Scott Matas Seeks One Last Term as Mayor

Scott Matas First Elected to Council in 2007

DESERT HOT SPRINGS — Scott Matas, a lifelong Desert Hot Springs resident, was elected to the council in 2007 and first elected mayor in 2015. If re-elected, it would be his fourth and final term as mayor. Voters in 2018 approved Measure V, limiting mayors to two four-year terms.

Matas has two challengers: Russell Betts and Stephen Giboney.

All registered voters in the city are eligible to vote in the mayoral race.

Uken Report (UR) sent all candidates identical questionnaires. Participation was voluntary.

Following are his unedited responses.

UR: Age and occupation

Scott Matas: 53 and a Community Manager for Desert Resort Management, where I manage five HOA’s.

UR: Who or what motivated you to run for the City Council/Mayor?

Scott Matas: My wife. After serving on the city council for 8 years she convinced me to run for the mayor’s seat in 2015. I have been re-elected twice to the mayor’s seat and after several lengthy discussions at the end of 2023 we decided to make a final run in order for me to complete the initiatives that were delayed due to the Covid pandemic. There is work remaining to be done, and I want to complete it.

UR: How long have you lived in DHS full time?

Scott Matas: I have lived in Desert Hot Springs my entire life.

UR: What is your No. 1 priority for the city?

Scott Matas: That is a tough one, there are so many issues that are important to me, but if I had to narrow it down, I would say the renovation of our downtown. The Pierson Boulevard corridor has great potential to become a walkable and eclectic business district where residents, and particularly families, can enjoy entertainment, dining and the arts.  I lead the efforts to start Friday Nights on Pierson, the preplanning for the downtown district, and the small business enhancement program that gave out $250,000.00 in grants for exterior business enhancements.

UR: What makes you a better candidate than your opponents?

Scott Matas: My leadership and reputation. I have proven that I can work effectively with our City Council, build partnerships on the city council and across the region, produce effective and common-sense programs, and tackle local and regional issues while presenting the facts and only the facts. I am a team player and a consensus builder. I listen and do not lecture. I consider opposing points of view and I do not attack. I am respectful and I do not bully people. I conduct myself with maturity and decorum. And most importantly, no one understands the City’s finances better than I do. I understand the importance of fiscal stability, I know how to manage the City finances and City staff, and I know how to prioritize. I have made sure that the City of Desert Hot Springs can navigate financially through good and bad times, and I have set the course for a secure future.

UR: Do you see yourself a team player or an individual who will fight for your opinion?

Scott Matas: I am absolutely a team player. Why? Good leadership means building consensus with your colleagues, debating respectfully, respecting the skill and knowledge of City administrative staff, and ethically upholding difficult or controversial decisions that have been made. No leader can be successful without building consensus and supporting his/her management team in an inclusive and respectful way, and that is how I conduct myself with the City Council, City government, the business community and residents.

UR: How do you deal with conflict? Give us an example.

Scott Matas: Whenever I deal with conflict, I first listen carefully to the issue and gain a good understanding of the problem. Once I understand the issue, I try to solve the problem with facts or de-escalate the issue by finding common ground. Sometimes this means “stepping back” to allow time for the issue to calm itself, rather than jumping in when emotions are high. Often, a little time will allow for “calmer minds” to prevail. But conflict must also be dealt with “head-on,” it cannot be allowed to fester. For instance, Council Member Russell Betts has proven over and over that he is not a team player, that his style is more of “going rogue”.  This impacts other organizations outside of DHS, many of which have expressed concern over Mr. Betts’ “forceful,” almost bullying style of collaboration. Rather than jeopardize our standing and lose our leverage on important issues because of personality differences between Mr. Betts and various Coachella Valley organizations and committee members, I simply removed Mr. Betts from representing DHS on those committees.

UR: Does DHS need to change the way it’s been doing business?

Scott Matas: The City is constantly looking at ways to streamline the process and enhance practices to make it easier for residents, business owners, contractors, and developers to get business done faster and more conveniently.  I believe the city has made major improvements to how it conducts business, but I am always listening and looking for ways to improve the process. Change its image? If so, in what way?  The image has been tainted for years from misinformation, past events and in general, social media. Desert Hot springs has a rich history with the best drinking and hot water, beautiful spas, hiking trails and a quality of life that is still affordable. I strive to always share the good story of Desert Hot Springs in hopes that visitors, developers and our constituents can see past the misinformation and focus positively on our future.

UR: In what areas does the city need to grow, if it does, and how will you make that happen?

Scott Matas: Retail development is the primary area in need of growth. The constituents of Desert Hot Springs are hungry for more local shopping, and with the right team this can happen. This has been an uphill battle for years, the I-10 and highway 62 corridors are primed for development along with the Palm & Dillon corridors. I believe the city is in a prime spot if interest rates fall and commercial development surges. I will make change happen by continuing to encourage more homebuilders to build more homes and bring higher income residents to DHS so as to lower our poverty rate and attract more national retailers. I will continue to move our City government to be even more efficient and attractive to businesses, further streamlining the process of starting a business here, I will continue to support and strengthen our existing industries such as cannabis, and I will continue promoting DHS as the family-friendly, health and wellness destination that it is.