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Derek Marshall is a community organizer, small business advocate, and Victorville Planning Commissioner running for City Council to help build a safer, more affordable, and more ambitious future for the High Desert. Known for his grassroots approach and commitment to working families, Derek has spent years organizing around issues like safer streets, affordable housing, local economic development, and government transparency.A longtime High Desert resident, Derek believes Victorville has the potential to become a city people are proud to call home — one where young people can stay, small businesses can thrive, and families can afford to live.

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Victorville deserves a government that actually works for the people who live here.&nbsp;Our campaign is focused on the issues that matter most to working families: safe streets, affordable homes, good jobs, lower bills, and a city that is transparent and accountable at every level. We’re building the next great American city right here at home.

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Imagine a city where working families can afford to stay. Where young people want to come home. Where our streets are safe, our parks are alive, and local businesses thrive. That isn’t a dream, it’s a blueprint. And we’re building it together.

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Derek Marshall is running for Victorville City Council to fight for safer streets, affordable living, and a city that works for everyday people. Learn more and get involved.

Derek Marshall for Victorville City Council | Safer Streets & Affordable Living

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<h2>1. Move Streetlight and Signal Projects to the Front of the Line</h2>For years, lighting and traffic signal upgrades have been pushed to the back of the queue while collisions and fatalities keep rising.Under Derek’s plan:<ul><li>All pending streetlight and signal requests will be reviewed and prioritized within the first 90 days of his term.</li><li>Intersections with repeat collisions, school zones, and areas flagged by residents will receive immediate evaluation.</li><li>The city will fast-track engineering work so construction begins sooner, not years later.</li></ul>Lighting saves lives — especially in a city where so many fatal crashes happen at night. Prioritizing these projects is the fastest, most cost-effective way to prevent tragedy.<h2>2. Use Measure I Dollars for Crosswalks, Lighting, and Speed Redesigns</h2>Measure I funds are supposed to improve transportation safety across the High Desert. Right now, too little of that money is being used to fix the most dangerous parts of our streets.Derek will redirect Measure I funds toward:<ul><li>High-visibility crosswalks&nbsp;near schools, parks, bus stops, and community centers.</li><li>Street lighting expansions&nbsp;in neighborhoods that have gone ignored for decades.</li><li>Speed-reducing road designs&nbsp;— curb extensions, narrowed lanes, raised crosswalks, and roundabouts where appropriate.</li><li>Protected pedestrian and bike corridors&nbsp;along our most dangerous roads.</li></ul>Safer design means fewer crashes. The data is overwhelming: when streets are built with people in mind, collisions drop dramatically.<h2>3. Publish a “Danger Map” Every Quarter</h2>Right now, residents have no clear way of knowing:<ul><li>Which intersections are dangerous</li><li>Where fatal crashes occurred</li><li>What projects are funded</li><li>What’s actually being fixed</li></ul>Derek’s plan will create the first&nbsp;public, quarterly Victorville Danger Map, showing:<ul><li>Collision hotspots</li><li>Pedestrian and cyclist injury data</li><li>Neighborhood safety requests</li><li>Project timelines and work completed</li><li>How Measure I and Measure P dollars are being spent</li></ul>This transparency forces the city to take responsibility and keeps residents informed. No more guessing. No more hiding delays. Everyone will see our progress clearly.<h2>How We Pay for It</h2>This plan is fully funded by a reallocation of:<ul><li>Measure I transportation dollars</li><li>Measure P city revenue</li></ul>These voter-approved funds already exist. We’re simply directing them toward what residents need most: safe streets and functioning neighborhoods.<h2>The Vision</h2>A Victorville where:<ul><li>Kids can walk to school safely</li><li>Seniors can cross the street without fear</li><li>Drivers aren’t terrified at night</li><li>Neighborhoods feel cared for, not forgotten</li><li>Fatal crashes become rare, not routine</li></ul>This isn’t impossible. It’s normal in cities that treat human life as the priority.It’s time Victorville joined them.

putting safety first on every street.victorville is one of the most dangerous cities to drive in — we can change that.

