Three candidates are competing for two Del Rey Oaks City Council seats in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. All three say the same issues top their list: FORTAG trail delays and housing on former Fort Ord land.

Incumbent Jeremy Hallock, civil engineer Cheryl Parker and community volunteer Shelley Cabanillas will appear on the ballot, as first reported by Monterey County NOW's Pam Marino. Mayor Scott Donaldson is running unopposed. Ballot dropboxes and in-person early voting opened Monday, Oct. 5, at the Monterey County Elections Office, according to Monterey County NOW.

The Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway (FORTAG), a 28-mile regional trail funded by Measure X in 2016, has been a sore point in Del Rey Oaks. The Canyon Del Rey segment, the first 1.5-mile phase, broke ground in June 2024 and was supposed to be finished by summer 2026. Carlton Drive reopened to traffic on Monday, Sept. 28, after months of closure, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) announced. Temporary road closures are still expected in November to finish remaining work.

Hallock, a general contractor who won his seat in 2022, said the FORTAG project "has come with its share of delays and complications beyond expectation … The city needs to hold agencies accountable in seeing that the work is finished as quickly as possible." He said he is seeking a second four-year term focused on fiscal responsibility and transparent government.

On Fort Ord housing, Hallock acknowledged development has stalled. He pointed to recent discussions with an unnamed development team he called capable, saying results could come within four years. He envisions residential districts, restaurants, parks and other amenities on the former military land.

Parker, who has 18 years of experience as a civil engineer, said Del Rey Oaks lacks an on-staff city engineer. She said that gap contributed to poor planning for FORTAG's impact on residents. She described city staff dismissing her offers to help on an engineering issue as part of a pattern of not listening to residents.

Parker listed affordable housing on former Fort Ord land and new revenue-generating businesses as top priorities. She said completing the trail matters because residents will be able to move around town without fighting traffic on Canyon Del Rey.

Cabanillas, a 15-year Del Rey Oaks resident and former counselor, said she would push TAMC to deliver a finished trail built to the standards it promised. She listed increasing city revenue and overseeing Fort Ord housing as her other top issues, saying she wants the right mix of housing density while maintaining the city's family-friendly character.

Donaldson, a U.S. Army veteran who moved to Del Rey Oaks in 2016, unseated former Mayor Alison Kerr in 2022. He also serves as the city's representative on the TAMC board. He listed FORTAG completion, meeting state housing requirements, upgrading South Boundary Road and attracting new businesses among the city's challenges. He declined to endorse a council candidate, saying past turmoil is behind the city and any candidate who builds on that progress deserves a seat.

The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 19. County officials recommend mailing completed ballots by Tuesday, Oct. 27. A temporary satellite voting location opens Friday, Oct. 30, through Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Seaside.