The race for Indio's District 4 city council seat is one of the only across the Coachella Valley where a newcomer is guaranteed to win.
Incumbent Oscar Ortiz chose not to seek reelection after unsuccessfully running for a seat in the California State Assembly. That means either Indio Planning Commission Vice Chair Felipe Ortiz or former Desert Recreation District board member Jonathan Becerra will succeed him, bringing a new voice to the council.
Although the race is nonpartisan, Becerra describes himself in election materials as a progressive candidate who helped organize Indio's first pride festival and protested against immigration and customs agents in the Coachella Valley. He is currently the CEO of events company Palm City Productions.
Ortiz
is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, who was born and raised in Colombia before moving to the United States and graduating from Arizona State University. He later worked at the Social Security Administration.
The Desert Sun sent a questionnaire to both candidates, asking them about their priorities for office. See below to compare their responses.
What is one recent decision made by the current city council that you would have handled differently, and why?
Felipe Ortiz
One recent decision I would have handled differently is the extension of the Citrus Ranch development agreement. I support getting housing built and moving projects forward, but this project was originally approved nearly 20 years ago, and the Council approved a path for the development timeline to be extended by as much as another 20 years.
Before approving an extension that long, I would have wanted updated information on traffic, water, infrastructure capacity and how the project fits Indio’s needs today. The city determined that the amendment only changed the timeline and did not require a new environmental review, but I still think it is reasonable to revisit some of those assumptions when so much time has passed.
I support growth, but our infrastructure and planning need to keep pace with that growth.
Jonathan Becerra
My first response to that is I would have passed at least an ordinance or resolution to fight what ICE is doing to our communities in Indio. I organized the ICE protest back in January 2026 and we demanded the Indio City Council do something. Pass even a Sanctuary City law to at least show the Indio Latino community that their city government isn’t going to take (an) active part (in) what ICE and the Trump Administration are doing to us in Indio. The sentiment and even spoken reason I was given from those in leadership was fear. Fear of what would happen if they did or even tried. That is insufficient. We need to do the right thing even when it scares us. Cuz the consequences of every leader not doing what they can to help is not isolated to a “national stage.” This is happening here. Just a few weeks ago from writing this my next door neighbor was taken and now is gone. His family had to move away. Instead of hearing family parties, and people going to work and to school and to soccer practice, all I hear is silence. That’s what is going on in Indio. As I said, I would have done something different if I was on Indio City Council after the Indio January protest against ICE.
The city has limited resources. If you had to choose, what would be your top budget priority and what would receive less funding so that priority could be funded?
Jonathan Becerra
I would focus on critical infrastructure as a top priority. We’re seeing in these data center, hyper scale warehouse and other hyper scale development projects that they’re exploiting the fact that we need critical infrastructure to shove bad developments down the community’s throat. We need to get rid of that leverage and focus on creating new funding sources for the infrastructure we need to sustain our current community and to keep up with Indio’s growth. Critical infrastructure affects how we get affordable housing and better jobs here in Indio and it directly affects our quality of life.
Felipe Ortiz
My top budget priority would be public safety. One of the most basic responsibilities of city government is making sure residents feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods, parks and businesses. That means making sure our police and fire departments have the staffing, equipment and resources they need to respond effectively as Indio continues to grow.
If additional funding were needed, I would look first at lower-priority discretionary spending and projects that could be delayed or phased in over time before reducing funding for public safety or other core city services. I would want to go through the budget carefully rather than make across-the-board cuts that could affect services residents rely on every day.
Housing would still be one of my top policy priorities, particularly creating more middle-(income) housing and homeownership opportunities such as townhomes, condos and smaller for-sale homes. The city may not build those homes itself, but it can influence what gets built through land-use decisions, zoning, development standards and the approval process. I want the city to use those tools to encourage more housing options that working families can realistically afford to own.
If elected, what is one promise you are making to voters that they can use to evaluate your performance at the end of your term?
Felipe Ortiz
My promise is that I will remain accessible and follow through when residents bring concerns to me. I know that not every issue can be fixed overnight, and there may be times when the answer is not what someone wants to hear, but residents should never feel like their concerns disappear once they contact City Hall.
If someone reaches out to me, I want them to know that I will listen, make sure their concern gets to the right department or person, and follow up so they understand what is happening and what the next steps are. Whether it is a neighborhood issue, a problem with city services, traffic, development, or something else affecting their quality of life, I want residents to feel like they have a councilmember who is present and responsive.
At the end of my term, I want residents to be able to judge me by whether I showed up, listened, stayed accessible, communicated clearly, and followed through on the issues they brought to me.
Jonathan Becerra
I promise I will lead in the way I have in the past as an elected official for my community; and, focused on getting us affordable housing, taxing the major festivals to get universal pre-k/affordable childcare and free bus access, getting Palo Verde neighborhood a sidewalk, getting Shields Park a restroom, getting Monroe and Jackson (bridges) done, preparing for hotter summers, and fighting AI, mega warehouses and ICE. People here who know me and people here who have seen the work and fighting I do for Indio know how much I lovethe City of Indio.They know how much I love this city and how much love I have for the people here who make it great. I promise that love isn’t going anywhere. I promise that you’ll have someone on Indio City Council who’s going to have this city’s back, its residents back, and its local businesses back for the years to come. That’s what I can promise.
Sam Morgen covers local government for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Which newcomer will join Indio City Council as Oscar Ortiz departs?
