Note: As part of The Sentinel’s 2024 coverage of local elections, we have asked a series of five identical questions to each of the District 1 candidates running for Citrus Heights City Council. The questions are designed to give each of the candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves to the community and give voters an opportunity to learn more about each candidate. Candidates replied via email, and those who responded to each question in less than 100 words have their answers published word-for-word. Answers exceeding 100 words were edited for length.
Kelsey Nelson:
What are two budget allocations in the current city budget that you would advocate changing, if elected?
Our Council and City Manager have our City positioned very well financially compared to neighboring cities. I applaud the Council for allocating more money than ever before to our roads and it’s exciting to see the projects happening on San Juan Ave and Auburn Blvd. I’ll advocate for the further increase of funds to combat the deferred maintenance of roads we’re all experiencing. Furthermore, the Beautification Crew is doing a fantastic job working with community feedback to keep our City clean. Our police officers spend lots of time working alongside them to clean up homeless encampments… *Edited for length
What are two votes the city council has made that you disagree with, and why?
I largely respect our Council’s decisions. I disagree with comments made this year regarding Council’s support of community members’ participation in our own Neighborhood Area meetings. We need to encourage everyone able to volunteer by making it easy to lead and to attend community meetings. An impactful way for our residents to get involved in the City is to attend our Neighborhood Area monthly meetings. These meetings generally last up to an hour and provide the space for neighbors to talk about what’s going on nearby, to speak directly with staff and CHPD, and to work together to plan projects… *Edited for length
How do you envision the city in 5 or 10 years? What specific steps will you take to achieve this vision?
In five years, the Citrus Heights I envision will have bustling community events, high performing schools, clean streets, full commercial centers, and development occurring at the Sunrise Mall according to the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan. I’ll work closely with Economic Development and Community Engagement Director Meghan Huber, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheri Merrick, and our other incredible professionals working in our City to empower business owners to do business in Citrus Heights and to ensure our residents love where they live.
For residents who are concerned about the condition of local roads, how would you address such concerns if elected?
As a central point in the Greater Sacramento Region, many more than our residents depend on the quality of our roads. I’d like to explore a partnership with the County to increase the efforts of road repair in our City. We are spending more this year on roads than before, however I’d like to see us allocate even more funds to our repair efforts, while we continue to work efficiently by clustering projects.
For residents who are concerned about homelessness, how would you address such concerns if elected?
We must address homelessness with compassion and put people experiencing homelessness on the path to recovery. By connecting individuals with services formed at the County to help them, we can enable them to achieve better circumstances. Our police officers already do this as they encounter people, however I’d like to see more of an effort to educate the public about how these services work. With more knowledge, we can help each other more effectively. A member of the CHPD I spoke with recently said, it often takes multiple invitations before an individual accepts the help being offered to them… *Edited for length
Find out more about Kelsey Nelson on her campaign page here.
To read more about each candidate, see article: Election 2024: Who’s running for Citrus Heights City Council?
