By Dianne Anderson

With just a few weeks out from a historic election, Fontana City Council candidates are preparing for a win, and the hard work ahead to deal with city economics, an increase in homelessness, immigration and unhealthy air.

Amy Malone – Fontana City Council District 3

If elected, Amy Malone wants to advocate for her district, especially around the inequalities of COVID 19 that has devastated the community.

Malone hopes to work closely with council members to spur public and private investments toward growth, and prioritize economic recovery from the pandemic.

Developing more affordable housing is also part of the solution.

“This in turn will create job opportunities that pay wages comparable to the cost of living in our district,” she said.

Because the growing homeless population is often connected with mental illness, she said it could lead to close negative encounters with law enforcement, violence or substance abuse.

She envisions developing a task force to identify the needs of homeless individuals, with a goal to reunite them with their families. Once they regain their footing, they can reenter the workforce, obtain healthy living conditions, and start rebuilding their lives.

Malone is a certified public relations professional, and diversity and inclusion consultant with over 20 years of experience.

She has also been involved with a number of voter outreach efforts, including “My Hood Votes, for grassroots outreach and mobilization to reach underserved communities. She partnered in the national effort, “Ending Mass Incarceration Conference and bail reform initiative Freedom Day Bailout.”

“I will work to develop a low-income housing community that offers income-based housing, and a specific number of units to be used for the temporary housing of homeless individuals with on-site services that include alcohol and drug intervention, trauma counseling, mental health treatment, medical treatment, life skills training, and job training,” she said.

Another aspect of managing the problems facing her district is the city and leadership must go above and beyond any party affiliations, or favoritism, she adds.

“I just want to get the business of Fontana done on a bipartisan council whose primary focus is the residents of Fontana. I believe my communication skills and public relations experience allows me to work well with people of varied backgrounds, and still achieve a successful outcome,” she said.

Linda Richardson – Fontana City Council District 3

For Linda Richardson, immigration and DACA is one of the big problems facing District 3. She seeks to explore how surrounding cities address ways to implement policies that affect the city’s undocumented immigrants.

“I distinguish my platform from my opponents by committing to explore immigration issues for the 16% of Fontana residents that are undocumented and committing to our senior population, [and] to explore rent control and neighborhood watch communities that will keep them safe,” she said.

Other priorities include getting seniors in the community the services they need, and her role in promoting diversity. She is bi-racial, having grown up on a Southern California reservation, and she feels it allows her a level of relatability in opening up conversations on race. As a “bridge-builder,” she also hopes to improve the dialogue between residents and the police.

Even as COVID 19 shows no signs of abating, she hopes to continue meeting with the community in safe 6-foot apart public spaces to keep the conversation going about what they feel is important for the district.

She is also concerned that many warehouses sit vacant for rent, and that warehouses and toxic fumes are negatively impacting the community.

“With the warehouses being built in our district this proposes unhealthy air and those that struggle with respiratory issues, [and so many are] affected,” she added.

Richardson holds her Master’s degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, and works as a chaplain at a local hospital.

To learn more about the candidates, see:

https://malone4fontanacitycouncil.com/meet_amy

https://www.lindarichardson4fontanacitycouncil.com/

For more voter resources, see:

To find your ballot drop off location, see

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voters-choice-act/vca-voting-locations

How to avoid common mistakes in Vote By Mail

https://www.calvoter.org/issues/vote-mail

Find out more about the how to register to vote and vote by mail

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail/