At a time when Tijuana River sewage flows and noxious odors have been at their worst, it’s no surprise that addressing the cross-border pollution crisis is a key campaign issue in Imperial Beach this year. The five candidates running in Districts 2 and 4 say their top priority is to work with the mayor and City Council to resolve the environmental and health threats wreaking havoc on their small, coastal community. City Council members serve part time. They receive a base monthly salary of $950. Terms last four years. The District 2 contest features: Courtesy of Jack FisherJack Fisher John “Jack” Fisher, 53, is a lifelong resident of Imperial Beach and the incumbent serving his first term as a council member. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2022. He is also one of the appointees representing the city on the San Diego Association of Governments board, the regional planning agency. At his suggestion and with support from SANDAG board members earlier this year, the agency developed a subcommittee that researched potential funding sources, such as toll revenue, to offset the impacts of the forthcoming Otay Mesa East border crossing. The City Council then formally urged SANDAG, the border project’s toll authority, to consider setting aside one percent of toll revenues for projects that can help mitigate sewage pollution. The move would also require changes to state law. Fisher wants to ensure the proposal comes to fruition. “I believe this will be a huge step in the right direction to getting a long-term solution to a century-old problem,” he said. Fisher also wants to create a five-member youth advisory council. Additionally, he wants to increase mental health awareness and to ensure mental health professionals attend all city-sponsored events, as well as veterans organizations and schools. Courtesy of Ben SwearingenBen Swearingen Ben Swearingen, 49, is a public utilities regulatory analyst and former teacher who previously served on the South Bay Union School District’s Local Control and Accountability Committee. He said he is running “first and foremost to join the fight for environmental justice for the residents of Imperial Beach who have suffered the sewage crisis for far too long.” He supports the idea of SANDAG allocating a portion of its toll fees from the port of entry project to fix the sewage crisis. Housing and rent costs are also top-of-mind. He said he would work with local businesses and organizations to ease construction restrictions on accessory dwelling units, as well as “reasonable rent stabilization that protects both tenants and landlords.” Swearingen also wants crosswalks and better signage in residential areas that don’t have them. Martin “Marty” Mattes, 59, is a veteran and owner of the local Ye Olde Plank Inn and serves as president of the Imperial Beach Chamber of Commerce. He did not respond to an interview request. In his candidate statement, he said his focus “will be on enhancing our local businesses, supporting our precious military families, and fostering a strong sense of community.” Mattes has been advocating for businesses struggling to stay open because of declining tourism amid the sewage crisis. He has pushed for a marketing campaign that promotes Imperial Beach and its businesses, as well as for state and federal business grants or loans to help establishments. In District 4, the candidates are: Courtesy of Matthew Leyba-GonzalezMatthew Leyba-Gonzalez Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez, 52, is a business representative for the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council and is the incumbent serving his first term. He is a third-generation laborer who grew up in San Diego and moved to District 4 several years ago, where he helped businesses as a member of a COVID-19 task force. Working in that group inspired him to run for office. According to his campaign statement, his top priorities are working on “the water quality issue,” rent stabilization and bringing more street lights to District 4 as a way to improve public safety. “I have always been the voice for the unrepresented and I look forward to the opportunity of serving you for another term,” he added. Courtesy of Linda KayeLinda Kaye Linda Kaye, 70, is a real estate broker and author on topics like building wealth. After years of working in Los Angeles, she returned last year to her hometown in District 4 to care for her mother and work on another book, she said. “Alarming statistics” about the sewage crisis, such as 1,000 consecutive days without access to clean water near the U.S.-Mexico border, and being woken up by noxious odors encouraged her to help more residents file air quality complaints with the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District. She created a website that sends residents a link to the complaint form. At last count, Kaye said about 106 people received the link from her site. “When I was sickened by the smell in the middle of the night I got up to find a site to complain to and to find a hotline number that my mom could speed dial,” she said. “The air quality site had a complaint form but every effort to download it failed and it circled me back to the same page. I wondered if anyone else had this problem.” Additionally, Kaye would like parking rules to be better enforced in her district and to require permits to address the challenge of finding parking spots and to bring additional revenue to the city.