By Ritu Jha-
As a city council member over the past decade, Indian-American veterinarian Raj Salwan has worked to help usher the city of Fremont through a period of rapid growth.
Now Salwan says he’s ready to lead the Bay Area’s fourth-largest city as its next mayor. He’s running against former city council member Vinnie Bacon in the November election.
Salwan recently took a break from his busy schedule to chat with indica about why he’s running and what he hopes to see in Fremont if he’s elected.
“We’ve seen substantial economic growth, improvements in infrastructure, and a much more diverse community,” Salwan said. “However, with growth comes new challenges, and I believe we need strong leadership to address issues like housing, homelessness, public safety, rising crime, and improving our quality of life. My experience and dedication to Fremont’s future have prepared me to take on these challenges as the Fremont mayor.”
Specifically, Salwan says he sees a need for a stronger emphasis on addressing homelessness, improving mental health services, enhancing public safety, and reducing crime.
“These are interconnected issues that significantly impact the quality of life in Fremont,” he said. “As mayor, I would prioritize creating comprehensive strategies to tackle these challenges, ensuring that all residents feel safe and supported.”
On crime, Salwan says he plans to implement community policing strategies and
increase resources for law enforcement to ensure safer neighborhoods. Regarding mental health, he aims to expand access to mental health services, integrating them into the public health system to provide comprehensive care.
“Addressing homelessness will involve a multi-faceted approach, including increasing affordable housing, providing support services, and working with local organizations to create long-term solutions,” he said. “These areas are crucial for the well-being of our community, and I am dedicated to making significant progress on these fronts.”
Since joining the council in 2013, Salwan said he’s proud of his role in developing a new community center, which has become a “vital hub” for residents. He also mentions helping to create the roughly 800-acre Innovation District, which is home to Tesla, Western Digital, Delta Products and more.
Salwan’s recommendations to reduce cut-through traffic were later adopted by the city staff to help reduce traffic congestion. He says these initiatives helped cut through traffic by over 60% in some neighborhoods.
“I’ve championed initiatives to improve public transportation, making it more accessible and efficient for our community. I also strongly advocate for sustainable development practices to ensure that Fremont grows responsibly while preserving our environment. These accomplishments reflect my commitment to creating a thriving, inclusive city.”
If he defeats opponent Bacon, a former city council member, Salwan says he would spend his first 100 days in office focusing on setting a strong foundation for his administration’s goals. He would establish a task force on homelessness to develop actionable strategies, initiate a comprehensive review of public safety policies, and launch a mental health initiative to improve access to care.
Salwan says he also would engage with community leaders and residents to ensure their voices are heard and incorporated into plans, and to bring more dining and entertainment options to the Fremont area.
Salwan said addressing the affordable housing crisis would be his top priority. In recent years Fremont has built several hundred affordable housing units but he recognizes that more needs to be done.
“The state has set ambitious goals for affordable housing, and we are committed to meeting and exceeding these requirements,” Salwan said. “By working closely with affordable housing providers, leveraging state and federal funds, and implementing innovative housing policies, we aim to significantly increase the number of affordable units available to our residents. Ensuring that everyone has access to safe, affordable housing is essential for the well-being and future growth of Fremont.”
Salwan must convince voters that he’s a better choice for mayor than Bacon. Community leader Deepka Lalwani along with Dr. Albert Wang recently co-hosted a fundraiser for Salwan at her home, but that doesn’t mean she’s shy about publicly challenging him to articulate his solutions to problems facing the city.
Lalwani and the attendees asked what Salwan’s plans are to uplift Fremont’s image as compared to other Bay Area cities and attract more high-tech businesses.
“Fremont does not have a downtown like Mountain View Sunnyvale Los Altos Los Gatos, what are his plans? Safety is an issue in Fremont communities. Robbery and car break-ins are common, what are his plans to curb these incidents?”
Attendees also pointed out the lack of adequate parking in most new communities and asked Salwan to consider changing construction codes to resolve this issue. They shared their concern about many new communities coming up but no sight of high-end strip malls or shopping malls in Fremont.
Lalwani asked, “There are many high-density communities around us, this is going to be a traffic and safety nightmare when all are completed.
A few said, “A lot of neighbors worry about security or safety after the low-income affordable rental apartment community is built across the Metro Crossing Community.”
Finally, the attendees urged Salwan to work on ways to attract young families back to Fremont and restore its “community feeling.”
Salwan affirmed to the attendees that he’s ready to hit the ground running on making Fremont a vibrant place by bringing young families to Fremont, improving the entertainment options, making Fremont the safest city in the country, solving homelessness, and uniting our community.
