John Leyba (Windsor City Council District 2, California, candidate 2024)

John Leyba

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Windsor City Council District 2

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Dartmouth College, 2003

Personal

Birthplace

Mountain View, Calif.

Religion

Roman Catholic

Profession

Chief of staff

Contact

Campaign website

John Leyba ran for election to the Windsor City Council District 2 in California. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Leyba completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

John Leyba provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 8, 2024:

• Birth date: May 17, 1979
• Birth place: Mountain View, California
• High school: Archbishop Mitty High School
• Bachelor's: Dartmouth College, 2003
• Gender: Male
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Profession: Chief of Staff
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: a Town that works for everyone
• Campaign website

Elections

General election

General election for Windsor City Council District 2

John Leyba and Sam Salmon ran in the general election for Windsor City Council District 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	John Leyba (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Sam Salmon (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Leyba in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Leyba completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Leyba's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My family of five and I, plus two pets, live in the Oak Hill Neighborhood, where we have sponsored a neighborhood Town Green Christmas Tree and Neighborhood Social. My wife, Marisol, and I became active in Windsor issues advocating for our neighborhood as the council set short-term rental policies. Marisol and I have also sponsored the Windsor Family Movies on the Green for the last couple years. During the academic year, we host events for Mrs. Leyba’s Panda Pals — Mrs. Leyba teaches TK at Mattie Washburn Elementary School.

In my early life, I was first a foster child with and then adopted by the Leyba family. After attending Archbishop Mitty HS and Dartmouth College on scholarship, I worked in high tech for Agilent Technologies and then PG&E in Finance and Operations. I have been a planning commissioner for the City of San Jose, neighborhood association president, vice president of a city parks foundation, secretary of a school district education foundation, and member of my parish council since 2004.

We love Windsor and want Windsor to continue to be a great place to live, work, own a business, or retire – a Town that works for everyone – and a community for families of all types. I want Windsor to be a Town my daughters and their future families can enjoy.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Improved service delivery -- an app-enabled systems and processes for intaking, collecting, tracking and managing town issues and complaints to ensure timely issue resolution, transparency, and improved communication to residents
• Careful growth and development -- to ensure all types of residents have a place to live while maintaining the small town feel and quality of life Windsor is famous for
• Financial challenges -- All governments are in an era of declining revenues. In Windsor’s case that’s set against a coming wave of lifecycle replacements and refurbishments, given most town infrastructure was built between 1990-2000. We must prioritize every single dollar and focus on core services – back to basics – and partner with private companies where possible as they also make investments in our communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Land use and Parks

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Our town government is a part of a lot of our lives, from the local infrastructure we have in our road and landscaping, to the creeks and trails, to community centers and town facilities we enjoy.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

St. Thomas More -- he was the patron saint I chose for Confirmation, the patron saint of public servants, and the subject of the play "a Man for All Seasons." He stood up to government authorities (the King of England) on principle and was martyred for it. He did the right thing even when it was the hardest thing to do and easier to go along with something wrong.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

JFK's first inaugural address, JFK's speech "We choose to go to the Moon", Ronald Reagan's Berlin Wall Speech, "If We Can Put a Man on the Moon" by O'Leary and Eggers, and "The Radical Center" by Ted Halstead and Michael Lind

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Trustworthy, honest brokers of a community conversation. Our elected officials should be in the business of building community consensus so that all residents are not just listened to, but feel heard and see their feedback included in the decision-making process.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm future-oriented, thoughtful, hard-working, have good command of details, and I don't take myself too seriously.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Land use, budgeting, strategic planning for our town, overall operational oversight, and delegation of execution to the town manager and staff.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave the places I have lived better than I found them, and I would like my children to know that I stood for the right things and sought to make the world a better place.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. I was five years old at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked in my middle school cafeteria for "free" lunch with my best friend and his brother. They came from a big family that did not qualify for free or reduced lunches, so earning a "free" lunch really helped their family which still struggled. It was hard work for about half the lunch period (to help the serving line) but it was fun and helped our family, too.

I worked there for a couple years until graduation.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Too many favorites to list. Anything by Michael Lewis or Guy Kawasaki.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superman because he can fly!

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Greensleeves (What Child is This) -- it's only October! We shouldn't be singing Christmas songs yet!

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Responsibility for our water district, which is working to annex several thousand more acres in the direction of the Sonoma County Airport, which gives the agency more access to storage but also more responsibility to serve as additional housing is built in the unincorporated area between Santa Rosa and Windsor.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes - I was a planning commissioner in San Jose, I served on a major school district bond oversight committee, and I was also a parks advocate and parks foundation vice president.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Experience with land use and parks in community work and in finance and operations working in large organizations with complex administration.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

Our council is part time which allows members to come from various walks of life and careers and serve their community in a way that would not be possible if they had to be full time representatives. Our council is accessible, genial, and now slightly provincial in the sense that all council members are elected by district, which allows them to advocate for the unique aspects of their members plus the town as a whole.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Ronald Reagan's pony joke

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Sonoma County Alliance, Northern California Engineering Contractors Association, North Coast Builders Exchange, North Bay Realtors, Steve & Judy Gerstle, John Broughton, Ed & Louise Turner

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Foundational to good government! But just as the systems themselves have checks and balances, community members need to trust but verify and keep a close eye on the operations of all layers of government.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Windsor City Council District 2

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