Ashley Cintas

“The goal should be simple: broader voter support, fair representation and a system residents understand. If the evidence supports a change, voters should decide it at the ballot box.”

Written response · answer only

“My minimum is 24/7 local emergency access with stabilization, diagnostics and the ability to treat and discharge patients locally. I also want inpatient acute care preserved if an independent analysis shows a workable model. The City should immediately pursue a parallel path: obtain independent financial and facility data, issue a request for information to qualified operators, evaluate the existing property and other sites, and identify public, private, nonprofit, county and state funding options. We should negotiate with Providence, but we cannot allow one company to be our only plan.”

Written response · answer only

“Yes. Residents should receive one complete accounting from the temporary street closure through design, consultants, construction, furnishings, change orders, lost parking revenue and annual maintenance. The City should publish the original budget, every Council authorization, the final cost, funding sources and who approved each material change. A project cannot be judged responsibly when costs are scattered across years and accounts. I would also require a post-project review of whether the Promenade met its stated goals and what should be corrected.”

Written response · answer only

“No. A special restaurant tax would also be paid by residents and would weaken local businesses. Visitors should contribute more directly through tools tied to visitor demand and cost. I support data-based peak parking rates in the highest-demand areas, stronger collection and enforcement, appropriate event and user fees, and a review of hotel tax and assessment structures. Any additional revenue should be dedicated and reported publicly for beach maintenance, restrooms, traffic management, transit and public safety. The City should first combine current parking, traffic, lodging and visitor data so the charge is connected to a measurable cost.”

Written response · answer only

“Yes. A tabletop exercise is useful, but it does not show whether alerts reach people, intersections move, evacuation routes work or backup communications hold up under pressure. I would require a neighborhood or evacuation-zone pilot within six months of taking office and a phased citywide exercise during the first year, coordinated with police, fire, public works, schools and regional partners. The results should be published, including failures, corrective actions, responsible departments and deadlines. Prepared is not the same as tested.”

Written response · answer only

“I would pause new non-emergency consulting studies and reduce outside professional-services spending by at least $500,000 while the City inventories current contracts, duplicate studies and unused software. The tradeoff is that some discretionary studies and lower-priority initiatives would take longer. Police, fire, lifeguards, wildfire work and essential maintenance would be protected. This is one part of my larger first-budget-cycle goal of identifying approximately $2 million in recurring savings or cost avoidance through contract review, vacancy control, project prioritization and monthly budget-to-actual management.”

Written response · answer only

“I would be proudest if Laguna could prove that its critical systems work: a citywide evacuation system tested and corrected, dependable local emergency care, and infrastructure projects funded and delivered on schedule. That would mean replacing promises with measurable results. If I am not elected, my greatest fear is slow erosion rather than one dramatic event: losing emergency care, postponing wildfire readiness, allowing operating deficits to become normal and spending heavily without finishing core projects. Over time, that would reduce both residents' safety and the character we are trying to protect.”

Written response · answer only