Juan Santos Esquivel

Name: Juan Santos Esquivel
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-442-4835
Campaign Website: https://www.juanforoakdale.com/
Twitter handle: @JuanEsq64518514
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/juan.esquivel.7503314?mibexted=ZbWKwL
Candidate Bio
My 33 years of military service gave me the ability to negotiate, debate, and accomplish short- and long-term plans for missions. Good negotiation skills can help me as a council member to collaborate with the community and government officials.
With the same experience, it sharpens my skills to review policies that were in place affecting missions and overall daily duties. I am familiar with neighborhoods, roads, and geographical features. I believe this will help me with zoning, drafting fair laws and connecting with citizens.
I understand the laws that govern public safety and how those affect public safety in our community. This knowledge will help me recommend laws that keep everyone safe and create a cleaner, more secure community.
Finally, I understand the basics of local laws, how to draft laws and how to work within the legal limitations for everyone's best interests.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I identify with the principles of Servant Leadership and see this opportunity as a chance to continue to serve my community and give back the valuable opportunities I have been given as an American Citizen.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Oakdale?
Preparedness for the rising crime in and around our neighboring cities. So far, the rise in crime is not in our community but is at our doorsteps.
Its important for our community to have a good relationship, trust, and support for our Police Officers. Always ensure that resources are always available while on duty to keep our community, residents, and visitors safe.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
The importance of a strong partnership between the City of Oakdale and the Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce is essential to our growing city. The Business Retention, Expansion, and Attraction program (BREA) from 2022 has been a remarkable success in our city. This collaboration with city and chamber members to Oakdale businesses have been important in helping the city understand the challenges businesses face in a post-COVID economy.
One major proposal that would have been unfavorable to small business is the $20/Hour Statewide Minimum Wage. The proposal would have raised the statewide minimum wage to $15/hour by August 1, 2024, then to $20/hour in 2028. The second proposal is Government-Run Health Insurance. This involves the government designing its own health insurance product and competing with private companies in the market.
How would you characterize the business climate in Oakdale and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Oakdale?
Overall Oakdale is a great city to start a small business in because we live in a place that values public decency, public safety, education, and is not overly political. Our community is physically beautiful and well cared for. Oakdale has a competitive tax rate, easy-to-navigate regulations, and a large, diverse, and well-educated workforce. The attraction to our community is the smaller start-up expenses. Many of these businesses are home-based, and many of these businesses work well with existing Minnesota industries.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
I will use the relationship I have with all my neighbors and around the blocks where I live. Walking around with my grandkids and greeting and talking to people are my strongest gifts. As we get to know each other we share concerns, needs, and the blessings of our community. People looking after each other’s property and helping each other with simple cleaning the driveway in winter to cutting the front yard of senior citizens is essential. This is a starting point of public safety. The best way to solve neighborhood crime, accidents and injuries is at a community level. This also will revamp the neighborhood watch program that our city already has.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
The housing shortage is a complex problem with many causes, including the increasing cost of construction, materials, and labor. The basic supply and demand formula drives this reality. I will use me as an example of how I planned and managed to build an addition to my house to keep living with an affordable monthly payment.
The application to build a house or additions to existing homes in our community are minimal restrictions compared to other cities. This approach attracts investors and residents to build and stay in Oakdale for the long term. Big Oakdale developments are in progress that is affordable to middle class families with minimal increases on taxes to the community.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Collaborate with neighboring towns, transportation agencies, and private sector stakeholders to create a community approach to public transportation. Improving public transportation requires long-term commitment, political will, and collaboration among stakeholders of local corporations. It is important to tailor approaches to the specific needs that benefit the community. As an example, Oakdale gathered a bike and walking pathways plan with feedback from the community. Keeping safety, a top priority also looked at the current trails, sidewalks and lighting missing from these areas.
The second improvement is the bus transit route. This can be a good option for the city of Oakdale as we grow in businesses, corporations, and commuters; these routes can be adjusted to serve our needs.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
I read reports from social sources on how Oakdale managed federal COVID money. Investing in equipment, technology and public safety vehicles with federal money was a future investment that was paid for instead of putting the burden on property tax dollars. All this included covering public safety salary expenses during COVID. This investment approach allowed the city not to raise taxes during this time and covered future expenses in future years.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
In today’s approach to achieve the American dream is different from twenty years ago. The stumbling block people face while trying to achieve the American Dream are good paying jobs, wages, childcare subsidies, property taxes, and education to name a few. These laws or policies are better suited at the State level, this creates a baseline for cities to abide by. A city can add but not take away from state policies.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-442-4835
Campaign Website: https://www.juanforoakdale.com/
Twitter handle: @JuanEsq64518514
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/juan.esquivel.7503314?mibexted=ZbWKwL
Candidate Bio
My 33 years of military service gave me the ability to negotiate, debate, and accomplish short- and long-term plans for missions. Good negotiation skills can help me as a council member to collaborate with the community and government officials.
