Guest Commentary | Ryan Coonerty: Santa Cruz can do better — together

By Ryan Coonerty

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Over the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time walking neighborhoods, talking with residents and visiting local businesses. I always ask them the same question, “What do you want from the next mayor?” I hear the same thing again and again — people love and care deeply about Santa Cruz. They count themselves lucky to live here. But they’re concerned.

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They’re asking why storefronts sit empty, why there is trash and weeds in our medians and parks, and why our community struggles to address the tragedy and chaos on Coral Street. I also hear concerns about overbuilt, out-of-scale development and whether we can maintain our community’s character.

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Santa Cruz is one of the most beautiful places in the world, with caring and engaged residents. They believe, and I agree, that we can — and should — do better on the basics that shape our quality of life.

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What I’m hearing isn’t ideological. It’s practical. People want a city that feels cared for and safe, where the beauty of our built environment matches that of our natural one.

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This election isn’t about ideology. It’s about working together to make Santa Cruz better.

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Some candidates in the race for mayor are relying on rhetoric that fuels fear or by making promises they know they can’t keep. I believe the next leader of our city should offer focus, transparency and an urgent commitment to results.

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We need to get serious about filling vacant storefronts. I’ve talked to small business owners who are desperate to open their doors but are stuck navigating a permitting process that is slow, costly and unpredictable. It’s a barrier to the kind of local businesses that make Santa Cruz special. We should streamline approvals, provide clear timelines, and actively partner with entrepreneurs and property owners to create jobs and bring spaces back to life. A vibrant economy doesn’t happen by accident. It takes coordination and follow-through.

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We must address with both compassion and clarity the encampments that are in unsafe and inappropriate locations. The city has made progress in reducing the number of people experiencing street homelessness. However, there is much more to do. Sidewalks, parks and public spaces should be accessible to everyone. That means consistent enforcement of basic rules, paired with real pathways to services, treatment and shelter. We can be a city that cares deeply and still set clear expectations about shared spaces. We should take pride in how Santa Cruz looks and feels. That means a renewed focus on public beautification: clean parks and medians, maintained vacant property and a visible commitment to upkeep. But this isn’t just the city’s job. We need to expand volunteer clean-up efforts, partner with neighborhood groups, and invest in public art that reflects our creativity and spirit.

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If we are going to be a thriving community, our teachers, nurses and workers of all kinds need to be able to afford to live here. Addressing the housing and affordability crisis must be a priority. That doesn’t mean we have to accept housing that is out of scale with adjacent neighborhoods. There are projects that ignore the legitimate concerns of neighbors. We must push back against irresponsible developers and the state laws that eliminate local control. We are doing our part to address a statewide issue; the state should reward us by allowing us to grow in ways that reflect our character and scale. Growth should strengthen Santa Cruz, not undermine what makes it special.

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Finally, we need to hold ourselves accountable. If elected mayor, I will launch a simple, public-facing city dashboard that tracks progress on these priorities — vacancy rates, permitting timelines, cleanup response times, water use, crime rates, and more. Residents should be able to see, in real time, whether the city is delivering. Good intentions aren’t enough; results matter.

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I’ve spent my career bringing people together to solve problems. I know that Santa Cruz works best when we focus less on division and more on working together to get real results. We face big challenges, but even bigger opportunities.

Ballots have arrived. This is our opportunity to get Santa Cruz working better together.

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Ryan Coonerty is a candidate for mayor of Santa Cruz.