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Lisa Gauthier is one of two East Palo Alto council members vying for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors District 4 seat this November, and she believes her 11 years of experience as an elected official separate her from the competition.
The race for the District 4 seat will replace Supervisor Warren Slocum, who will term out at the end of the year.
Born and raised in East Palo Alto, Gauthier first got involved in politics in 2012 and has served as mayor and vice mayor three times each. She led the city during the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s storms when the town dealt with power outages, some of her proudest moments as mayor.
“I called a meeting with assembly members, senators, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, and Pacific Gas and Electric (Company). It was held in East Palo Alto, and we asked the electricity service questions to hold them accountable for why the power was out so long,” said Gauthier, adding community members got a rebate check.
If elected, her top priorities will be affordable housing, climate resilience and reliable transportation.
Housing
While affordable housing is a significant concern for many county residents, Gauthier believes the county’s initiative to eradicate homelessness is the most pressing issue.
She said she disagrees with the Hopeful Horizons ordinance the county approved earlier this year that issues misdemeanors for unhoused people who refuse an available bed in a county shelter. She thinks the county had good intentions, but the approach may be off.
She said an alternative she supports is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 1.
If voters approve Prop 1, more than $6 billion in general obligation bonds would be issued, giving around $1 billion for permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans with mental health or substance abuse disorders. It would allocate nearly $1 billion to fund permanent supportive housing for people without homes or at risk of homelessness with behavioral health needs and $4.3 billion for grants for behavioral health treatment, according to the state’s voters guide.
She noted a time she served as mayor in East Palo Alto, where a homeless encampment took over Bell Street Park, and the city helped those people by providing wrap-around services, understanding their needs, and gaining trust within the community.
Gauthier said she wants to also focus on addressing affordable housing for the missing middle class who can afford to rent but can’t afford a home. She said part of that solution is supporting the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority and housing along the bus and train routes. She also said it is essential to continue to build mixed-use developments with housing above ground-level retail shops.
Climate resilience
As the mayor of East Palo Alto, Gauthier has dealt with flooding and power outages, and she said the big climate issue is the threat of sea level rise on the bayfront, which will require solutions rather than passing the buck.
She said she helped facilitate the elected officials who earmarked funds to fix the pumps behind the mobile home park in Redwood City along East Bayshore Road.
Gauthier is also a founding member of One Shoreline, a county agency committed to sea-level rise resilience.
Transportation
Public transportation is many county residents’ primary mode of navigating through the Bay Area. And with little connectivity between public transportation agencies, Gauthier said she wants to work with state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, to write a law that requires agencies to collaborate and formalize a schedule that works symbiotically.
“We need to save public transportation and improve the schedules so people are encouraged to ride it and not inconvenience them,” Gauthier said.
She said her strengths revolve around policy, advocacy, workforce development, education and racial justice, equity, and health. She is the senior vice president of inclusion and belonging for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, where she works with companies on accountability, equity, inclusion and environmental stewardship.
Gauthier said she first entered the political sphere when her daughter said that if she didn’t step up as a leader at the decision-making table, somebody else would. She stated that she wanted to do it to improve the lives of the community and her family. A decade later, and now a grandmother, Gauthier said her mission is to continue to serve the community.
Gauthier joins Maggie Cornejo, director of government and community relations at Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula; Antonio López, East Palo Alto council member and current mayor; Stanford University project manager and Redwood City resident Celeste Brevard; and Paul Bocanegra, Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commissioner and legislative coordinator for San Mateo County in the race to replace current Board Supervisor Warren Slocum who has reached the end of his term limit.
The primary election is set for March 5, with a possible general election on Nov. 5 if no candidate secures more than 50% of the primary vote.
For more on Gauthier, go to her campaign website at lisagauthier.com.