Santa Barbara mayoral candidates Eric Friedman and Kristen Sneddon clashed over whose to blame for the city’s budget problems, rent stabilization and whether to place it on a ballot for approval, and housing policy, in the first mayoral debate of the campaign season.
Wendy Sims-Moten, who spent eight years on the Santa Barbara Unified School Board of Education, brought an outsider’s point of view to the event. She said she would bring a fresh perspective to City Hall and be more inclusive of the community.
An estimated 240 people attended the event sponsored by the Santa Barbara News-Press and co-hosted with Newsmakers with JR’s Jerry Roberts. News-Press Editor Joshua Molina and Roberts moderated.
The debate comes amid changing times at Santa Barbara City Hall. Mayor Randy Rowse is not seeking re-election, creating an open seat for the city’s top elected spot.
Friedman and Sneddon clashed over the city budget and rent stabilization. Sims-Moten said she would be more inclusive of the community in her decision-making. All three of the candidates earned applause from the audience after various questions.
The discussion quickly focused on finances—in particular who should be held responsible for the city’s lack of budget reserves—later swerving into questions on housing, a controversial rent stabilization ordinance and the future of State Street.
Friedman, who works at Trader Joe’s, quickly placed blame on City Hall financial woes on Sneddon.
“Even though I voted against Kristen Sneddon’s deficit budget that went into emergency reserves, I did my job,” Friedman said, arguing she played a part in the city’s burned-through savings.
In response, Sneddon said Friedman was “very aware” of Santa Barbara’s plunging budget deficit as chair of the Finance Committee.
“I’m not pointing a finger,” said Sneddon, a Santa Barbara City College environmental geology professor. “I’m having fingers pointed at me.”
Sims-Moten, executive director of First 5 Santa Barbara County and a former member of the Santa Barbara Unified School Board, said she wants the council to meet regularly for budget study sessions. She emphasized fiscal transparency across departments.
“When we’re making decisions, the decision is not just laid at the feet of the council,” said Sims-Moten. “It’s because it comes from folks who know it, who are educated and willing to do their part to make sure that we do have a balanced budget.”
Friedman said he believes the city can no longer rely on tourism and taxes to fund its budget. Instead, the council should focus on investing in other industries such as renewable energy and form more partnerships with UCSB.
Sneddon, on the other hand, attributed the city’s budget dip to the construction of a new police station on Santa Barbara Street—a project Friedman helped spearhead. Irresponsible spending on behalf of the council wasn’t to blame, but rising costs and inflation was the issue, she added.
“This wasn’t a circumstance of council deciding to wildly spend money,” Sneddon said. “It was a matter of the things we were used to spending money on, services for the community for you, suddenly cost much, much more.”
Questions about the pros and cons of a proposed rent stabilization ordinance factored heavily Thursday. In Santa Barbara, it would cap rents at 60% of the consumer price index, or 3%, whichever is less. Friedman opposes the ordinance, Sneddon supports it and Sims-Moten said she agrees with it as a temporary solution.
A renter herself, Sims-Moten, said cap would give the City Council more time to find a permanent solution.
Sneddon said she believes the ordinance will address the housing crisis by leveling out costs to benefit both property owners and renters.
But Friedman said that, in five years, he believes the ordinance will force landlords to sell out their properties to out-of-town, corporate investors, subsequently driving up costs. He called the council’s process of creating the draft “backwards planning.”
“It won’t pay for itself,” Friedman said.
All three championed a vibrant downtown. They differed, however, on what that means and how to get there.
Both Sneddon and Friedman on Tuesday voted to approve the $96 million, six-year State Street Master Plan. Pressed on how to pay for it, Sneddon, Friedman and Sims-Moten presented conflicting visions.
Sneddon defended a comment she made after voting for the master plan, when she said she was “not worried that we don’t know where exactly every dollar is going to come from if we make a plan…”
“Having the plan allows you to unlock funding,” Sneddon said.
She added that she plans to fund the master plan through securing philanthropic funding and transportation grants.
Friedman jumped in, arguing that he proposed a compromise on Tuesday that, if approved, would have saved the city money—keep four blocks closed—which he said would be easier to maintain, clean and police.
“Where the circulation is off, where the businesses are failing now, we get the best of both worlds,” he said. “We get to keep those businesses that are thriving with it closed (and) we help those that aren’t.”
Sims-Moten said she wants to ensure that State Street is friendly for children, but she still has questions about the master plan.
As the debate neared its end, Sneddon and Friedman described mistakes they learned from. Sims-Moted framed hers as opportunities to grow.
Sims-Moten said she wished she checked in with families and students on a daily basis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Mistakes aren’t bad, are they?” she asked. “Are you learning from it? Are you doing something different as a result of it?
Friedman said he wished he talked to the State Street businesses about the master plan more.
Sneddon said she regrets drafting a 15-page rent stabilization ordinance in 2025 with the help of outside attorneys, tenant advocates and colleague Wendy Santamaria. The draft was “bold,” she added, and something she wouldn’t do again. She apologized to her colleagues Mike Jordan and Meagan Harmon.
“It’s not just important that the community is involved,” Sneddon said, “but our colleagues did not feel involved.”
The election is Nov. 3.