Emmanuel Hernandez Soto
CA · Member, Visalia City Council, District 4
Visalia council member, first-generation graduate of UC San Diego, and Tulare County Library Foundation board member. He has focused on youth programs and parks and a housing-first approach to homelessness.
Where Emmanuel Hernandez Soto stands, based on their records
Supports
Social Programs and Welfare (1 record), Public Infrastructure (2 records)
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (1 support · 3 oppose), Public Safety and Crime Control (1 support · 1 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 1 support · 3 oppose
Moved to spend $45,000 on a voter survey for a possible local sales tax for city projects. The motion failed 2-3.
March 2, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Moved to pursue an aquatic center with a 50-meter pool and a recreation pool, and to have staff bring back funding options, including a sales tax study. It passed 3-2.
January 20, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Asked the council to consider a one-time city donation to a local food aid group during the federal SNAP cuts. The council voted 3-2 not to take it up.
November 3, 2025Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: ourvalleyvoice.com
Cast the only no vote on a $3.04 million contract, plus $849,010 more from the general fund, to fence Riverway Sports Park. He said the cost was too high.
July 21, 2025Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 support · 1 oppose
Voted no when the council let the Downtown Rookies sports bar keep its live entertainment permit with changes. He backed staff's call to revoke it over safety. It passed 3-1.
October 21, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote on a city ordinance banning camping in parks and on city property. It passed 4-1.
August 12, 2024Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Track record — Social Programs and Welfare
Social Programs and Welfare · 1 support
Asked the council to consider a one-time city donation to a local food aid group during the federal SNAP cuts. The council voted 3-2 not to take it up.
November 3, 2025Supports Social Programs and Welfare
Source: ourvalleyvoice.com
Track record — Public Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure · 2 support
Moved to deny a developer's appeal and keep sidewalks required inside the gated Clements Ranch subdivision. It passed 3-2.
July 20, 2026Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Moved to pursue an aquatic center with a 50-meter pool and a recreation pool, and to have staff bring back funding options, including a sales tax study. It passed 3-2.
January 20, 2026Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Track record — General
General · 13 records
Voted no on canceling the November 2026 District 3 council election and appointing the only candidate instead. It passed 3-2.
August 17, 2026
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote on a city letter opposing Assembly Bill 1383, a state bill changing public employee retirement benefits. It passed 3-1.
April 6, 2026
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Seconded and voted for a plan to let cannabis businesses open in Visalia once an ordinance passed; it failed 2-3. He then cast the only no vote on a plan setting the number of allowed businesses at zero.
March 3, 2025
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote when the council let a Jack in the Box on South Lovers Lane run its drive-thru 24 hours, overturning a Planning Commission denial. It passed 4-1.
February 3, 2025
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Voted no when the council rejected neighbors' appeals and approved a Sam's Club with a gas station and car wash next to homes. It passed 3-2.
December 3, 2024
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Moved to table final adoption of the special events 'street frontage' change. The motion failed 2-2. He then joined a 5-0 vote for an amended version.
November 18, 2024
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote on adding a 'street frontage' definition to the special events ordinance. He said the change singled out the downtown Farmers Market. It passed 4-1.
November 4, 2024
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote on starting the annexation of about 80 acres at Shirk Street and Riggin Avenue into Visalia. It passed 4-1.
May 20, 2024
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Asked the council to revisit the new limit of 12 street closures a year for events, saying stakeholders at a meeting did not want that rule.
January 16, 2024
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote on adopting Visalia's new special events ordinance, which set rules for street closures. It passed 3-1.
December 18, 2023
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote when the council approved rezoning 15 home parcels so the Visalia Public Cemetery could expand onto them. It passed 4-1.
November 20, 2023
Source: visalia.legistar1.com
Seconded and voted for sending the Visalia Public Cemetery's plan to expand onto nearby home lots back to the Planning Commission. The motion passed 3-2.
May 1, 2023
Source: fresnoland.org
Won the Visalia City Council District 4 seat over two challengers, becoming only the second Latino elected to the council. He was sworn in on December 7, 2022.
November 8, 2022
Source: ourvalleyvoice.com
Past race Emmanuel Hernandez Soto ran in:
- Visalia City Council, District 4 · November 3, 2026 · Visalia city, California · incumbent