In explaining why she is running for city council, Corysa Martinez said, “I am proud to call Montclair my home of over thirty years, and excited to raise a family here. As a council member since 2019, I have been dedicated to improving our residents’ quality of life by promoting public safety, economic development, and resident welfare in collaboration with our community leadership.”
Martinez noted “It is important that Montclair is represented by dedicated leaders focused on the long-term socioeconomic health and welfare of our community, which will be accomplished by the alignment of businesses, community, and government objectives. I am that dedicated leader for our city.”
Martinez has been on the city council since 2019, when she was chosen to replace her late mother, who died during her second term in office. She was then confirmed to remain in that position with a special election held in November 2020 to determine who was to serve out the last two years of the term to which her mother was elected in 2018. With the benefit of seeing what her mother was experiencing when she was in office, her own independent civic involvement, her now nearly three years’ experience on the council and her experience and training in the law, Martinez said she believes she will be a valuable asset to the community over the next four years if the city’s voters allow her to maintain her position on the council.
“My experience, education, and involvement make me uniquely qualified for Montclair City Council, and my enthusiasm makes me the right candidate,” she said. “I am a lawyer by trade, with a background in employment, tax, and consumer law. In addition to serving on the Montclair City Council since 2019, I have been involved as a city council liaison for Montclair’s Community Activities Commission and Chamber of Commerce, a member of the human services, public works and real estate committees, a member of the Montclair Junior Women’s Club, and a director of the Montclair Housing Authority and Montclair Housing Corporation.”
Martinez said, “As a councilmember, I have worked on programs to assist our seniors, suspend “shut-offs” of essential resources, increase shelter access and transitional housing, support small businesses and city organizations, develop parks and trails, and increase accessibility to services throughout Montclair, particularly in the south.”
Also running for the city council this year is another incumbent, Bill Ruh, as well as Juliet Orozco and Xavier Mendez. She is distinguished from her opponents, Martinez said, in multiple ways.
“I am privileged to have been elected by the residents of Montclair to serve our community,” she said. “In the three years I have served on the council, I have gained invaluable experience that I hope to use to continue serving. I represent our community with an open mind and with our residents’ interests at heart. I hope to see Montclair continue to develop in a way that offers value to our residents, and with the goal of helping Montclair maintain its history, charm, and culture.
In sizing up the major issues facing the city,” Martinez said, “Montclair is no stranger to California’s housing crisis, which, if not appropriately addressed, could impede the ability of local businesses to hire workers, displace our residents, and ultimately negatively affect the economy.”
She said, “Montclair has taken great strides to develop affordable housing and increase accessibility within and outside of the city, including by increasing transit options for residents and visitors. The North Montclair Downtown Specific Plan will implement a transit-oriented, mixed-use development that is designed to positively affect our environment and economic development.”
Montclair has the most dynamic sales tax-to-land area ratio of all of San Bernardino County’s cities and one of the most favorable sales tax-to-per capita population ratios of all of San Bernardino County’s cities. It thus has the financial means to structure solutions to its problems, Martinez said.
“Montclair is fortunate to have the support of City Manager Edward Starr and local government officials that promote Montclair’s goals in obtaining funding for development throughout our city,” she said. “In line with the goals of increasing accessibility through transit, I am confident that we will also obtain state funding to build the Gold Line to Montclair.”
Having lived in Montclair for more than 30 years, Martinez attended International Polytechnic High School in Pomona, then attended and graduated from the University of Southern California, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology. Thereafter she obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of La Verne College of Law. After law school, she attended Loyola Law School to get her LL.M. – a master’s degree in tax law.
She is employed as a sole proprietor attorney.
“I am married to Nicholas Cisneros, and we have a three-year-old son, Roman,” Martinez said.
In making her appeal to the voters, Martinez said, “I am a voice for the residents of Montclair, and I would love to hear from our residents. They should feel free to reach me at (909) 212-9632.”
-M.G.