March 5 election: David Schwartz, District 2 county supervisor candidate

County
Supervisors
District 1
Live Oak, Soquel, Pleasure Point, Summit, part of Capitola and Santa Cruz

District 2
Aptos, Corralitos, Freedom, La Selva Beach, part of Capitola and Watsonville

District 5
San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, part of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz
City Council
District 1
Upper Ocean, DeLaveaga, Prospect Heights

District 2
Lower Ocean, Seabright, Santa Cruz Harbor

District 3
Lower Westside by Neary Lagoon, Upper Westside by Bay Drive

District 5
UC Santa Cruz, Harvey West
Ballot
Measures
Election
results

Election Guide

David Schwartz, candidate for District 2

David Schwartz is one of five candidates running for the District 2 Santa Cruz County supervisor seat in the March 5, 2024 election. The district includes Aptos, Freedom, Corralitos and parts of Watsonville and Capitola. Read our guides on all the candidates running for District 2.

David Schwartz (Natalain Schwartz — Contributed)

Meet David Schwartz

Age: 69.

Residence: Corralitos.

Occupation: Tax accountant, business consultant, registered investment advisor and farmer.

Experience: “I have owned and operated a tax and business services company for over 30 years. I have served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters Santa Cruz County. I also have served as president and treasurer of our Maui condominium association board. My wife and I also run a small certified organic farm in Corralitos.”

Read about David Schwartz’s positions:

Schwartz on improving county roads

Many District 2 residents said county road conditions are bad. How can you get more money for road improvements in District 2? What county roads are your top priorities to fix during your four-year term?

Schwartz said the county should prioritize funding for road repairs over other county services. “Let’s start spending less money on programs that aren’t taking care of business, and more money on things where we need it,” he said. “The roads are very important for our economy.”

He also supports more aggressively pursuing reimbursement from FEMA for reconstruction of roads damaged in natural disasters. “Why aren’t we going after them? Why aren’t we bugging them every day?” he said.

He identified Corralitos Road as one of the roads to be prioritized for repairs.

Schwartz on reducing traffic and improving alternative transportation

Many District 2 residents told us they want traffic relief. What can the county supervisors do to reduce traffic and facilitate cycling and walking for District 2 residents?

Schwartz supports:

Encouraging large employers, like the county and UC Santa Cruz, to change employees’ work hours “so that they’re not on the road between 7 and 8 o’clock in the morning where the schools are in session, and everybody else is trying to get to work.”

Encouraging carpooling and vanpooling.
Promoting on-demand bus service.
Adding bike lanes to damaged roads during repairs.

Schwartz on producing more affordable housing

How can the county supervisors help fund and facilitate more affordable housing? Where in your district would you support more density?

“Where are we going to have more density? Well, obviously, where people want it,” Schwartz said. “I don’t want to put (housing) in your backyard if you don’t want it.” He supports:

Offering tax credits for people to build new housing on the land that they own.
Encouraging developers to sell affordable housing apartments as condominiums.
Loosening restrictions on tiny homes and manufactured homes.

Schwartz on helping residents with rent

Should the county supervisors help current residents with rent stabilization or rent help? If so, how?

“I think the real issue here is not how much you can pay for rent, but rather, where you can find something to rent,” he said. “We have much more demand than the supply that people can afford to rent. So we need to build our way out of this problem.”

The county should better publicize existing rental assistance programs, he said.

Schwartz on improving addiction services

Some District 2 residents said people should have better access to addiction services. How could the county improve its response to people struggling with addiction?

The county should better publicize existing programs for people struggling with mental illness and addiction, Schwartz said.

“I’m a little shocked that people are having problems getting services. We need to know why,” he said. “If we’re spending millions of dollars to provide these services, and people aren’t getting them, there’s a problem.

Read about why David Schwartz is running for county supervisor

What local issues affect you that make you want to run for this office?

“Roads, affordable housing, crime, budget issues, permit problems, homelessness, taxes and our water issues all prompted me to get involved.”

What is your dream for your district?

“My dream is that I can help this county become a better place to live for all. To do that, I can help the county find ways to provide the needed services on a timely basis with excellent service within budget, by cutting duplicate services, wasted money and finding ways to bring in more revenue without raising taxes.”