Meet the Candidates: Cathedral City council election

The General Election is a little more than a month away on Nov. 8. News Channel 3 is taking an in-depth look at the candidates running for Cathedral City council.

This year's candidates include:

District 3

• Mark Carnevale

District 4

• Ernesto Gutierrez
• David Koslow
• Rick Saldivar

District 5

• Raymond Gregory 

Treasurer

• Greg Jackson

Carnevale, Gregory, and Jackson are running unopposed.

News Channel 3 spoke with each District 4 candidate ahead of the election:

Why should someone cast their vote for you?

Gutierrez: "I believe the voters should vote for me because I don't have any personal agenda. I have broad business knowledge, and that business knowledge has actually equated to our huge surplus, one that our city has never ever had since it was incorporated in 1981."

Koslow: "I am the no-nonsense candidate. I'm going to look at the city management and make the changes that are needed. I'd like to point out that if the city were a corporation, this entire five-person city council would be given the sack by the shareholders. They have led us down a garden path to hell, and they need to be removed, and I'm the guy to do it."

Saldivar: "People should vote for me on several things. Like I said, I have a gift. I have learned the writing the grant writing process. I have been very successful at finding funds that directly impact the betterment of communities and individuals. And this is something that I want to do from an elected, you know, from a local government space. I want to be able to bring funding to Cathedral City."

On homelessness:

Gutierrez: "Having a mental specialist go out and deal with a homeless situation and talk to the homeless people. They might be a little bit less afraid of being in contact with a police officer and a mental health specialist."

Koslow: "We must have licensed clinical social workers who are trained in handling the needs of the homeless to work hand in hand with the police."

Saldivar: "We give [the homeless] the resources. And of course, they have to want the resources… But again, those are resources that are at my hands. I work with everybody in the county."

On where city funds should be invested:

Gutierrez: "Make sure that a large percentage of our city revenues are actually for capital improvements… Fix our streets, fix or repair or maintain our parks."

Koslow: "Wherever we find savings, we need to direct it to the police and fire departments because without them, we are not safe in our homes, in our properties."

Saldivar: "I think the fire department could have a lot more and I want to find that for them… Find funding for police, obviously, for safety, and then maybe some educational programs for youth."

On crime:

Gutierrez: "I spearheaded also the surveillance security camera system within our city that protects our residents as well as brings justice to the victims of any murder or anything that has been committed within our city."

Koslow: "We need to attract the very, very best of police officers, not simply cadets, but fully careered officers from around the country to come here and provide us with the best protection possible."

Saldivar: "I work directly with the probation department, parole department, and I'm very well versed in what criminogenic needs we need to know in order for crime to stop."