Supervisor John M. Vasquez represents the City of Vacaville and City of Dixon, as well as unincorporated areas in the northern part of Solano County to the county line to the east (near Davis) and north (near Winters), an area that contains some of the richest farmland in the State.
 
John graduated from Vacaville High School.  During his youth, he worked on the family farm.  John gained much of his practical knowledge through real-life experiences; learning from his peers as a retail clerk, as a laborer on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, as a business owner and from fellow community leaders.  In addition, John served with the California and Alaska Army National Guard from 1970 to 1976.
 
John has spent his lifetime as a community servant, both publicly and privately, serving as the youngest Vacaville City Councilman, as Administrative Assistant to former Supervisor Bill Carroll and as Trustee of the Vacaville/Elmira Cemetery District for 17 years.  During his tenure on the Board of Supervisors, John has been selected by his fellow board members to serve as Board Chair 5 times, and is this year's Board of Supervisors Chairman.
 
Of major importance to John is the preservation of agriculture, water, public safety, transportation, veterans, seniors, economic development and the impact of poverty throughout Solano County.  John’s actions have demonstrated that a prudent, effective and fiscally responsible county government can continue to invest in its future.
 
John is married to the former Shelli Huffman and is the father of three daughters and one son.  Shelli and John are the grandparents to two grandchildren.  John has been a regional, state and national elected leader on the issue of childhood obesity and agrees with this quote from the Great Depression - “The future strength of our nation is dependent upon the health of our children."

Devon Minnema is a fourth generation Japanese-American California family farmer. With his deep roots in the agriculture community, he was involved in FFA and 4H and served as an FFA officer while attending Dixon High School. He served on the board of directors of the Downtown Dixon Business Association and is a proud Chamber of Commerce  and Farm Bureau member. 

Minnema is a Kiwanis member and currently serves on the board of directors so he can aid our county's children and ensure that they have as much opportunity as possible. He attended Neighborhood Christian School and Dixon High School and goes to Living Hope Church in Dixon.

In addition to working on his family's farm and his duties as a councilman, he also works at a Solano County feed store. 

Since being elected to City Council, Devon Minnema has been determined to be the example of what a councilman should be. He has hosted numerous town hall-style events, written newspaper articles, started an e-newsletter for his constituents, and walked precincts year-round to ensure that his constituents' voices are being heard. 

Minnema set agenda points like increasing access to books, protecting migrant workers' ability to find seasonal housing through the Dixon Housing Authority, ensuring that local watersheds are protected through his work on the Dixon Watershed Joint Powers Authority, and making sure that local entrepreneurs have every opportunity to succeed through his economic development platform; Our Town 20/20.

He has been an advocate for young people and minorities getting involved in local politics as the only mix-race councilmember and the only councilmember under 30 in the district. He has spoken to groups like the Women's Improvement Club, the Saint Peter's Youth Group, and multiple high school and junior high classrooms.

Minnema often jokes that his constituents have the opposite reality of most people. Instead of trying in vain to have their opinions heard, they have a councilman knocking on their door asking for their opinion.

Vote for Lazaro for District 4 Supervisor

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My experience includes over 30 years working in county government for Solano and  Contra Costa counties.

As a county employee, my responsibilities included:

• Writing policy and procedural manuals
• Budget creation and monitoring
• Contract negotiation and monitoring
• Legislative analysis
• Ensuring the department's compliance with local, state and federal regulations
• Oversight of employees' and contractors' performance
• Designing and implementing corrective action
• Interacting with local, state and federal officials to facilitate programs serving the public
• Creating and maintaining databases
• Facilitating staff meetings
• Training staff
• Reporting to the Board of Supervisors, Grand Jury, state and federal governments
• Grant administration

If elected, I will serve with the utmost integrity

 For the past several years, I have worked at homeless shelters and food banks enrolling the needy and disabled in special needs health insurance plans. These plans cost nothing and provide additional benefits that Medi-Cal and Medicare do not provide. I have also assisted many individuals to obtain health insurance benefits through Covered CA and advocated with our state government for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

I have lived in Solano County all my life. I have three children and six grandchildren, all of whom reside in Solano. I am dedicated to serving others.

President John Adams once said: "Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men..."

My philosophy aligns with this statement. At times, we may feel that government intrudes too much into our lives and places too many burdens on us, but where would we be without it? Government does exist for the common good. Through its many employees and elected officials, government serves the public by maintaining our public works systems, protecting us and our property, regulating our businesses, adjudicating disputes, keeping our records, and on and on. "These services are essential to our quality of life.

Unfortunately, many elected officials fall prey to their own greed and the arrogance of power. They seek to enrich themselves while supposedly serving the public, sometimes engaging in illegal activities such as accepting bribes. While no human being is perfect, we must strive to elect only those who truly want to serve others rather than themselves. 

My philosophy is this: An elected official should:

·        Be open and respectful to the opinions of others, particularly her constituents.

·        Do appropriate research and be knowledgeable about what she is voting on.

·        Be available to constituents and anyone attempting to conduct public business.

·        Not allow financial enticements to rule her decisions or cause her to vote the way a particular individual or group dictates.

·        Be innovative, not mired in the old way of doing things, just because it is the easy thing to do.

·        Conduct herself in an honorable fashion, reflecting well on the judgment of those who elected her.

·        Play by the rules, not use her power, negatively or positively, to cause problems for targeted individuals or obtain favors for certain individuals, such as family.

·        Obey all laws.

·        Ensure that laws are enforced.

·        Propose legislation and funding that advances the common good.

·        Be proactive about finding ways to stimulate the economy, conserve public funds, protect our vulnerable needy, disabled, elderly and abused; protect our environment and natural resources, advance education, including vocational.

·        Be proactive about cost containment, not requiring the public to pay for personal or outlandish expenses.

·        Ensure that other public servants are treated with respect, paid appropriately and provided with a working environment that is nurturing and free of discrimination, harassment and violence.

·        Ensure that the public is served as efficiently, effectively and respectfully as possible.

·        Be on the cutting edge at all times, leading innovative change, programs, and technology.

·        Use good judgement.

·        Hold herself to the highest values.

·        Remember that it is a privilege to serve, not an entitlement.

My skills as a technology professional and experience in a wide range of industries with emphasis on completing complex projects will complement the objectives required of this position.

A 4th generation native raised by liberal creative world travellers gives me a global perspective and a local touch. Look to mother nature and follow your heart. Preserving our human rights of happiness, privacy and liberty drive my ambition for public office.