CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. -- (KBAK/FOX58) California City's newly elected mayor, Marquette Hawkins, is setting the stage for significant changes in the desert town following his victory in November's election. Hawkins, a college professor and music industry professional, defeated two candidates, including the former mayor, to secure his position.
"This is just laying the foundation, right?" Hawkins said. "A substantive foundation not on sand or house of cards but really getting at the root of the issues."
Hawkins' Vision 2050 plan aims to address the city's major budget shortfalls by boosting housing, business, and energy production. His inspiration to run for office began with a personal experience when he attempted to take his daughters to play basketball at a local gym.
"She said, 'Hey Dad, there is nothing for kids to do out here,'" Hawkins recalled. "I said, 'Nah, let's go to the gym. Let's go check it out.' Went to the gym. Sure enough, a bunch of kids packed in there. One of the courts broken down, basketball nets all tattered. I am like, 'Wow, that is sad.' Went to Big 5, got some nets. Put them up myself. Started helping out, volunteering. And then eventually it was like, 'Let me go to some of the city council meetings and see what some answers are and I was just not getting those answers.'"
Hawkins, who has lived in California City for three years and spent a decade in nearby Rosamond, said the community has deeply influenced him.
"As a father and as a homeowner, it was important for me to go, 'Hey, I want to be able to look around at my town and have people satisfied and happy,'" he said.
Despite the city's financial struggles, which have led to the cutting of numerous local government jobs, Hawkins remains optimistic. He plans to utilize grants to improve the city's roads, enhancing the quality of life for residents and attracting industries that rely on transportation.
"How can you bring in industry that is going to move and shake products when the trucks cannot even get in over the roads?" Hawkins said.
The mayor emphasized the importance of achieving short-term goals before tackling the more ambitious aspects of Vision 2050.
"It is going to take a while but we have to start somewhere," Hawkins said. "We have to have a vision. We have to have a plan. We have to lay that foundation in order to make sure that by 2050 we are actually actualizing that vision."