Councilman steve villegas - a lifetime of community service

Steve Villegas has a strong record of community involvement that includes a 30 year career as a highly skilled and decorated law enforcement officer. He is now retired from the Monterey County Sheriff's Department. As a life-long resident of Monterey County Steve knows that gang related crime is the most pressing issue for the people of Salinas. For this reason he has worked closely with the Monterey County/ City of Salinas Joint Gang Task Force which has made over 1,000 gang related arrests. Steve views his work with the intervention activities of the Gang Task Force, which helps youth avoid a life of crime, to be very important. He realizes that the key to fighting crime is preventing it. Steve has been appointed to the Mayor’s Community Safety Alliance Committee so he could provide expert input ideas to battle against gang and crime issues. Steve was recently appointed to the California League of Cities Public Safety Committee by the regional director of the League of Cities. This committee is a statewide committee devoted to creating new policy for the League of Cities Executive Director to lobby new ideas to state legislators to eventually become state law.

In addition to being a city council member, Steve is involved with the youth in the community through his coaching and chairing of different high school events. He feels that athletics are an effective means to keeping kids off the streets as well as a positive path to a healthy lifestyle. Villegas has continued the involvement he began while his children attended Palma and Notre Dame Schools by coaching football at Palma and serving as head track & field coach at both Palma and Salinas High Schools.

During his term as a Salinas City Council Member, Steve has been instrumental in many key business decisions that have resulted in more money for the city; like TNT Fireworks stands and the approval of several successful businesses, which result in sales tax revenue. The dedication Steve has shown for the safety and betterment of his community are evident in his priorities, Steve continues to work towards his goals for Salinas, which include:

• Maintain and increase current level of Public safety, Police and Fire.
• Continue to research and implement prevention and intervention methods for gang prevention, including after-school and recreation programs
• Continue efforts to make Salinas a more business friendly community and encourage new business development with the interests of the community.

Steve graduated from Palma High School, after which, he attended Hartnell College and went on to receive his B.A. in Criminal Justice at California State University, Sacramento. Steve continued his education and earned his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Golden Gate University, San Francisco.

For his work in the local community Villegas has been recognized by the Latino Network Association, California State Assembly, and U.S. Congress. The California Interscholastic Federation has also recognized him for his volunteer work. Villegas has served as Commissioner for Monterey County’s Affirmative Action Commission and Chairman for the Political Action Committee for the Monterey Deputy Sheriff’s Association. Presently, Steve sits on several local committees, and one state committee. Steve was recently voted to the position of Vice-President by the Board of Directors of the Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC) to co-manage this same city/county agency.

Steve and his wife Eileen have been married for over 33 years and have three adult children and one grandson.