Mayor — City of Vallejo

I have served the residents of Vallejo for over three decades as a Police Officer, Crime Prevention Coordinator for Fighting Back Partnership (FBP), and as Vallejo Councilmember for the past 4-1/2 years.  As Police Sergeant I commanded the Central Community Substation in Downtown Vallejo.  I specialized in quality of life issues that affected my district.  I engaged residents to work with the Police Department by establishing the Civil Nuisance Abatement Program, which was the forerunner of the current Neighborhood Law Program now used by the the City Attorney's Office.  As the Crime Prevention Coordinator for FBP, I established over 350 Neighborhood Watch Programs when the City's bankruptcy caused an all time low of Police Officers.  As a City councilmember, I have voted for a sustainable budget, championed rebuilding public safety and worked to encourage economic development.  For more information, please go to my webite: bobsampayan.com  

I believe that the City of Vallejo is moving in a positive direction.  I will fight for sustainable budgets and not allow special interest groups to tell us how our budget is to be spent.  Fiscal stability means balancing the cost of labor and vendor contracts with what we can truly afford.  I want to rebuild the public's trust and confidence in our City.  I will continue to focus on attracting jobs and industry that are consistent with the City's new General Plan.  I will focus those plans in key geographic areas that include Mare Island, Downtown and the Waterfront.  Job training is an important part of this plan.  I intend to work with our School District, Community College, Touro University, and the California Maritime Academy to establish and maintain internship programs for our young people.  Lastly, I will always champion a safe, healthy and attractive environment by upholding the highest environmental standards for new and existing development projects.  I pledge to protect our wetlands, coastline, historic monuments and other fragile open spaces.  For more information, please go to my website: bobsampayan.com

I’ve spent the last 7 years on the Planning Commission watching the starts, stops, and missed opportunities. I’ve learned where we can improve and streamline, and I’ve identified directions we may want to pursue. I’ve spent 20 years building successful businesses; I’ve worked with communities around the state, navigated red tape, and partnered with global companies.

Locally, we launched the highly successful One Vallejo effort, which has included several clean-ups throughout Vallejo, one Town Hall on Juvenile Justice, and one Town Hall upcoming. This has been tremendously well-received, and something I plan to continue.

• Vallejo Planning Commission, Chair
• Dutra-Cerro-Graden (DCG), President/Co-Founder
• Vallejo Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee
• Economic Development Committee (Hayward)
• Latino Business Roundtable (Hayward)

I think we can do much better, that we’re at a crossroads in our history, and that I bring the right set of skills to the table for moving us into the next steps.

For so long we were a military community. Then we lost Mare Island, and before we could really establish a new identity and collaborate to create a new vision, we hit the economic downturn and were simply struggling for our lives. 

We are really poised to be whatever we want. We’ve come through bankruptcy (and there’s more to do there to make sure we don’t go backwards), but now… how do we define what comes next? How do we make sure we’re bringing our values and heritage forward. What do we want Vallejo to look like, because the plans and directions we set in motion now, will define our city for generations to come.

The answer to this question, begins with dialogue. We all know we need jobs, but it’s equally important that we pursue the right kinds of business, ones that align with our values, want to invest in our community, and fit into a healthy long-term plan.

We also have to make sure that everyone can have input, and every neighborhood improves… we can’t push something forward that benefits some, at the detriment of others. This isn’t about a single project, or one neighborhood. So how we move forward is a choice we all make, working together.

I’m excited for our future. This is our moment. Guided by respect and integrity, and dedicated to open and accessible communication, we can bring the community we love into a competitive and modern world.