Write a short blurb about an issue your campaign is highlighting. Try to keep the text a similar size between the various issue blurbs.

STREET SAFETY

Victorville is getting squeezed from both sides:<ul><li>runaway&nbsp;rents and utility bills</li><li>extreme heat&nbsp;that makes it dangerous just to walk down the block</li><li>a city hall that too often keeps residents in the dark</li></ul>Meanwhile, a High Desert neighbor has already shown what’s possible.Lancaster became the&nbsp;first net-zero energy city in the nation, generating more clean power than it consumes, by aggressively investing in solar and launching its own public power program, Lancaster Energy.&nbsp;They even passed the first citywide mandate in the U.S. requiring solar on new homes and set a “zero net energy” standard years before the state.&nbsp;If Lancaster can do it,&nbsp;Victorville can too&nbsp;— in our own way, and with our own values.Derek’s plan focuses on three things: cooling our hottest neighborhoods, cutting energy bills, and opening the books so everyone can see what’s really happening.<h2>1. Shade and Cooling for the Hottest Blocks</h2>Extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s deadly, especially in working-class neighborhoods with little shade. California is already funding local projects that add cooling, shade, and heat-resilience in vulnerable communities.&nbsp;Derek’s plan:<ul><li>Map the Heat: Within the first year, Victorville will publish a&nbsp;heat and shade map&nbsp;showing which blocks, bus stops, school routes, and senior areas are most exposed.</li><li>Targeted Shade &amp; Cooling Projects: Use state Extreme Heat and Community Resilience grants and other programs to:&nbsp;<ul><li>plant&nbsp;shade trees&nbsp;where people actually walk and wait (schools, transit stops, busy corners)</li><li>install&nbsp;shade structures and cool pavements&nbsp;at parks, playgrounds, and major bus stops</li><li>support&nbsp;community cooling centers&nbsp;in libraries, rec centers, and trusted neighborhood spaces</li></ul></li><li>Energy-Saving Trees Program for Residents: Launch a Victorville version of statewide “Energy Saving Trees” efforts that help residents plant shade trees to cut home cooling costs, modeled on programs already running elsewhere in California.&nbsp;</li></ul>Goal:&nbsp;make it&nbsp;cooler and safer to live, walk, and wait for the bus&nbsp;in every neighborhood — especially on the blocks that have been ignored the longest.<h2>2. One-Stop Solar &amp; Energy-Savings Sign-Up</h2>Lancaster didn’t wait around for the utilities; it created&nbsp;Lancaster Energy, a local, not-for-profit “community choice” power program that buys cleaner energy and offers residents options like 100% renewable power.&nbsp;They paired that with fast solar permitting and a solar mandate for new homes, helping families and public facilities cut bills while expanding local clean energy.&nbsp;Victorville can follow that lead.Derek’s plan:<ul><li>Create a One-Stop “Energy Help Desk”: A simple online + in-person portal where residents and small businesses can:<ul><li>check eligibility for&nbsp;solar programs, rebates, and state/federal tax credits</li><li>sign up for&nbsp;weatherization and efficiency upgrades</li><li>get help applying for&nbsp;low-income utility assistance&nbsp;and bill-reduction programs</li><li>see how to add&nbsp;battery storage&nbsp;or high-efficiency cooling</li></ul></li><li>Fast, Cheap Solar Permits: Streamline the city’s solar permitting like Lancaster did, where over-the-counter approvals and clear rules sped up adoption and helped build a “go solar” culture.