Meet Martin Herrera
Martin is fighting for a city that works for us all, not just a wealthy few.
Early Life
Martín Herrera grew up in El Monte where his great-grandparents, Roman and Juanita Ramirez settled circa 1919. He attended Mulhall elementary, Frank M. Wright middle, and Arroyo high schools.
Martín was certified as an emergency medical technician through the Regional Occupation Program at Arroyo High School during his senior year, and after graduating, worked for local private ambulance companies serving the Los Angeles County region, including the San Gabriel Valley and the City of El Monte.
In 1996, Martín enlisted in the U.S. Army to serve in the military occupational specialty of combat medic (91B). Afterwards, he continued to work as an emergency medical technician, then as an executive director for an LGBT nonprofit organization, as an aide to a council member for the City of San Antonio, as well as an operations and special projects manager for the City of San Antonio Westside Development Corporation. He also served on the City of San Antonio’s Transportation Advisory Board, as well as the San Antonio River Authority’s Westside Creeks Restoration Oversight Committee.
Accomplishments / Priorities
Martín serves on several Council Committees, including:
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CDBG/HOME/ESG Ad-Hoc Committee
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Street Vendors Ad-Hoc Committee
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Agenda Procedures Ad-Hoc Committee
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Parks & Recreation Ad-Hoc Committee
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Ethics Task Force Ad-Hoc Committee
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Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Ad-Hoc Committee
Public Health & Safety
The top priority for the government is to keep residents safe and healthy. Martín believes this is
the key to a thriving El Monte; therefore, he is/has…
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Calling for expansion of the school resource officer program in the local school districts, the hiring of more police officers, and continued investment in equipment and new technologies for the El Monte Police Department.
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Motioned for and passed a Resolution of “No Confidence” in Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón
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Approved purchases of automated license plate readers, gas masks, vehicles, and new server infrastructure for the police department
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Approved agreement to provide Aviation Support to Azusa Police Department for a fee
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Approved Traffic Records Improvement Project (electronic software collision reporting and citation writing)
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Voted for Council Resolution denouncing discrimination and aggression against Asian-American and
Pacific Islanders -
Worked on and approved an update to the Regulatory and Permitting Requirements governing sidewalk vending and created the Taste of El Monte event for local food vendors
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Approved Hero Pay for front-line retail establishment employees during COVID emergency.
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City Services
The services of a city contribute greatly to the quality of life for residents. Martín believes El Monte
should provide diverse, high-quality programming and services to all of its residents; therefore he…
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Supports emergency shelter and transitional housing services to unsheltered and at-risk residents at the former sites of the Budget Inn and M Motel on Valley Blvd utilizing state and federal funding.
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The purchase of the two motels under the state’s Project Homekey was the first by a city in LA County other than the City of Los Angeles.
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Created LGBTQ Pride Night at El Monte Farmers Market and worked to locate the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center offices to Maxson Auditorium at Mountain View Park.
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Approved Guaranteed Income Pilot Program for qualified low-income women in El Monte
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Approved Development of a Technology Master Plan to increase broadband access across the city.
City Resources / Business
Though costly, residents expect a city’s assets and infrastructure to be top-notch. They also want good quality businesses to purchase goods and services as well as for employment. Martín understands the need to prioritize investments in infrastructure and to support local businesses. He has …
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Approved $54 million Capital Improvements Program for FY 21-22 with citywide street, sewer, and facilities improvement projects.
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Approved Commercial Façade Program, including an expansion of the target area, and Multi-Unit Rental Rehabilitation Program (CDBG, HOME)
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Approved “Dine Out El Monte” program allowing temporary outdoor dining for restaurants struggling through the COVID pandemic.
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Support for Zamora Park Revitalization Project, including the remodel of the Zamora Park Art House building. in District 2
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Support for Affordable Housing & Community Park Project at the former McLaren Hall site
Accountable Government
El Monte residents place a lot of trust in their elected representatives to oversee the efficient delivery of important services on their behalf. Martín is working hard to increase the accountability of elected officials and to encourage civic participation across all sections of the city. To accomplish this, he has…
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Approved Transition and creation of by-district election process
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For the first time in the city’s history, residents will select a representative who knows, understands, and shares their needs because they are from their neighborhood.
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Called for independent investigations into alleged wrongdoing (unreported gifts, leak of confidential information)
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Creation of Ethics Ad Hoc Committee to develop local ethics code to include a revolving-door policy, lobbyist registration program, independent ethics commission