Jose Nuño is not seeking a second term on the Manteca City Council.
Nuno’s decision on Monday means when 2023 rolls around the council may have two new faces if Councilman Dave Breitenbucher — instead of seeking re-election as a council member — follows through on challenging Ben Cantu who is seeking his second term as mayor in November.
Nuño and Breitenbucher represent District 4 and District 3 respectively. They are the first two seats that that will be elected by district voting only after the city last week finalized the move to four district council seats in addition to electing a mayor citywide.
Gary Singh (District 1) and Charlie Halford (District 2) were elected in 2020. Their seats will be up in 2024.
Both Nuño and Breitenbucher were elected in 2018.
Last week former council member Mike Morowit filled papers with the City Clerk’s office that allows him to start collecting donations for a run at the District 4 seat in November.
Nuño said his decision was driven by a desire to keep his family first. He decided between an increased workload with his employer — Visionary Home Builders of California that provides affordable housing opportunities — and family commitments that he didn’t have time to do justice for a campaign or to serve a second term.
He did not rule out the possibility of other avenues of service through elected office.
“It’s just not the right time,” Nuño said.
Nuño will serve through the first part of December.
In the time he has left on the council he wants to continue building on progress the city has made with pursuing shelter and related services for homeless families plus others. Nuño also wants to keep advancing affordable housing opportunities in Manteca as well as keep progress moving on downtown and the need to expand Main Street to four lanes.
“People often forget that many of the homeless we are trying help out are Manteca families who have ended up on the street,” Nuño said.
The 8 acres on South Main Street the city is working to acquire is envisioned as a combined homeless navigation center/shelter with transitional housing on the back half separated by a solid masonry wall with possible affordable housing mixed with commercial on the ground floor of several buildings on the front half along South Main Street.
Nuño also said the fact the city’s administration has started to stabilize with the hiring of department heads, the establishment of an in-house city attorney, and a new city manager should help Manteca move forward.
Nuño is the vice president of programs and services for Visionary Home Builders. That involves assets management, overseeing home ownership endeavors, and educating clients on how to manage money and save for buying a home. He is also working on a program that trains people for the construction trades given there is a growing shortage of such skills plus the jobs available can provide decent wages needed to buy homes.
He was appointed in 2011 by then Mayor Willie Weatherford to the Planning Commission as an alternate to fill a vacancy when alternate Jeff Aksland resigned. He eventually was appointed as one of the five sitting members.
Nuño said he ran for council to fill a desire to serve the community.
Nuño and his wife Gabriela have two children — Max and Natalia.
District 4 where Nuño resides consists of all of Manteca north of Louise Avenue between the Lathrop city limits and Cottage Avenue.
District 3 where Breitenbucher resides is bounded on the north by Louise Avenue, on the east by Highway 99, and on the south by the 120 Bypass.
The western boundary starts at the 120 Bypass and Union Road, jogs to the east on Wawona Street and then swings north on El Portal for a block before shifting slightly to the northwest onto El Capitan. It then heads east on Nevada Street for a block and then heads north on Walnut Avenue before turning east on Alameda and then heading north along the Tidewater to Louise Avenue.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