&nbsp;</li><li>Study a Victorville Community Energy Program: Commission a feasibility study for a&nbsp;Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)&nbsp;power program, like Lancaster Choice Energy and others across California, so Victorville can eventually buy more affordable, cleaner power on behalf of residents while the utility still maintains the grid.&nbsp;</li><li>Public Buildings First: Put solar and efficiency upgrades on&nbsp;city facilities, schools, and community centers&nbsp;first, so taxpayers save money and the city leads by example — just like Lancaster used solar on public buildings and schools as an early driver of savings and jobs.&nbsp;</li></ul>Bottom line:&nbsp;make it easy, not confusing, for people to&nbsp;cut their bills and generate their own power, and build toward long-term energy independence for Victorville.<h2>3. Real Transparency: Neighborhood Assemblies &amp; Live Dashboards</h2>People shouldn’t have to dig through PDFs or chase rumors on Facebook to know what city hall is doing.Derek’s plan opens it all up:<h3>Quarterly Neighborhood Assemblies</h3><ul><li>Hold&nbsp;quarterly assemblies&nbsp;in each part of the city where residents can:<ul><li>hear updates on&nbsp;roads, housing, public safety, and energy projects</li><li>ask questions directly to city leadership</li><li>help set the priorities for the next quarter</li></ul></li></ul>These aren’t photo-op town halls. They’re working meetings: what got done, what didn’t, and what’s next.<h3>Live Dashboards for Real-Time Accountability</h3>Build&nbsp;simple public dashboards&nbsp;online that show:<ul><li>which&nbsp;roads&nbsp;are being fixed and when</li><li>how many people are moving from the&nbsp;Wellness Center into permanent housing</li><li>average&nbsp;emergency response times&nbsp;across neighborhoods</li><li>progress on&nbsp;shade, cooling, and solar projects</li><li>how Measure I, Measure P, grants, and other funds are being spent</li></ul>If Lancaster can show its residents how they’re moving toward net-zero energy, Victorville can show its people where every major dollar and project is going.Goal:&nbsp;no more “black box” government. If you pay taxes here, you should be able to see — in plain language and maps — what you’re getting.<h2>How We Pay for It</h2>This plan is funded by:<ul><li>State and federal grants&nbsp;for extreme heat, shade, and resilience projects (like California’s Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program).&nbsp;</li><li>Existing utility and clean-energy incentive programs, including solar and storage rebates.&nbsp;</li><li>Better use of Measure P and other local funds&nbsp;for public buildings and basic infrastructure.</li><li>Long-term savings&nbsp;on city energy bills from solar and efficiency upgrades, which free up money for other services.</li></ul>No new tax is needed to get started — just smarter planning, aggressive grant-seeking, and a commitment to transparency.<h2>The Vision</h2>A Victorville where:<ul><li>electric bills go down, not up</li><li>shade and cooling&nbsp;are treated like essential infrastructure, not luxuries</li><li>families can stay safe in heat waves</li><li>the city becomes a&nbsp;regional leader in clean energy, not a follower</li><li>and residents can finally&nbsp;see the numbers, not just hear the spin</li></ul>Lancaster proved a High Desert city can lead the country on energy independence. Victorville can be the next one.Bills down. Power up. Cut costs. Cool the city. Open the books.if you want, i can now:<ul><li>compress this into a&nbsp;4–5 slide IG carousel</li><li>write a&nbsp;stump speech chunk&nbsp;where derek name-checks lancaster and lays out this vision in 60–90 seconds.</li></ul>

