Instead, he was immediately handed a document with a pay scale showing how much Santa Barbara police officers made in comparison to similar-sized cities.
He was stunned.
In fact, reforming public employee salaries and pensions is among the top things on Tevis’ list of reforms if elected to the Santa Barbara City Council.
“These are huge lobbying groups,” Tevis said. “These are huge power groups.”
Tevis is competing against 12 other candidates in the race for three open seats on the Santa Barbara City Council. A fourth seat could open up if Helene Schneider or Dale Francisco is elected mayor.
With the city of Santa Barbara facing serious budget problems, many of the mayoral and city council candidates are trumpeting the easy and convenient sound of “fiscal responsibility.”
But for 26-year-old Tevis, fiscal conservatism, personal responsibility and a return to back-to-basics government, isn’t a facade or an opportunistic campaign strategy.
It’s who he is and how he has always lived his life.
“You work hard for what you get,” Tevis told the Daily Sound. “You have to compete. Wealth is achieved through hard work and dedication.”
A conservative Republican who grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley, Tevis’ campaign has picked up momentum in recent weeks with on-the-street buzz and some key endorsements, including the Santa Barbara County Republican Party.
He recently purchased a television ad, and has a team of grassroots volunteers boosting his campaign.
Tevis, inventory manager at The Territory Ahead, wants to restore fiscal responsibility, if elected. It’s clear that when he speaks, he’s not recalling talking points. He believes that he can make a difference for the better.
“We’re kind of seeing our American values in jeopardy,” Tevis said. “Everyone is looking for someone else to help them.”
Tevis would like to see government operate more like the private sector, where cutting costs is difficult, but an absolute imperative. He said last year employees at The Territory Ahead were let go after working as many as 15 years for the company – and right before Christmas. Yet, in government, employees were getting raises and services were being cut.
“People are hurting in the private sector,” Tevis said.
Tevis has a lot of strong values, and much of that comes from his upbringing.
He said he grew up in a broken home, the son of divorced parents. His family didn’t have a lot of money and he had few role models.
“I should be the last person who is conservative,” Tevis said. “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I didn’t grow up in a wealthy family. To get where I am has been a huge struggle.”
Lacking a lot of guidance, he threw himself into sports. He started wrestling as a child, and later played football in high school and college.
Tevis, who speaks English and Spanish, earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and history at Claremont McKenna College, where he was the 2004 Team Defensive MVP.
The muscular, athletically built Tevis is also trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a form of mixed martial arts. Earlier this year, during the heat of the campaign, he won a high-profile tournament.
“Sports have always been an inspiration,” Tevis said. “It’s a big part of my life.”
With three weeks to go in the campaign, Tevis believes he has a good shot at victory. As an athlete, he believes there’s always a way to win the game.
“I never would have done it if I didn’t think I was going to win it,” he said.
In addition to fiscal responsibility, Tevis said he wants to restore, “Small Town Santa Barbara.”
What that means, he said, is stopping unnecessary high-density, subsidized housing projects.
“We need to live within our means,” he said. “Don’t hand out subsidized housing. People should work hard and realize it’s a privilege to live here.”
He also wants to refocus police resources so officers can focus on the gang problem, rather than writing tickets for parking offenses.
“The police constantly have to generate revenue to make up for the council’s fiscal irresponsibility,” Tevis said.
Despite his strong opinions, Tevis wants people to know that he’s not some hard-line conservative who lacks compassion. He just believes people can be successful without government’s help.
“Yeah, you can get down and out, but if you work hard, you can pull yourself up,” Tevis said. “
Tevis’ supporters feel strongly about his campaign.
“He is a very smart young man, and he gets me fired up about America,” said Karen Jones, the mother of one of Tevis’ friends. “The smart money may not be on Justin Tevis, but I bet on Justin Tevis. I know him. He’s a winner.”
Bio Box
Justin Tevis
26
Inventory Manager, The Territory Ahead
Hobbies: jiu-jitsu, sports