Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

I would like to express my support for Ben Cantu for Mayor of Manteca, and explain a little why I am going to vote for Ben.

My family and I moved to Manteca in 2000. We were attracted to the small-town feel, the vibrant Downtown where we could patronize local businesses, and the safe neighborhoods that offered an ideal place to raise a family.

While I am happy to continue to call Manteca home, I also feel that there are certain issues simmering below the surface that our current leaders have chosen not to or been unwilling to address over the last several years. Manteca has grown significantly since we moved here, and while new homes and warehouses are seemingly built non-stop, community needs such as roads, public safety, and local businesses are being left behind. Not to mention Downtown is being abandoned while economic growth is being pushed towards the outer edges of our city.

The reason my family and I chose to live in Manteca is because we truly felt at home in a growing community that did not neglect the essential services that make a city great in the first place. I want a city where a strong and fully-staffed police department keeps neighborhoods safe, where our leaders prioritize local businesses instead of warehouses and low-paying jobs, and where opportunities exist that attract people to move here for careers, not the other way around.

I do not feel that current leadership in Manteca is prioritizing the needs of the community. I support Ben Cantu for Mayor because he has the knowledge and experience to deal with and solve the problems in Manteca, and because he offers the right perspective our city needs to start tackling the issues. For anyone who is ready to make Manteca the best city it can be, I encourage you to vote for new ideas and a fresh perspective. Please vote for Ben Cantu for Manteca Mayor on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Rev. Ingrid Nash

Manteca