Lemoore City Council Election District E: Guadalupe Capozzi tackles large district

Why are you running for a seat on the Lemoore City Council? Was or is there a specific issue that angered you, that you questioned, or is it simply a desire to serve your community.

I am running for the Lemoore City Council because I feel that I have a lot to contribute as a community member and as a professional.   I want to serve my community in this capacity simply because I love the City of Lemoore and want to use my talents and resources to make it an even better place to live. 

As you know, economic prosperity is always an issue for Lemoore. Based on its size and populations and proximity to Hanford, Visalia, and Fresno (and other communities), it has been difficult to attract retail business. How would you counteract this disability? What would you do to improve Lemoore’s economic climate?

My first response would be to research how we can support the businesses that are already here.  The local businesses have taken a huge hit during the Covid-19 pandemic.  The big businesses like Wal-Mart, Target, and Amazon are doing better during these times.  Every big business started as a small business and grew.  Rallying to support what we have would be a priority.

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Name what you feel is a challenging issue or issues that Lemoore may face in the near future: water, jobs, education, police, fire, taxes, etc.?

Like any other community, our biggest challenge is increasing morale and energy during this time.  I often feel that national issues tend to infect the way people feel about their own communities.  Lemoore is a wonderful place to live, and people show up for each other.  Creating the ability to have more community time in the face of social distancing and Covid-19 will be important.  The educational system is in a quandary everywhere.  Supporting the schools in developing a plan for return and engagement is an issue that will need to be addressed.  As it relates to the police department, I believe we need to protect the relationship that the police have with the community and not let what’s happening on a national level affect us.  We can do this by reviewing our current policies and making sure that they are in line with principled policing.

In your opinion, is Lemoore in a positive place right now, or are there issues that need to be addressed that may or may not affect the future of this city?

I believe we are as positive as we can be considering the climate.   I do believe we should take a proactive approach and look at some of the liabilities that we may have and take a pro-active approach.

What is the first thing you would seek to change or improve upon if elected?

I would like to start with the perception of the City Council.  There are some less than favorable sentiments that I believe need some work.  We can do this by having a city council that is cohesive in the way they make decisions.  The council has seemed fragmented.  The community needs to have faith in their council in order to make progress.       

Do you feel Lemoore is a safe community? Why or why not?

I do feel it is a safe community.  I have worked with the Lemoore Police Department for over a decade.  They have a very short response time and are very visible in the community.  The Police Department is very visible at all community events, and the Police and Community relationship is evident.  Many of the officers who work in Lemoore live in Lemoore.  Since that is the case, there is a personal, vested interest in keeping Lemoore safe.  Many of the changes that are happening in the country related to Police and Community relations are speaking to this issue.  The discussion is about having incentives for officers to live in the communities they police, so they have a vested interest in the overall health and safety of the community.

Any final thoughts that may not have been asked, but you feel it is an important issue, program, or need?

We have some extremely rich relationships with big community partners like West Hills, Leprino, the naval base, Tachi Palace, and the Surf Ranch.  It is imperative that we foster and grow these relationships as well as being protective of the local private business owner.   Healthy big business and small business equals a balanced and healthy economic community.