With the same experience, it sharpens my skills to review policies that were in place affecting missions and overall daily duties. I am familiar with neighborhoods, roads, and geographical features. I believe this will help me with zoning, drafting fair laws and connecting with citizens.
I understand the laws that govern public safety and how those affect public safety in our community. This knowledge will help me recommend laws that keep everyone safe and create a cleaner, more secure community.
Finally, I understand the basics of local laws, how to draft laws and how to work within the legal limitations for everyone's best interests.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I identify with the principles of Servant Leadership and see this opportunity as a chance to continue to serve my community and give back the valuable opportunities I have been given as an American Citizen.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
- Public Safety: Starting with a stronger neighborhood watch, neighbors looking after each other. A five-year plan expanding the police and first responder’s departments to accommodate the growing population of Oakdale.
- Fiscally responsible: Be a good custodian of the city budget, and responsible for the effectiveness of programs already in place for the community. Communicate policies and programs to residents of our community.
- Representation of residents: represent concerns with matters close to our homes, such as increased taxes, building regulations, local roads, playing fields, and local environment issues.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Oakdale?
Preparedness for the rising crime in and around our neighboring cities. So far, the rise in crime is not in our community but is at our doorsteps.
Its important for our community to have a good relationship, trust, and support for our Police Officers. Always ensure that resources are always available while on duty to keep our community, residents, and visitors safe.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
The importance of a strong partnership between the City of Oakdale and the Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce is essential to our growing city. The Business Retention, Expansion, and Attraction program (BREA) from 2022 has been a remarkable success in our city. This collaboration with city and chamber members to Oakdale businesses have been important in helping the city understand the challenges businesses face in a post-COVID economy.
One major proposal that would have been unfavorable to small business is the $20/Hour Statewide Minimum Wage. The proposal would have raised the statewide minimum wage to $15/hour by August 1, 2024, then to $20/hour in 2028. The second proposal is Government-Run Health Insurance. This involves the government designing its own health insurance product and competing with private companies in the market.
How would you characterize the business climate in Oakdale and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Oakdale?
Overall Oakdale is a great city to start a small business in because we live in a place that values public decency, public safety, education, and is not overly political. Our community is physically beautiful and well cared for. Oakdale has a competitive tax rate, easy-to-navigate regulations, and a large, diverse, and well-educated workforce. The attraction to our community is the smaller start-up expenses. Many of these businesses are home-based, and many of these businesses work well with existing Minnesota industries.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
I will use the relationship I have with all my neighbors and around the blocks where I live. Walking around with my grandkids and greeting and talking to people are my strongest gifts. As we get to know each other we share concerns, needs, and the blessings of our community. People looking after each other’s property and helping each other with simple cleaning the driveway in winter to cutting the front yard of senior citizens is essential. This is a starting point of public safety. The best way to solve neighborhood crime, accidents and injuries is at a community level. This also will revamp the neighborhood watch program that our city already has.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
The housing shortage is a complex problem with many causes, including the increasing cost of construction, materials, and labor. The basic supply and demand formula drives this reality. I will use me as an example of how I planned and managed to build an addition to my house to keep living with an affordable monthly payment.
The application to build a house or additions to existing homes in our community are minimal restrictions compared to other cities. This approach attracts investors and residents to build and stay in Oakdale for the long term. Big Oakdale developments are in progress that is affordable to middle class families with minimal increases on taxes to the community.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Collaborate with neighboring towns, transportation agencies, and private sector stakeholders to create a community approach to public transportation. Improving public transportation requires long-term commitment, political will, and collaboration among stakeholders of local corporations. It is important to tailor approaches to the specific needs that benefit the community. As an example, Oakdale gathered a bike and walking pathways plan with feedback from the community. Keeping safety, a top priority also looked at the current trails, sidewalks and lighting missing from these areas.
The second improvement is the bus transit route. This can be a good option for the city of Oakdale as we grow in businesses, corporations, and commuters; these routes can be adjusted to serve our needs.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
I read reports from social sources on how Oakdale managed federal COVID money. Investing in equipment, technology and public safety vehicles with federal money was a future investment that was paid for instead of putting the burden on property tax dollars. All this included covering public safety salary expenses during COVID. This investment approach allowed the city not to raise taxes during this time and covered future expenses in future years.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
In today’s approach to achieve the American dream is different from twenty years ago. The stumbling block people face while trying to achieve the American Dream are good paying jobs, wages, childcare subsidies, property taxes, and education to name a few. These laws or policies are better suited at the State level, this creates a baseline for cities to abide by. A city can add but not take away from state policies.