A new grassroots community organization wants this to be the “Year of Indio”—and the first step the group is taking to make that happen is supporting a candidate running against controversial Indio Mayor Michael Wilson.
The group, calling itself Year of Indio, announced its formation and the candidacy of Waymond Fermon during an early January news conference.
“We (in the Year of Indio group) are a group of individuals who care for the city of Indio, and want to see it thrive,” said Tizoc DeAztlan during a recent interview. DeAztlan, an experienced political campaigner who has contributed to the successful election efforts of Rep. Dr. Raul Ruiz and State Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, among others, is an adviser to Fermon’s campaign for the new Indio District 2 City Council seat.
Starting with this year’s election, the members of the Indio City Council will be elected by district, rather than city-wide. This means Fermon will go up against City Councilmember Michael Wilson, who recently rotated into the mayor’s chair. To date, no other candidates have announced an intention to run in this district.
“Recognizing that Indio is a critical cog in the Coachella Valley at large, we have to take ownership of its future and create change on our own,” DeAztlan said. “So, as a collective, knowing that Indio has a tremendous amount of strength if it’s utilized appropriately, we realize that the most impactful thing we can do right now is have Waymond on the council.
“That being said, Waymond is just one part of the puzzle. There are two other council positions up for grabs (in Indio this year), and if Waymond, as well as the other candidates supported by the Year of Indio collective are elected—that’s something that can dramatically change the landscape of Indio moving forward. Waymond is a natural fit, so he’s the first move, but there will be more moves.”
We asked Fermon what motivated him to jump into the District 2 race.
“I think it started when I was a kid,” Fermon said. “Growing up, I watched my mother give her last to help other people out, and as I got older, I started to see that all of our (Indio) residents were not being treated fairly. I think Indio is a thriving city, but I think some of the communities are thriving more than others, and I’d like to even that base out.”
Fermon, 38, is a father of three who works as a California Department of Corrections officer. He attended Indio public schools including Kennedy Elementary, Hoover Elementary, Jefferson Middle School and Indio High School, before attending College of the Desert. He said that if elected, he’d focus on certain community challenges he has long worked to overcome.
“One is our youth,” Fermon said. “You affect change with the youth. If they’re going to grow and raise children themselves here in Indio, you have to have something for them to do that keeps them away from crime, like working to gain a higher education. I’ve always had a passion for working with youth.
“Second is the homeless issue. You know, last night, I went out with a couple of folks just to talk to some of the homeless people in the city. I just wanted to listen to them. I believe that putting your feet on the ground and actually seeing it for what it is—you get a better perspective on it. You can’t just keep throwing money at situations. You have to fix some of the underlying issues.”
The fact that a new group including Democratic political operatives is backing a candidate against Wilson should come as no surprise, considering Wilson is a conservative who has spoken out to criticize Barack Obama, Elizabeth Warren and the media, among others. However, Fermon insisted his campaign is more than just an attempt to unseat Wilson.
“As far as I go, I don’t worry about what anybody else is doing,” Fermon said. “I have my goals and my plans and my agenda that I’d like to bring to the table. I live by a mantra which is: ‘I focus 120 percent on greatness, because failure is not an option.’ So right now, I’m focused on having a successful campaign and getting there (to the Indio City Council).”
DeAztlan said he does see a need for change regarding the City Council’s makeup.
“What we see as a big contrast (between these two candidates) is how each reaches a decision on policy matters,” DeAztlan said. “What’s your value set? What are your concerns, and what are you thinking about when you make decisions? Whether it’s public safety, economic development, education or transportation, all these things affect people’s lives directly. You want somebody who is considering you and cares for you when they are considering all the decisions before them on the dais.
“What we have in Waymond is someone who’s a family guy, connected to the community, and whose value set is in step with yours, whether you’re Republican, Democrat, independent or just someone who doesn’t vote usually. He’s talking the talk, and walking the walk. He wants more for his community than what he sees now. People are frustrated. The incumbent on the board now (Wilson) is someone who recently did some infamous tweeting that showed his concern wasn’t for immigrant families and those who are suffering, but instead, his concern was that people were attacking a president that most people in his district do not believe in and do not support.”
While DeAztlan was willing to go on the offensive against Wilson, Fermon insisted that he was going to remain positive.
“I’m about positive vibes and a positive life,” Fermon said. “And if I can bring that positivity to the City Council, and to the city of Indio, that’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to the future, and I see some great things happening.”
Haven’t Progressives done enough ?
Great, just what we need. Another whiney liberal to come in and ignore what really matters for the community and instead give everyone what their imaginary ideals want…. Please don’t buy in to this BS, people. It’s nothing but beautiful lies used to suffocate funds from communities and lives. Next thing you know, programs will start that fund important sounding groups that practically do NOTHING for the people.
It’s interesting that Mr. Fermon has chosen to run in District 2 when he isn’t even a resident of Mr. Wilson’s District. He currently resides at Clinton and Miles Ave, Mr.Stranges District. Furthermore, Mr. Fermon is a Correctional Officer in California, Ca. When will he ever have time to serve Indio’s residents. Mr.Fermon also has a history and background that isn’t conducive to Public Office. Research the County of Riverside, Riverside Superior Court Public Records and his side job when he was body building and stripping for income.
I would love for the CV Independent to interview me and my accomplishments over 21 yrs. of holding elective office in Indio. Mr. Fermun doesn’t live in my District as of yet, he hasn’t release a platform yet we know what it will be, Sanctuary City for Indio, Marijuana on every street corner, and our youth, which he claims to want to address having direct access to Marijuana on every street corner. We don’t need these Public Safety nightmares in Indio. Mr. Fermon is a very liberal Democrat who is deep into the local group Courageous Resistance and has those values. He also is a Democrat operative involved in trying to take Indio over and turning into Coachella politics. My record on the Indio City Council is very strong and unattackable. Otherwise, they would have been doing it. I welcome the opportunity to take on a novice.