My Priorities

Sylvia’s 4 Point Plan for Santa Clara Families:

1) Improve public safety: On the County Board of Supervisors, I will continue to crack down on burglaries, violent crime, and those who abuse women and children.

2) Homelessness: I will roll up my sleeves to fix and improve homeless and mental health services, so those in need can get the treatment and housing they need to get off the streets.

3) Prioritize Families: We must make sure that families can afford to live in Santa Clara County, with more homeownership opportunities, affordable childcare, access to healthcare, transit, and good paying jobs.

4) Climate Change: As a county, we must work together to protect our water and open space, expand renewable energy, and hold polluters accountable to clean up their messes.

Learn more about my priorities below:

Families and CHildren

Serving on the San Jose City Council, I have led the fight to make our local governments really prioritize the needs of families and children. I spearheaded San Jose’s Family Friendly City Initiative, including the expansion of child care, afterschool programs, and emotional health programs, as well as helping lead a county-wide collaboration to close the digital divide.

On the Board of Supervisors, no issue area will be a greater priority for me than ensuring that the County improves their coordination and support for families.

Economic Development

Too many in our community are being squeezed out of Santa Clara County by an economy that doesn’t serve all our families. On the Board of Supervisors, I will continue to passionately advocate for small businesses, job training programs, and for good – union – wages on public projects.

I’ll stand up to cynical efforts to play politics with the wages of public employees, and I’ll help expand collaboration between city jobs programs, school and trades programs, and federal and state funding sources.

Housing

We are facing an unprecedented housing crisis — one that effects virtually every family in our community. That’s why I’ve fought to expand opportunities for families to find affordable housing, why I have always championed Measure A programs, and why I’ll continue to advocate for compassionate and housing focused solutions to the homelessness crisis.

To finally solve the crisis of homelessness, we’re going to need to make real improvements in mental health services and drug treatment programs — but these steps will never get us the outcome that our families need, unless we also find solutions to the out of control cost of housing in our communities.

Health CAre

All of our families have been scarred by this pandemic, but even before COVID too many in our community have been denied the care they need by a health care system that has suffered for too long from a lack of investment..

On the Board of Supervisors, I’ll advocate for investing into our safety net public health system, as well as expanding mental health, health equity programs, and continuing our active response to the pandemic.

When the pandemic began, I worked night and day to expand services for vulnerable seniors, children, and those with disabilities. When shelter in place prevented vulnerable seniors and children from accessing health care, school, and even food and other basic necessities, I jumped in and delivered results.

I helped lead efforts to ensure that County COVID testing and vaccine sites were accessible in our community, working closely with the County to bring testing and vaccination sites to key locations like Eastridge Mall, helping thousands of families access services.

I will bring this same dedication to the Board of Supervisors, where I will focus on the critical investments needed to expand access to health care and mental health services. New state programs and funding give us a major opportunity to help our families, but only if we make smart local decisions.

Public Safety

So much of our experience in our community comes from our sense of safety in our neighborhoods. That’s why I’ve worked non-stop to expand San Jose Police Department’s ability to solve violent crimes and protect our most vulnerable — particularly focusing on crimes against women and children.

Since 2019, I’ve led a bipartisan effort that has led to a regional approach on fighting a rising wave of sexual assault and violence against women and girls. On the Board of Supervisors, I will continue this collaboration.

Protecting our environment

Santa Clara County needs Supervisors that will stand up to polluters and protect our critical open spaces from out of control development.

On the San Jose City Council, I protected 3,000 acres of open space in Coyote Valley from development and successfully led a ballot campaign to prevent illegal development in the Evergreen/East Hills.

At the same time, I have been at the forefront of local actions to address climate change and protecting low-income kids from lead poising from leaded aviation gas. There is no safe level of lead, particularly for young children, and all of our kids are counting on us to do our part in the global effort to stop climate change.