San Jose Planning Commissioner Justin Lardinois to run for City Council

San Jose Planning Commissioner Justin Lardinois announced Monday he will run for City Council, becoming the first official candidate for District 1, which includes West San Jose, West Valley and Winchester.

I’m running for San José City Council!

San José is a big city with a lot of potential, a lot of challenges, and no easy answers on the right way to move forward. On the planning commission and the housing commission (1/4)

— Justin Lardinois for San José City Council (@JustinForSJ) April 12, 2021

“The biggest thing for me is making sure everybody in the district is part of the conversation,” Lardinois said about his candidacy. “Whoever is going to represent this district is putting in the work, talking to people in every neighborhood… and really bringing the people’s voice into City Hall.”

Lardinois, a West San Jose native, has served on the city’s planning commission since last July. An engineer by trade, Lardinois was a member of the Housing and Community Development Commission before serving on the planning commission. His priorities include adding trees and greener spaces, more affordable housing, more opportunities for first-time homeowner programs, sanctioned encampments, safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians, and more safe parking sites for homeless residents to ensure both housed and unhoused residents can be safe.

Lardinois is committed to continuing current District 1 Councilmember Chappie Jones’ Small Business Advisory Task Force, and wants to propose a new “legacy” small business program—similar to programs in San Francisco—which would recognize longstanding businesses and prevent them from being displaced.

Lardinois said he brings a new perspective to District 1, and that his experience on city commissions has allowed him to see how the city’s internal business works, and how it doesn’t. His background in the tech industry, Lardinois said, will bring a data-driven approach to city issues.

“I think it’s really important that when we approach issues we’re talking about data and results and not so much political ideologies,” Lardinois said. “If we’re going to try to solve a problem, how are we going to measure success? It’s really important that we’re approaching issues that way.”

Jones, currently in his second term, will be termed out in 2022.

Contact Lloyd Alaban at [email protected] or follow @lloydalaban on Twitter.