TR Robertson –Cipriano Vargas, a lifelong resident of Vista, recently announced his candidacy for Mayor of the City of Vista. In his own words, “Vista is the community where I grew up and the proud area I call home. I am running with a track record of success and commitment to our community. We deserve the best.” Vargas is a graduate of the Vista School system. His parents were farmworkers and instilled in him a strong work ethic and the importance of an education. As a result, Vargas was the first in his family to get a college education, graduating from Cal State San Marcos with a major in Sociology and a minor in Spanish.
He was active in high school in the schools Future Farmers of America and serving as President of the association. In college he became involved in advocacy, working to keep fees down for students. Then Governor Jerry Brown appointed Vargas as a student trustee for the Cal State System Board of Trustees. Vargas has remained active in the community since returning to Vista, after serving for two years as teacher in San Antonio, Texas.
Cipriano is President of the Cal State Alumni Association which assist students with scholarships. He said 78% of the students graduating stay in the region and it is important to support and assist them where possible. He also assists in a program at Mira Costa mentoring first generation students. Vargas was elected to the Vista School Board in 2016 and reelected in 2020, where he now serves as the Board President. He is also a Representative to the California School Board Association and is active in seeking funding for Special Education Teachers to help in their support of skill sets they need for their students to be successful.
If this wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Vargas is the Policy Advisor at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors assisting Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. He was recognized by the Vista Chamber of Commerce as a 40 under 40 leader and by the San Diego Union Tribune as a Regional Community Champion.
When asked to prioritize the top 3 issues he considers most important in the race for Mayor of the City of Vista, Vargas listed #1 as both Housing to assist first time Homeowners and Homeless Support as critical for the community. He said since there is no specific shelter for sizable numbers of homeless more support is needed in this area. Assisting with additional services to deal with mental issues among the homeless is also needed. The increase in homeless over the age of 55 is also of great concern and needs to be addressed, not with just local assistance, but also with county, state and federal assistance. He said working with a variety of support systems is one way to begin to ease the homeless crisis.
Relative to housing, Vargas alluded to the rising cost of rental property as well as the rising cost of homes, especially for first time buyers. He said the need in the city for moderate, affordable homes and rental property is a must and should be considered before further developments is approved.
Number 2 on list of priorities is making Vista an Inclusive Government. He feels the need for public feedback on all issues the city deals with is important before final approval. Residents are concerned with street repair, lighting areas for safety, parks, just to name a few issues. Residents need to have a say in the final city budget, he said, creating surveys and public forums for input. He said in questioning people around town he found 9 out of 10 people both had no idea about the city budget, how the money was spent or had a say in any way about the budget. Vargas said something as simple as having his cell # on his web site allows people to recommend, comment and vent about issues.
Number 3 in the list of priorities for the race for Mayor is a Focus on the Cities Infrastructure. He said as funding is received the city has an opportunity to move forward in a positive way. The proper use of the cities resources and the ability to create new jobs is important. Along with this public safety studies and the effective use of proper growth studies, both for business and residential, is critical to what we want the city to look like in the future.
Vargas feels “Making a Difference Now in the Community” involves getting young people, parents and adults involved. His web site is www.cipriano@ciprianovargas.com .