Bills down. Power up. Cut costs. Cool the city. Open the books.

Cost of Living & Transparency

Rents are rising faster than wages. Local workers are commuting hours because the High Desert doesn't offer viable jobs and opportunities. Small businesses are struggling to survive while outside developers profit.Derek Marshall’s Housing &amp; Jobs Plan is built on one simple belief: When people can afford to live here and work here, the whole city thrives.This plan tackles housing supply, affordability, and job creation at the same time — because you can’t fix one without the other.<h2>1. Fast-Track ADUs + Convert Empty Buildings Into Housing</h2>Victorville has space. What we lack is housing that working families can actually afford.Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Derek will:<ul><li>Streamline ADU permits so homeowners can build small rental units without endless delays.</li><li>Create a standardized ADU design program so residents can build faster and cheaper.</li><li>Prioritize ADU projects that help seniors age in place and help families stay together.</li></ul>Conversion of Vacant &amp; Underused Buildings Across Victorville, empty motels, strip malls, and office spaces sit unused while hundreds struggle to find housing.Derek will:<ul><li>Identify buildings suitable for conversion within the first 120 days.</li><li>Fast-track zoning adjustments to allow housing where it’s feasible.</li><li>Partner with nonprofits and mission-driven developers to create stable, long-term homes.</li><li>Prioritize veteran and senior housing in conversions wherever possible.</li></ul>Every empty building is a potential home. We will stop letting our resources sit unused.<h2>2. Expand Move-Outs From the Wellness Center Into Permanent Homes</h2>The Wellness Center is a critical first step, but temporary shelter only matters if people can move into real housing afterward.Under Derek’s plan:<ul><li>The city will double the number of permanent housing slots available for Wellness Center clients.</li><li>Create a dedicated “Housing Transitions Team” that ensures individuals don’t get stuck in temporary shelter.</li><li>Partner with county and state agencies to expand subsidies for people exiting the program.</li><li>Track all move-outs transparently so residents can see progress, not promises.</li></ul>This approach reduces homelessness long-term and keeps people from falling back onto the streets.<h2>3. Make Local-Hire the Rule on City Projects</h2>Every major city project — road improvements, rail construction, public works — should create jobs&nbsp;for Victorville residents&nbsp;first.Derek will:<ul><li>Require companies receiving city contracts to hire a minimum percentage of Victorville residents.</li><li>Create a public dashboard showing how many local workers are employed on every major project.</li><li>Partner with local unions, apprenticeship programs, and technical schools to prepare young people for high-wage careers.</li><li>Ensure contractors who violate local-hire standards face real consequences, not empty warnings.</li></ul>If tax dollars fund the project, Victorville residents should see the paychecks.<h2>4. Launch a Small-Biz Help Desk for the Rail-Boom Economy</h2>The new Brightline West rail project is about to transform Victorville — and we cannot afford to let outside corporations be the only winners.Derek’s plan includes a&nbsp;Small Business Help Desk, offering:<ul><li>Assistance with permits, licensing, and grant applications</li><li>Coaching for businesses preparing for increased tourism and foot traffic</li><li>Connections to state and federal funding designed for transportation corridor development</li><li>Monthly workshops for entrepreneurs looking to expand or start a business</li><li>Advocacy for small businesses during major construction phases</li></ul>When rail comes, Victorville can either grow with it or get swallowed by it. Derek’s plan ensures we grow.This plan is fully funded through a combination of:<ul><li>State and federal grants&nbsp;(housing, small business, infrastructure)</li><li>General fund trim and efficiency improvements</li><li>Contract language in the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP)&nbsp;requiring local hire and community benefits</li><li>Public-private partnerships focused on housing reuse projects</li></ul>We don’t need new taxes — just smarter use of the resources we already have.<h2>The Vision</h2>Imagine a Victorville where:<ul><li>Families can afford to stay rooted</li><li>Young people see opportunity instead of a dead end</li><li>Local businesses thrive</li><li>Seniors don’t get priced out of the neighborhoods they built</li><li>Workers get first shot at the jobs their tax dollars fund</li></ul>This is how we build&nbsp;real stability, real opportunity, and a real future&nbsp;for Victorville.This is how we build the next great American city.

secure homes. stable jobs. real roots. housing that fits our paychecks. jobs that stay local.

Secure Homes &amp; Local Jobs

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Derek Marshall is running for Victorville City Council to build the next great American city — with safe streets, affordable housing, local jobs, and transparent government. Learn about his plan, get involved, and join the movement for a stronger Victorville.

Derek Marshall for victorville city council

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