Hornet Media and the Fullerton Observer interviewed Kitty Jaramillo, running for the Fullerton City Council District 4, at a candidate forum at Fullerton College on Oct. 7, 2024. The Fullerton Observer reached out to all candidates running for this office for the opportunity to take part in a video interview at the forum and interviewed those who responded.

This video series is a joint production of the Fullerton Observer, a volunteer-run community newspaper, and Hornet Media, the student-run media outlets housed in the Fullerton College journalism program. 

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity but have not been independently fact-checked. 

View live coverage of local elections returns on Nov. 5, 2024, at 7 p.m. on Hornet Media’s YouTube channel @fchornetmedia 

Video Transcript:

Hornet Media / Fullerton Observer 

How many City council meetings have you attended in person in the last 12 months?   

Kitty Jaramillo 

Probably around 15 or 20.  

Hornet Media / Fullerton Observer 

And what do you plan to do to balance the city’s budget? And do you plan to make any cuts? 

Kitty Jaramillo 

Well, no cuts would always be the last, last resort. Our city has already been cut a lot and it shows throughout our city. And I don’t think we can afford to cut anymore. But what I think we need to do is boost up our economic development in our city, because we have a lot of empty storefronts and and there’s really nothing going in. And they’ve been like that for years, a lot of years. So we really need to do something like that. Of course, a tax would be nice. They don’t always go over well with the residents, but that would help our city immensely. Those are the things that could boost up our our economy here for the city.   

Hornet Media / Fullerton Observer 

And do you have any concrete plans for revenue expansion? 

Kitty Jaramillo 

Well, economic development, like I said, and a tax of some kind and just really, you know, scrutinizing our budget and seeing where we can maximize get the most benefit from the workforce without laying off anybody and improving our city, making it presentable enough that businesses want to come here. We have to make it. We have to beautify, especially my district. It’s been ignored for many, many years. And it and people don’t want to come there. So we need to enhance District four in order to bring in more revenue especially. 

Hornet Media / Fullerton Observer 

And what are some of your district’s biggest challenges and how would you address them? 

Kitty Jaramillo 

Well, our biggest challenge in District four is, of course, our deteriorated streets, but that’s throughout Fullerton. But in District four, it’s even worse than other parts of Fullerton. Our lighting is very insufficient or just not working. Our parks are not maintained well enough in district for the way they should be. And then we have a little bit of a gang problem in District four, a little section of A4 that’s around Gilbert and Orange Thorpe area. So we have those issues too out there. So, you know, police is is important to District four. 

Hornet Media / Fullerton Observer 

And can you share who is endorsing you? 

Kitty Jaramillo 

Yeah, I’m very proud of all my endorsements. Of course, numerous friends and family. But I have Congressman Lou Correa, Assemblywoman Sharon Quiksilver, also State Senators Josh Newman and Tom Burke and our Fullerton City Council members, Ahmad Zara and Shana Charles. And then I also have school district trustees, high school and elementary that are also endorsing me. Oh, and let me I’ve didn’t I forgot one a long time for Fullerton in called me and I was very, very happy when he called me because I didn’t know he even knew me. But John Phelps is his name and he’s been a philanthropist in our city for years. And his family, he’s raised his family to do the same. They’re just such a wonderful family here in this city. 

Hornet Media / Fullerton Observer 

And what specific policy do you propose to address the rising cost of housing and ensuring affordable options for college students, seniors and low income individuals? 

Kitty Jaramillo 

Well, I am for affordable housing. I you know, we’ve Fullerton has been behind the eight ball for affordable housing for many, many years. I left the city of Fullerton. I used to work here. I left the city of Fullerton in 98. And we had just been in trouble with the state for being under the affordable housing requirement. And we’re still we’ve only gotten deeper and deeper in providing some affordable housing. My ideas that I have is we have some developments going on, new developments. And I think whenever we have a new development coming in, also, we ask for a higher percentage of low income units for that development. I think right now our city council asks for like 5%. That’s nothing. That’s maybe five units. That’s it out of hundreds. You know, so I think we have to push the envelope a little bit, ask for more. They’re still going to make millions. And yet we can you know, people can prosper here, too, that are low income or students that need that affordable housing.

Hornet Media / Fullerton Observer 

And how do you plan to make Fullerton a walkable and accessible city? 

Kitty Jaramillo 

Well, you know, I think we’re so walkable already. We’re getting better and better. But I notice that some of our bus stops are not looking very inviting. I think we got to enhance where people are coming in to on the bus and and their bikes. We got to make sure we have racks everywhere for them to and then now there’s like these special racks now that are like super good that I’m learning about and, and we, we have like none. I think a private business just put in one on their own. Not the city didn’t pay for it. They paid for it, which was wonderful of course, but she did it for her patrons that go to her store, that ride a bike into her store. And you know, how wonderful is that? You know, but I think the city needs to do more of that in order to make it inviting to everybody. 

Hornet Media / Fullerton Observer 

And how do you plan to make the city more environmentally sustainable? 

Kitty Jaramillo 

Well, like I said, with with riding busses so that everybody’s not driving into our little downtown area where there’s limited parking or you’re using all the structures. But, you know, trees, we have a lot of trees, but there are some places where we could use more. But just to encourage more biking, more walking, just enhancing our downtown to be more amenable to that.