Meet Natalya Zernitskaya, Candidate For Santa Monica City Council

SANTA MONICA, CA — Come Nov. 8, 12 candidates will vie for three open seats on the Santa Monica City Council.

As ballots start to hit Santa Monica mailboxes, its time for locals to get to know their candidates.

Come Nov. 8, 12 candidates will vie for three open Santa Monica City Council seats as Lana Negrete, Mayor Sue Himmelrich and Mayor Pro Tem Kristin McCowan all have terms ending this year. Negrete is the only one running for reelection.

Santa Monica residents will also weigh in on a number of other local elections, including the Santa Monica-Malibu School District and the Santa Monica Rent Control and College Boards.

Visit this link for more information about the upcoming Santa Monica election and local ballot measures.

A number of City Council candidates answered questions to introduce themselves to Patch readers. Get to know Natalya Zernitskaya:

Age (as of Election Day)

33

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

My partner, Marty, and I have a dog named Preacher who was a “foster fail”

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA in Economics, UC Santa Cruz

Occupation

Financial Analyst/Senior Due Diligence Analyst in Financial Services Sector

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Former Appointee, City of Santa Monica’s Audit Subcommittee

Campaign website

natalyaforcitycouncil.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I decided to enter the race for Santa Monica City Council in mid-July when Mayor Pro Tem Kristin McCowan asked me to run in her stead. At the time, other community stakeholders also asked me to run for a seat on the City Council, and I did what I have always done — stepped up to serve my community.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe I am uniquely qualified to serve on the City Council and my experience is sorely needed at this time. I have real world experience, not just ideas and catchphrases. I will bring the deep knowledge of our neighborhoods that I have gained from my decade of serving the Santa Monica community: I have previously served as one of two resident appointees to the City of Santa Monica’s Audit Subcommittee, on the board of the Church in Ocean Park, and on the board of the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica, including serving four years as its president. I currently serve on the boards of the Human Relations Council of the Santa Monica Bay Area, Climate Action Santa Monica, and the International Women’s Resource Center. My professional experience in finance will make me the only Councilmember who knows how to do a deep dive into budgets and how to analyze them. I also bring my lived experience as a Jewish refugee whose family fled oppression because my government would not protect us and then had to rely on government safety nets in America, like food stamps and rent control. That means that I will make public safety a priority, so that no family lives with fear that my family did. I will make sure that renters are protected and that people from underserved communities have access to programs to help them achieve a better life. All of my experiences have shaped my values and will guide every decision I make on the City Council. I am a well-rounded candidate who has the experience, skills, knowledge, and understanding of our local issues necessary to lead Santa Monica.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency):

The City of Santa Monica’s City Council is elected at-large and there are three seats up for election, with only one incumbent seeking election. I think the biggest problem with the current City Council is that instead of moving forward, things get mired in petty infighting rather than looking at the big picture. This has stood in the way of addressing many of the biggest issues our community faces. I am known as a consensus builder and although I will be the youngest member of the City Council, I am fully confident that I will put that skill to good use to move our city forward. I understand the issues that our community is facing and I understand both how and why good governance is critical to the long-term wellbeing of our City and its residents. I hope that Santa Monica voters will agree with the many respected organizations, current and former elected officials, and community leaders who believe I am the right choice for Santa Monica.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The most pressing issues facing our community are my top three issues: housing & homelessness, public safety, and economic recovery. Homelessness is indicative of a systemic failure and I know that we cannot solve the issue on our own so I will work collaboratively with our regional partners to implement policies that work. We must get people who are experiencing homelessness into homes as well as protect those who are currently housed but at risk of becoming unhoused. As a refugee whose family fled our former home because our government did not keep us safe, I understand that we must adequately equip our first responders with the tools and resources necessary to keep our community safe while at the same time working collaboratively together to rebuild public trust between the community and those who are tasked with keeping our community safe. Additionally, public safety encompasses far more than what we traditionally envision - it includes efforts to ensure that our sidewalks are well-maintained, that it’s safe to cross the street or ride a bike without fear of getting run over. Our City is still suffering from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic so we need to make sure that our businesses are set up for success because our businesses are what drive the revenues that we need to provide all of our incredible services & programs.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Since moving here after college, I have made serving the community of Santa Monica a priority. Over the past 12 years, I have been showing up and I have been doing the work. I have served on Santa Monica nonprofit boards and on the City’s Audit Subcommittee. I have worked with neighbors to literally clean up my street every other Saturday. As the former President of the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica, I co-wrote a homelessness action plan that is used throughout the State because it works. I want to implement those strategies here in Santa Monica. My work with the League also taught me the importance of civil discourse, how to analyze and create solid policy, how to build consensus and what good governance is. From my work on the City’s Audit Subcommittee, I know the City’s budget already and can hit the ground running. I already read the City Council agendas and staff reports prior to City Council meetings to understand what is going on in our community. Because I work in financial services, I know how to make sense of fiscal analysis. While this doesn’t seem like a glamorous part of the job, it is a critical skill to be an effective Councilmember. My work on the Advisory Board of Climate Action Santa Monica has taught me how to make our city a model sustainable community not only through policy but also through community education. My service on the Human Relations Council of the Santa Monica Bay Area continues to teach me more about this City – including how to make it more inclusive and equitable. I have already been serving our local community for over a decade and I am ready to serve Santa Monica as its next councilmember.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

It’s okay to say that you don’t know something, as long as you follow up with “but I’ll find out.” No one person can or should be expected to be an expert on all topics, but when I am faced with a question that I do not know the answer to, I do my research and I reach out to people who are experts in what I need to know, so that I can provide the correct answer.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I want voters to look at my experience and how that will make me an effective Councilmember and a fresh voice. I am a uniquely qualified candidate to lead our community. I believe that the overwhelming majority of our community holds similar values and wants to see our City succeed and prosper in similar ways: we all want to be live here without fear of losing our homes or being pushed out, we want excellent schools that meet our students’ needs , we want to see seniors able to safely and affordably age in place, we want our neighborhoods to be safe for all people, we want to be able to get around the City safely and efficiently, and we want to ensure that our local businesses are set up for success. Our disagreements stem from the specifics of the policies we seek to put in place to make these things happen. I am a trained civil discourse facilitator and consensus builder and I will work with my fellow Councilmembers and our community to ensure that Santa Monica is a forward thinking community – that we move beyond economic recovery and into a stage where our city can thrive again and provide the same amazing services and programs we did before the pandemic – so that everyone who lives here feels safe out in the community and in their homes. I believe that Santa Monica can and must become a more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and affordable community.