Michael Silva Vacaville City Council D3

10/14/2026

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📅 November 4 | 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
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1000 Ulatis Drive, Vacaville

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10/14/2026

SAFE WATER IS PUBLIC SAFETY
California Water Code Section 106.3, passed in 2012 as AB 685, declares that "every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes." In 2024, the state raised the bar on what "safe" means.

That April 2024, the State Water Resources Control Board set a new limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for chromium-6. Chromium-6 is a known carcinogen found naturally in our groundwater.

Vacaville had until October 1, 2026 to comply, and four of our wells were above the limit.

I spent ten years in health care and years more in cancer research. Today I teach science. I was trained to follow the evidence, and the evidence here was clear.

The city's independent 2025 rate study and staff reports showed that:
• Water rates had not changed since 2020, and sewer rates since 2014.
• Both systems were spending more than they collected.
• Maintenance had been put off for years.
• Missing the state deadline would have meant enforcement, legal liability and possible water shortages.

Vacaville opposed this unfunded mandate, challenged it, and pressed the state for funding. I still believe the state should help pay for it. But disagreeing with a law does not change what it requires, or what we owe the families who drink our water.

On June 24, 2025, I voted to adjust our water and sewer rates. Delay would have been easier. But the costs of treatment, new wells and overdue repairs would not have gone away. Those costs would have grown and landed on the next council and the next generation.
I also worked to keep the impact as low as possible. The council approved a smaller initial increase than the rate study recommended, about $20 a month for a typical household, while still funding chromium-6 compliance. I grew up in a low-income home, and I know what $20 means to a family or a senior on a fixed income. That is why I pressed for help for qualifying residents through the city's low-income discount, which is funded outside of water rates.

Here are the results:
• As of October 1, 2026, the City of Vacaville confirmed our water meets the state standard.
• New and restored wells are online, and work continues on the rest.
• Our rates remain among the lowest in the region.

My integrity rests on your trust to make difficult decisions based on the law, on the evidence, and on what we rightly expect of each other as citizens.

I will keep gathering the facts and making informed decisions, because I was raised here, I am raising my family here, and Solano County is our home.

City of Vacaville Government

10/07/2026

Thank You to all those who came out and organized a neighborhood National Night Out, helping each of us stay connected to one another.

10/07/2026

Vacaville’s annual National Night Out (NNO) at Andrew’s Park continues to grow!

In an effort to strengthen the connection between neighbors and our police department a few years ago, this was one of many efforts continuing today!

In a time where so many are feeling disconnected and discouraged, it’s inspiring to see those who have not lost hope and a willingness to stay interconnected.

NNO at Andrew’s Park served well over a 1000-1500 residents. This is in addition to several neighborhood organizations and other private groups throughout the City of Vacaville.

Anybody can organize a NNO block party and request a visit from the police department, fire department, and local elected of your district. This is a great opportunity to stay connected with those dedicated to serving you!

Thank you to all the organizers throughout our city for bringing us together!

Thank you to the team who volunteered to cook over 750 hot dogs for our neighbors!

10/05/2026

Federal tax dollars coming back to local contractors improving our local neighborhoods! Thank you valley excavating for your labor of love making the driveway, stairs, sidewalks, and walkways more accessible to those with physical limitations and wheelchair access.

10/05/2026

Vaca Valley Excavating & Trucking, Inc. putting in the work on Gable street to make the sidewalk, parking lot, and surrounding walkways more accessible to those with limited mobility and wheelchair bound! Thank you to Vacaville Gable Apartments and City of Vacaville Government City of Vacaville Public Works and council for continuing to improve our city!

09/28/2026

"It warms my heart and soul to see our whole community thriving, from people of all ages to our pets and wildlife. It makes every year invested [in improving this park] worth it." -from an anonymous Markham neighborhood resident

(Location: Trower Park. Pictures were sent from a resident who lives near Trower Park in Markham neighborhood.)

09/11/2026

REFLECTION 25 YEARS AFTER SEPTEMBER 11...

The attacks on our soil that day remain a vivid memory for those of us who were alive to witness them. No matter where we were, each of us carries our own memory of that tragedy, and of the resilience that followed it. It was a reminder that safety is never guaranteed and tomorrow is never promised. It was also a reminder that our emotions can either bring us together or lead us to our worst judgment.

As I stand in front of a new class of students each semester, I notice the distance between that morning and the young people in front of me growing a little wider each year. It often seems that the thing that unifies us most as a nation is great tragedy. I wish that were not the case.

I still remember the evening of September 11th. I was driving to my night shift in my '68 Camaro, and as I crossed town I found myself revving the engine, burning rubber, and cheering alongside fellow citizens in the cars next to me and on every corner of every main street. People were waving American flags and chanting "USA! USA! USA!" For one night, we were not divided by politics, ideology, or belief. We were simply Americans, standing together. That is the feeling I hope we never lose, and the one I still believe we are capable of finding again, even without tragedy to summon it. It is what I carry as hope, and it is what we owe the people we lost that day, and the veterans and allies who have sacrificed in the years since. Their sacrifice cannot be for nothing. It cannot be in vain.

That day also revealed who we are at our best. Firefighters climbed the stairwells of towers others were fleeing. Police officers, paramedics, and port authority officers ran toward the danger instead of away from it. Office workers carried coworkers they had never met down dozens of flights of stairs. Passengers on Flight 93 chose to act rather than wait, and gave their lives so that others might live. Volunteers from every background and profession, ironworkers, nurses, chaplains, and everyday neighbors, converged on Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville to search, to rebuild, and to grieve alongside strangers who became family. None of them asked what the other believed, or how they voted, before offering their hands.

For me, September 11th is a somber reminder of humanity's worst, and a hopeful reminder of America's best. Each of us has a choice in how we carry that memory forward. I choose to listen, to learn, and to serve, committing myself to continuous improvement because those who came before us earned it, and those who come after us need it.

-Michael Silva, EdD, MS


(photo credit: 911 Memorial)