Ward 4, in Santa Ana’s south, presents a choice between a pro-business moderate incumbent and a longtime resident and community activist.
Incumbent Phil Bacerra, a USC urban planning graduate with extensive municipal government experience, voted to put Measure N on the ballot despite arguing that Santa Ana must “take growing revenue through economic development more seriously and trim more fat to prevent future budget deficits.” He correctly points out that an improved business climate, rather than extending one of Orange County’s highest sales tax rates, is the path to long-term fiscal health.
Bacerra has backed his pro-business bent with practical municipal reforms and has a record reflecting that. He championed lower fees on developers as it became clear such fees chilled the housing market, express permitting for minor projects, and online plan submissions to streamline city approvals.
In 2021, he voted against the city’s rent control ordinance because it “does not solve the issue” of high housing costs. He also rejects bringing back government redevelopment agencies, preferring private market growth over government-directed real estate intervention. While he downplays the influence of the city’s police union as merely “one of many stakeholders,” his alliance with the police union remains our biggest criticism of him. Overall, Bacerra has been a needed voice for policy restraint on the council.
Challenger Sandra De Anda raises many valid points regarding fiscal transparency. “We need to protect the basics residents depend on — safe streets, parks, youth and senior programs, infrastructure, and emergency response — while taking a hard look at expensive programs that aren’t delivering enough value,” she told us. She questions spending on automated enforcement programs like speed cameras when lower-cost street designs exist, and she warns against giving City Hall a “blank check” via Measure N. Though she stopped short of explicitly opposing Measure N, she has since expressed opposition. Those are all points in her favor.
However, her willingness to open the door to a revived redevelopment agency (with guardrails) and her continued support for rent stabilization point to a more economically interventionist inclination than we think is in the best interest of the city. Her endorsements from the public employee union SEIU 721, the Orange County Democratic Socialists of America and Unite Here Local 11 underscore those concerns.
We endorse Bacerra. His concrete efforts to reduce red tape and his opposition to rent control align with the policy framework Santa Ana needs to build housing and attract investment.