Only a decade ago, major projects such as Kaiser Hospital and the San Leandro Tech Campus were under construction. These projects created good-paying jobs, injected money into the local economy that supported our restaurants and other small businesses, and funded vital city services.

This growth has slowed sharply over the last decade. Blight has developed on many commercial corridors. The condition of San Leandro streets remains among the worst in Alameda County. I will use my knowledge, experience, and skills in the private sector to bring private investment dollars back to San Leandro. Let’s return to thinking more strategically and acting more decisively to revitalize our local economy.

Qualifications/Endorsements:

• Qualifications: Ph.D in Economics from M.I.T, Business owner for 25 years (KPMG)
• Endorsements: San Leandro Chamber of Commerce PAC

In 2022, Juan called for smart, targeted investments in public safety: rebuilding police staffing, improving emergency response, expanding alternatives for behavioral-health calls and maintaining strong civilian oversight.

Today, San Leandro is safer.

Between 2023 and 2025, homicides declined by 50%, robberies by 60%, and thefts by 30%.

During Juan’s first term, the City also:

• Hired 22 police officers during 2023 and 2024 and expanded field training capacity.
• Returned police dispatch services to San Leandro, giving our community a locally operated 9-1-1 communications center.
• Answered approximately 92% of more than 40,000 emergency calls within 15 seconds.
• Launched an Alternative Response Unit to provide a more appropriate response to nonviolent behavioral-health and quality-of-life calls.
• Continued strengthening civilian police oversight and independent review.

Public safety is about more than statistics. It means responding quickly when someone calls 9-1-1, appropriately helping a person experiencing a mental-health crisis, supporting our police officers and building trust between law enforcement and the community.

The work ahead: Continue reducing crime, recruit and retain qualified officers, strengthen emergency response and expand effective alternatives for behavioral-health calls.

In 2022, Juan called for a stronger City response to homelessness, better coordination with service providers and the creation of a navigation center that could connect people with shelter, treatment and permanent housing.

That vision has become a reality.

During Juan’s first term, San Leandro secured $9.3 million in State Project Homekey funding to acquire and transform the former Nimitz Motel into the Lewelling Interim Housing and Drop-In Center.

The interim housing opened in 2025, followed by the Drop-In Center, providing meals, showers, laundry, outreach, case management and connections to services. Nearly 300 people were served through the center in its first year.

The City has also expanded behavioral-health and homeless outreach, helping connect residents experiencing homelessness to shelter, services and permanent supportive housing.

At the same time, San Leandro earned the State’s Prohousing Designation, secured additional funding for affordable housing and reduced certain development fees for affordable housing and accessory dwelling units.

The work ahead: Expand housing supply at a range of income levels, continue moving people from homelessness into stable housing, and ultimately transition the Lewelling site toward permanent supportive housing.

San Leandro’s roads, public buildings, stormwater system and other infrastructure were neglected for too long.

Juan made infrastructure one of the City Council’s highest priorities.

Street paving increased substantially early in his term, from approximately 7.6 lane miles in 2022 to 27.5 lane miles in 2023. The budget allocated to roads has increased to over $10 million in fiscal year ‘26/27. And the City has more ardently pursued external funding.

Major projects have made significant progress, including:

• the reconstruction and repaving of Washington Ave,
• the reconstruction of Bancroft Avenue,
• repaving of Manor Blvd east of Farnsworth,
• Installation of protected left turn onto Manor Blvd.
• rebuilding of the Mulford Marina library
• Installation of flashing beacons to better protect pedestrians crossing
• Design and permitting of the MacArthur Roundabout
• Design and permitting of Lake Chabot Road slide 1 and 4 repairs
• Permitting and design of the Haas-Carey bridge, with initiation of construction in October
• and many other improvements to sidewalks, curb cuts, ramps, parks and other public facilities.

The City has also accelerated its planning for long-term infrastructure needs, including aging streets, flood protection and public buildings.

But Juan has also been candid about the challenge: many neighborhood streets remain in poor or failed condition, and several of San Leandro’s oldest fire stations do not meet modern seismic standards.

Ignoring these problems only makes them more expensive.

The work ahead: Develop responsible long-term funding to repair neighborhood streets, modernize public safety infrastructure, protect neighborhoods from flooding and maintain the public facilities San Leandrans rely on every day.

