At 32, Felipe Rojas-Flores is a relatively young attorney, local political candidate, and homeowner in south Merced. He’s currently running for the District 2 seat on the City Council.
However, this isn’t his first attempt to represent local residents at City Hall. Two years ago, he was a challenger in the District 5 race that included incumbent Councilwoman Sarah Boyle and another challenger, Alex Carrillo. Boyle won the race by a substantial margin, and Rojas-Flores came in third.
At the time, Rojas-Flores was living with his parents in a neighborhood of southwest Merced that extended into District 5, which mostly covers north Merced neighborhoods. Since then, the candidate has moved into a home he purchased just a 2-minute drive away — in District 2.
“In terms of wanting to serve the community, not much has changed,” Rojas-Flores says. “I want folks to have the same opportunities as I did growing up, as well as the opportunities I have now. Something that really motivated me to run last time, and something that’s sticking with me this time, is being able to afford to live in our hometown. I really felt that last time, struggling to purchase a home, despite having an income larger than most household incomes in south Merced.
“I still see it now, especially with other living costs going up, like diesel, gas, and interest rates. I’m trying my best to make sure folks have the opportunity for home ownership in their hometown.”
Rojas-Flores is running against incumbent City Councilman Yang Pao Thao, who was appointed to the position last year after the resignation of District 2 Councilman Ronnie DeAnda.
The District 2 seat represents an area in south-southwest Merced, south of 13th Street, between G and V streets, and including the Wardrobe Avenue industrial area, the Merced Yosemite Regional Airport, and McNamara Park.
This time around, Rojas-Flores believes he is in a stronger position to be elected because he grew up in south Merced, his family has roots in the area, and he has a vested interest as a homeowner near Gracie Elementary and the Nannini Sports Complex.
“The experience of buying a home had its ups and downs,” he says. “My initial offer wasn’t accepted, so then I came back, and then was able to purchase the home, but I found it had termites and it needed a new roof. … The mortgage is still kind of a struggle — mainly due to high interest rates, which I understand that the City Council doesn’t have a say in that aspect, but these are the experiences new homeowners are dealing with. So increasing the housing supply in town would help young adults to be able to afford their own place and start their families.”
During a recent debate in downtown, Flores-Rojas told an audience: “Give credit where credit is due. I have seen the City Council approve a lot of low income projects throughout Merced. They’re still disproportionately built in South Merced. So part of this is making sure they’re built equally across the town.
“But beyond that, it’s also investing in programs to allow folks to go from being tenants to homeowners. California has a Dream For All loan program available to residents across the state. With time, the city of Merced can fund such a program specifically for local residents.
“One of the ways I would like to strike a balance between new development and addressing the concerns of displacing long-term residents, is to have any new housing development that comes into town offer the opportunity for local residents to own their home first, and not out-of-area landlords. Basically our residents would not have to compete with folks coming from the Bay Area or down south. Give us a chance, and we’ll be able to succeed on our own.”
Improving infrastructure, maintenance and basic amenities for the south part of Merced is another top priority for the candidate.
“We all know that south Merced requires more advocacy than other parts of town to receive the same attention and the same investments,” Rojas-Flores says. “It often takes decades for some of our issues to be brought up. For as long as I can remember, people have been talking about a [major] supermarket for south Merced. As a constituent, I don’t know where that is right now. That’s why I’m running as an advocate to put the community first — to make sure this side of town receives the same attention and investment as other parts of the town without it having to take decades to get something done.”
The candidate describes District 2 as a unique city area that includes both long-established neighborhoods and newer developments. He says it’s a place in need of sidewalk repair, a place in need of properly pruned trees, a place in need of working sewers, a place in need of improved street lighting, and a place in need of safety measures to protect pedestrians.
“These are things the city needs to be proactive about,” the candidate says, adding that the city should not wait for accidents to happen.
“I was talking to residents after a car accident happened in front of a house, and a fence was knocked over. What they were told by city staff — and I don’t know if this is true and I hope it’s not — is that there needs to be blood for something to change.”
He adds: “A lot of voters I’ve been speaking to complain about drivers speeding down their neighborhoods, especially in the grid system, between the streets named by letters and numbers. It’s not just a matter of paving roads, but also updating the infrastructure that slows down drivers, because we know, and the studies show, that speed signs are not enough to slow them down.”
With regard to the debate on where a High Speed Rail station should be located, Rojas-Flores says he supports it being built in the downtown area as originally designed along 16th and 15th streets.
“That presents the best access for everyone in the city. When you build outside the city limit, you’re limiting access to High Speed Rail. The thing about public transportation is that it should be accessible for all. … I will say, however, that if the community wants High Speed Rail at any cost, even if it moves outside the city limits, that’s something I’ll listen to, but only if the community wants it.”
Rojas-Flores is a graduate of local schools, including Merced High School and UC Merced. He left town to attend law school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but returned and brought his skills back to the region. He is employed as a public interest attorney at California Rural Legal Assistance, where he represents low income farm workers. The candidate says he is currently on sabbatical while focusing on his City Council campaign.
“During the 20 or so years since I first gave my first campaign speech in the sixth grade at Tenaya Middle School, I’ve gone on to be a first-generation high school grad, first-in college grad, first-in law school grad, and now a first-in attorney,” he says. “I dedicated my legal career to representing low income farmworkers across the state, from Coachella to the Central Coast to our beloved Central Valley, and even to the State Capitol in Sacramento. … They are largely immigrant workers who are not just Spanish speakers, but a lot of indigenous speakers from Southern Mexico and Central America that are also coming here. I want to bring the experience I have gained from representing those workers in matters of wages, sexual harassment, and public benefits like unemployment insurance. … I want to bring that experience, and that advocacy, to south Merced residents and to the City Council.”