those programs and degrees.”
This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 8:35 AM.
