Yashdeep “Jesse”  Singh said he is seeking a position on the Chino Hills City Council in the March 5 mail-in election because “I’ve lived in Chino Hills my entire life and I have wanted to give back to the city where I grew up. With my strong academic background, I believe I can be an advocate for everyone. I think my youth infuses me with a new energy that is needed on the city council. By not being politically encumbered, I believe I can bridge the gap between the different interest groups in our city.”
Singh said that as a resident and now as a candidate, “One of the things I have pushed for is small business growth. I have a three pronged approach. The first is actively recruiting new businesses and encouraging existing businesses to remain in Chino Hills. The second is assessing from the business perspective what we can do to make our city more business friendly. We need a long term open channel of communication. There has been a large disconnect between the business community and the city.  We need to allow our businesses to be a part of policy making process. If we create positive relations with the businesses and make them feel they are a part of the community they will give back to the community. The third prong in my approach is to encourage our residents and those in the surrounding communities to shop in Chino Hills. We have already put together quality businesses. The more businesses we have, we will boost our economy and increase our tax revenue and provide jobs.”
Something he is serious about, as well, Singh said, is “youth engagement in civic matters.” He said that there are teens and young adults who have sought to become involved in local government but that they have met resistance by the established authorities and politicians. “It has not been the two way street I was hoping for,” Singh said. “There is room for the city to reach and engage youth in ways that have not been tried. I would look toward creating programs to bring in resident participation in our city government, including a city council or municipal advisory commission or committee with mandatory youth positions or participation. I am also interested in promoting a foundation for college scholarships for our high school graduates who show civic involvement.  On many fronts the city has done well and people have responded well in terms of opportunities for involvement and we have supported many of our city’s demographics, but the one we have neglected, I think, is our teens. My youth will allow me to bridge that gap. I think we should explore how to do that in a cost-efficient way.”
An attorney since 2011, Singh said he believes that by virtue of his profession, he will assist the city in wrestling with its current challenges.
“With Southern California Edison trying to put 200-foot high electrical towers through our city and residents at odds with the city over encroachment in the city’s right-of-way, we have a lot of different legal issues,” Singh said. “Hopefully as an attorney I can bring an element to the council that has been missing in the past.”