In 2022, Juan argued that San Leandro needed to become more strategic about attracting investment, supporting small businesses and creating good-paying jobs.

During his first term, economic development became a formal City Council priority.

San Leandro adopted a new 10-year Economic Development Strategy and followed it with an Innovation Action Plan focused on attracting and retaining emerging industries, removing barriers to investment and helping existing businesses grow.

The City has expanded technical assistance for small businesses, provided security assessments and grants, streamlined parts of the development process and developed new strategies for attracting retail.

San Leandro is also gaining recognition as a home for innovative companies in clean energy, advanced technology and manufacturing. The California Association for Local Economic Development also recognized the City for its focused and foundational efforts for transforming the BayFair mall into an innovation center.

Juan understands that a strong local economy does more than create jobs. Successful businesses generate the revenue that helps pay for public safety, roads, parks, libraries and other essential City services.

The work ahead: Fill vacant storefronts, attract new restaurants and retailers, support locally owned businesses, encourage investment along our commercial corridors and position San Leandro as one of the East Bay’s best places to start and grow a business.

In 2022, Juan said San Leandro needed to take illegal dumping, graffiti, blight and neglected properties more seriously.

Cleanliness and quality of life are now formal City priorities.

During Juan’s first term, the City:

• Improved coordination and response to illegal dumping.
• Strengthened standards for private-property maintenance.
• Created the Beautify San Leandro program.
• Launched the Trash-Free San Leandro Initiative.
• Funded community-led beautification projects.
• Moved the MySanLeandro reporting system onto a more technologically viable platform resilient so residents can report potholes, dumping, graffiti and other neighborhood problems and track the response. Usage of the app skyrocketed.

The City is now responding to many illegal-dumping and public-graffiti reports in approximately one day.

But keeping San Leandro clean requires more than reacting to complaints. It requires consistent maintenance, enforcement and community participation.

The work ahead: Continue shortening response times, address chronic dumping locations, improve commercial corridors and invest in parks, landscaping and public spaces that build pride in every neighborhood.

Juan has spent decades supporting San Leandro’s public schools—as a parent, PTA president, School Site Council leader, education volunteer and former university lecturer.

As Mayor, he has continued pushing for a strong relationship between City Hall and the school districts serving San Leandro.

During his first term he visited every single school site in San Leandro, as well as four San Lorenzo Unified Schools in proximity to San Leandro. His visits included contact with parents and students, helping him to better understand their concerns and offer encouragement and inspiration.

The City and San Leandro Unified have partnered on early-childhood and kindergarten-readiness programs, and City departments continue working with schools and nonprofit organizations on youth programs, libraries, recreation and community services.

When the Cary Drive/Haas Avenue pedestrian bridge was damaged during severe storms in 2023, the City and San Leandro Unified immediately established a joint effort to address safe pedestrian access for students and residents.

Our schools are not operated by City Hall, but the future of San Leandro depends on the success of our young people.

The work ahead: Strengthen City-school partnerships, expand opportunities for youth and families, and ensure City decisions continue to consider the needs of San Leandro students.

In 2022, Juan promised that City Hall would communicate more effectively with residents and make government easier to understand.

San Leandro’s communications reach has grown dramatically.

Between 2022 and 2025, City website users increased from roughly 100,000 to approximately 400,000. Instagram followers doubled, and YouTube subscriptions grew from roughly 2,000 to approximately 14,000.

Residents can now use MySanLeandro to report and track non-emergency problems directly from their phones.

The City has also expanded community budget meetings, surveys, newsletters, online project information and public dashboards.

And beginning in July 2026, City Council agendas became available in English, Spanish and Chinese, making local government more accessible to more San Leandro families.

Juan believes transparency is not simply putting information somewhere online. It means giving residents information they can actually find, understand and use.

The work ahead: Continue expanding multilingual communication, make City information easier to navigate and provide residents with clear measurements of whether City Hall is delivering results.

Juan remains steadfast in his support for reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights and the dignity of every person who calls San Leandro home.

During his term, San Leandro has continued celebrating its diversity through Pride programming, cultural events and community outreach designed to include voices that have historically been left out of government.

Juan believes local government has an important responsibility to make every resident feel safe, respected and welcome—regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, immigration background or economic circumstances.

He will continue using his voice as Mayor to stand against discrimination, defend reproductive freedom and protect the rights and dignity of every San Leandran.