Pillars

Where Celest Stands

Straight from the conversation where we built this platform — not polished talking points. Problem, commitment, first action, proof. No promises, just what she’s actually going to do.

Affordability

The Problem

I did everything right — finished school, took the hard classes, went to college — and I still can’t afford to live on my own in Santa Maria.

My Commitment

I read the city’s budget from every angle, line by line, instead of taking the numbers at face value. There’s no one-size-fits-all fix — but the high-impact points are in there if you actually do the work to find them.

First Action

A full, public read-through of the city budget in her first months in office — not just what’s allocated, but what it actually does once it’s spent. “You have to read between the lines of what that means and where it goes.”

Proof

This isn’t theoretical for her. She’s currently back in a master’s program, working full-time, and still can’t afford to live alone in Santa Maria — despite doing everything she was told would make that possible.

Opportunity

The Problem

There are programs and resources your tax dollars already pay for — most people never find out they exist.

My Commitment

I make sure this community actually knows what’s available to them, consistently — not buried somewhere nobody thinks to look.

First Action

An annual community event — a job fair or resource fair people can count on every year, where local organizations and programs are front and center instead of scattered across a dozen different websites.

Proof

She works in workforce development professionally — first as a case manager, now as a program manager overseeing state, county, and federally funded programs. She didn’t know these kinds of programs existed when she needed them most after college. As she jokes: “If I’d known about them, I’d be president by now.”

Accountability

The Problem

Plans get made, deadlines don’t, and nothing gets tracked — so nothing really changes.

My Commitment

I set real, public milestones — and I have the uncomfortable conversations it takes to hit them. You can’t fix something until you’re willing to admit what’s actually wrong.

First Action

Publicly set specific, dated goals for the district and report back on them on a regular schedule — not just at election time.

Proof

She manages a team professionally and lives by the same rule she’s asking of city government: without a deadline, people wait. She’s named accountability as the one thing she’s not willing to compromise on — even if it costs her votes.