Mike Saifie has shown an uncommon degree of determination to become a political player in Redlands.
He ran for the city council at-large in 2010, 2012, 2016 and when the city changed to by-district elections for city council in 2018, for the District 3 council post.
In 2020 he ran for election to the Redlands Unified School District Board of Education representing that entity’s Area 5.
Once again he has entered the political fray, again running for the District 3 berth on the Redlands City Council.
In his last effort to get on the city council four years ago, Saifie competed against incumbent Councilman Paul Barich, Planning Commissioner Joe Richardson and Enrique Estrada. Barich essentially ignored Saifie and Estrada during his campaign, reserving all of his firepower for Richardson in what many considered to be an underhanded electioneering effort. Barich prevailed. With the redistricting of Redlands that occurred after the 2020 Census, the section of the city Barich lives in now falls within District 5.
According to Saifie, he remains on good terms with Barich, who is currently serving as the council’s appointed mayor. Saifie said Barich encouraged him to run again in District 3 this year.
“I was asked by the Mayor of Redlands to run for this position, to serve the Redlands community,” Saifie told the Sentinel. “My academic and work experience with public safety and public policy is a valuable asset that the current council needs.”
Saifie said he is qualified to hold the position of city councilman.
“I have a master’s in public administration and public policy,” he said. “I have over 20 years of public policy-making experience and 21 years of running and owning small businesses throughout California. Now, as a veteran from a county job and semi-retired, I am giving back to my community where I have lived for long time.”
Saifie said he is distinguished from his opponent in District 3, Mario Saucedo, “in every aspect. Academically, I have a master’s in public administration and public policy. I have worked with the county board of supervisors in making public policies and have been an executive administrator, handling multimillion dollars budgets for cities and the county. As a successful business owner, I have created over 70 jobs in the Inland Empire alone and over 200 jobs throughout multiple states. I am duly recognized by the California State Senate and the US Congress for my community and public service.”
In sizing up the major issues facing the city, Saifie said, “The Public Safety Department is not fully funded and is working as a reactive agency rather than a proactive one. Public safety and homelessness issues are the two biggest challenges the city is facing that need immediate attention.”
Saifie said, “Police and fire contracts need to be fully funded. We need to fill and budget all police vacancies. They only have 3 or 4 officers to cover the entire city at any given time. They need to have adequate staffing to address the city’s growing drugs, homicide and house invasion issues. Equally, we need to work closer with county public social service agencies to handle the growing homeless population in Redlands.”
To pay for the solutions he is suggesting, Saifie said, “We have funds from Measure T. That fund was allocated to address shortfalls in public safety budgets. In addition, as a business owner myself, I like to promote and help local businesses to grow to generate more revenues for the city.”
Saifie, who was a business systems analyst for the County of San Bernardino, said he has previous experience relating to government.
“I have worked for the County of San Bernardino and the County of Riverside, managing multimillion dollar funds for the county and cities. As a county executive, I managed contracts and made public policies for the department. I worked with state and federal agencies to get funding for specific programs for cities and the county. I am currently serving the LA County Sheriff on the business advisory council. Where I help the LA County Sheriff is to make polices that help small and local business to grow in our communities.”
Saifie said he has lived in Redlands, “a very long time; 20 plus years.”
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Saifie lived in Malta until he was 7, then moved with his family to England. He came to America when he was 12. He attended high school in Los Angeles, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in management from California State University Los Angeles, and a master’s degree from California Baptist University in public administration and public policy. He also attended UCLA,  where he studied management and auditing.
He was an administrator of MB Food Inc., a system administrator for McCargo Transportation and a Del Taco restaurant franchisee.
“I am business owner and have over 200 employees in multiple states,” he said.
Saifie said, “I am married for 20 years, and I have 3 children and am looking forward to being a grandfather in the near future.”
He is a long-time member of the Redlands Family YMCA, Friends of Smiley Library and he served as board member and elected division governor for Toastmasters.
-M.G.