About the district
Three candidates – incumbent David Rogers, John Chavez and Tim Farrell– are running to represent Madera County Supervisor District 2 which encompasses Chowchilla, West County, La Viña, Ripperdan and Fairmead areas.
About the candidates
David Rogers is the incumbent, first elected in 2010. He holds an associate’s degree in engineering and a bachelor’s in Human Resources Management/Organizational Development from Fresno Pacific University. He has a general contracting business, working in real estate sales and development. He served Chowchilla for two terms on the city council and two terms as mayor and mayor pro tem from 1991-1998.
John Chavez Jr. is the mayor of Chowchilla and has served on the city council for 14 years. Prior to being elected to the city council, he served as an appointed commissioner to the Chowchilla Parks and Recreation Commission. He has held a number of jobs that are mostly related to bakeries and now runs Cornaggia’s Bakery, a family business, which has been a part of Chowchilla since 1925. He attended Merced College.
Tim Farrell works as Realtor with London Properties with offices in Chowchilla and Madera and serves on the board of directors for the Madera County Association of Realtors. He has worked in both the public and private sectors. He has worked on the Anti-Graffiti program in Madera County and graduated from Cal Poly.
Who is funding the candidates’ campaigns?
Rogers has a significant fundraising lead, with over $120,000 raised, mostly from business interests and developers. Click to zoom in on the interactive chart to learn more about the donations.
On the issues
We asked each candidate to respond to a series of questions on the issues. John Chavez, Jr. and Tim Farrell did not respond to our multiple requests to fill out the survey. Read below for answers from incumbent David Rogers.
What are your top three priorities for your community and why? How would you work to achieve those priorities?
ROGERS:
Public Safety: We continue to increase sheriff’s deputies and Calfire personnel along with new patrol cars, fire trucks, equipment and facilities.Economic Development: We have reduced regulation, cut red tape and become one of the best places to do business nationally. Water Resources Development: We are developing groundwater recharge facilities both public and private all over the county. We have also developed plans for improved and expanded water delivery systems and a plan to retire some less productive land from farming.
What do you think the county’s role is in keeping Madera County affordable? What ideas and policy solutions would you bring to the table toward that goal?
ROGERS:
Madera County is one of the most affordable places to live in California. It has a lower sales tax rate than its neighboring counties, its fee structures are considerably lower and processing for permits takes significantly less time than other counties. We continually monitor these processes for improvement.
Following a Fresno County Grand Jury report in 2020 that criticized the lack of coordination and oversight in the Fresno/Madera region’s homelessness response, what should the county do to better coordinate homelessness response in the region?
ROGERS:
Madera County’s homeless population is vastly lower than Fresno or Merced. Many of the homeless migrate here from the other counties. We address the problem through behavioral health on site visits along with enforcement of codes. The real solution must come from a change in state laws, which have allowed mentally ill and drug addicted individuals to be free of any accountability and help.
Do you support expanding industrial and warehouse uses near residential communities, like the proposed south Madera industrial park? If yes, how should local air quality impacts be addressed?
ROGERS:
Yes I support the industrial Park. 80 percent of Madera County’s quality issues come from sources outside of the county.
Do you think the county should encourage new town growth (like Riverstone or Tesoro Viejo) or push housing towards places where infrastructure and communities already exist? Do you think current Madera taxpayers should pay for water or transportation infrastructure to support new growth?
ROGERS:
The communities mentioned which have been developed are well planned, beautiful, livable with green space, shopping and employment. These communities have brought in their water supply, pay for their fire protection and their deputies at no cost to the county’s general fund. The property taxes generated by these subdivisions are beneficial to the entire county.
What is the county’s responsibility to mitigate the effects of climate change?
ROGERS:
I see no evidence of manmade climate change. Cyclical changes in weather patterns have occurred for thousands of years.
Do you think the county should subsidize employers if they bring new jobs? What types of subsidies are appropriate, or are not appropriate?
ROGERS:
No. I believe in free market enterprise.What do you think the county should do to improve wages for workers?
ROGERS:
Again, I believe in free markets. Government should not be involved in fixing wages. It has led to inflation and devalued the dollar while being paid for by the average consumer.
What projects do you think should be prioritized for state and federal infrastructure dollars? How can local workers and communities benefit?
ROGERS:
Water storage and delivery as well as ground water recharge projects, roads and bridges. Water projects will save thousands of agricultural jobs. 40 percent of Madera County jobs involve transportation of goods.
What should the county do to improve job, services, and health care accessibility for those who do not have access to a reliable vehicle? Where would you like to see more transportation dollars spent, and why?
ROGERS:
Transportation money should be spent on roads and bridges. Madera County has assessed its roads need at over a billion dollars.
Within the next year, what should the county’s role be in reducing the impacts of rising gas prices on people?
ROGERS:
That is a problem created by the state and federal governments. Production is the key; prices are dictated by supply and demand.
What should the county’s role be in making sure rural communities like the Ranchos or Fairmead do not lose access to safe drinking water and keep water affordable during the drought?
ROGERS:
It has already been addressed through redundant systems and storage.
How should the county work with growers who are adjusting to SGMA implementation?
ROGERS:
We must seek the least onerous path for farmers. They are being regulated out of business. The fact remains that the lack of surface water used for farming has created the ground water problem. The state has allowed the CVP and other water projects as well as tributaries to be hijacked for environmental purposes which have solved nothing and created a human crisis.
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