BLOG: Mayoral Candidate Forum

Editor's Note: This was a live blog of the mayoral candidate forum hosted by AARP at the Newark Senior Center on Monday. The information is presented with the most recent statements listed on top. 

11 a.m. Mayoral candidates make their closing statements. Rodriguez said he loves serving his community and will continue to do so and hopes to move Newark forward with the community's help. Nagy said with the community's support he will work on helping Newark out of its recession and hardships. He said he will provide leadership, experience and dedication. Apodaca said filling Mayor David Smith's shoes will be difficult but that she believes her relationships with regional, state and federal partners will give Newark an advantage in planning for newark's future. She also said Neark has to be fiscal with its dollars.

10:57 a.m. - Apodcaca said community events are great but that Newark has to be cautious because each event does come with a cost. She said Newark has to ensure proper permits are filed and that we have to work with other communities to find support in events.

10:55 a.m. - Nagy said he will work with anybody any where who wants to bring events to Newark. Notes that Newark owns Watkins Hall and suggests Newark could look into opening it up for art exhibits and other local organizations.

10:53 a.m. - Rodriguez said he hopes to convert the Newark Community Center into a performing arts center and that Newark has to preserve culture.

10:50 a.m. - A question about how the candidates would support bringing outside organizations/fairs to support local businesses and promote the Newark image.

10:49 a.m. - Nagy said the city and the schools have a long history of working well together and that the hope is that recently hired Superintendent Dave Marken will bring positive change within the schools. He said he promises to begin a program for youth to learn more about civic involvement.

10:47 a.m. - Rodriguez said the relationship between the city and the schools and that the city also has to focus on relationships with schools outside of the Newark Unified School District. He adds that he'd like to form a committee for youth.

10:45 a.m. - Apodaca said the city has to work with the schools and get youth involved on commissions and committees and build a leadership program so that they can voice what their needs are to the city.

10:43 a.m. A question about how to work for the betterment of schools is asked.

10:42 a.m. Nagy and Apodaca said they do not believe medical marijuana collectives should be operating within the city until they follow the rules and that they need a business license to operate. Rodriguez said the city should work on talking with such businesses to find a way Newark can provide services to all of its community members.

10:40 a.m. - Seniors said many use medical marijuana and ask if the candidates believe in safe access to their medications.

10:38 a.m. -Apodaca said she started being involved at young age. Grew up in Newark and was a CCD teacher. She also said she sits on a council that is focused on giving scholarships to Latino students in Alameda County and sits on the advisory board for SAVE.

10:35 a.m. Nagy said he joined the JAYCEES decades ago and that one of the creeds was "service to humanity is the best work of life." In Newark, he has been involved with Tri-Cities League of Volunteers, the Newark Library League and was president of Newark Days, among other volunteer roles.

10:33 a.m. - Rodriguez said he has been involved in the community since day one, has driven the bus for Sunday school, participated on the census committee in 1990 and has been on the NEwark Unified Board of Eduacation for 15 years.

10:31 a.m. -  First question is a request to list community involvement within the City of Newark.

10:29 a.m. - Question-and-answer session with mayoral candidates opens.

10:28 a.m. - Mayoral candidate Ray Rodriguez introduces himself and notes that Newark leaders need to understand the population Newark serves and that a third of Newark's population is Hispanic. Rodriguez said public safety is definitely a key issue in Newark and that the city must work together to keep Newark safe.

10:24 a.m. - Mayoral candidate Al Nagy introduces himself and notes key issues such as public safety, fiscal management and economic development. Says we have to look into volunteer policing programs, continue building our reserves.

10:20 a.m. - Mayoral candidate Ana Apodaca introduces herself and addresses her three top concerns: public safety, economic development and community involvement. She says it is important for Newark to work with surrounding cities and with the region in order to solve its problems.

10:16 a.m. - The mayoral candidates start the forum with an introduction of themselves.