Priority one
One way in. One way out.
Canyon Country keeps growing. Our roads, and our ways out of a fire, have not kept up.
The city's own draft 2026 hazard plan says Sand Canyon and Fair Oaks Ranch have limited ways in and out. Here is what I will do about it.
Map every one-way-in neighborhood
State law requires the city to identify neighborhoods without two evacuation routes and to study how fast each can get out. The city has just hired consultants to update its General Plan. I will make sure that study is complete, current, public, and written in plain language.
One fire-safety standard for every new project
Two ways in and out, roads wide enough for fire trucks and families leaving at the same time, and an evacuation-time study, for every development in a very high fire zone. Clear, objective rules that hold up under state law.
Roads first, in writing
New projects must finish the roads, bridges and signals they need before residents move in. That goes into every approval and every development agreement.
Growth pays its share, and you can see it
New projects pay road fees to the city. I will make sure those fees match what our roads actually cost, and post every road-fee dollar online: collected, spent, and on which road.
Say no where the city can
Hotels, resorts and business parks are not protected by state housing law. The Council rejected the Sand Canyon Resort in 2021 over traffic and evacuation. I will hold every commercial project to the same test.
Build what's approved, keep local control
Thousands of approved homes are still to be built. Keeping our housing plan in line with state law protects us from projects that bypass local zoning entirely. I will push back on Sacramento's one-size-fits-all mandates by every lawful means.
I won't promise to stop all building. No one can do that legally. I promise the roads, and the way out, come first.
Priority two
Make sure it does not burn
District 5 sits against open hills and canyons. The Tick Fire in 2019 forced tens of thousands of us to evacuate, and the Pointe Fire this summer was another reminder. Wildfire safety cannot wait. The city should act before fire season, not after.
I am a certified EMT, and I volunteered during California wildfires. I have seen what it takes to get people out in time, and what it costs when the work is left until the fire is already here. Firefighters risk their lives for us. They should not be the last line of defense because the city didn't clear its own land.
Clear the brush
Proactive brush and shrub removal on city land before fire season, not after, and firm enforcement of defensible space, using work crews and the controlled grazing already clearing our canyons.
Harden older homes
Help older neighborhoods with ember-resistant vents, roofs, and cleared yards.
Get people out
Many Canyon Country streets have one way in and one way out. Mapped evacuation routes, tested alert systems, and road and signal projects planned around getting people out quickly.
Where I stand
Keep Santa Clarita safe, affordable, and honest
District 5 has never had its own voice on the Council. I intend to give it one.
Our neighborhoods
- Hold every approved project to its promises, starting with Sand Canyon.
- More parks and green space.
- No homeless service centers in District 5 without a real, funded plan.
- New homes near transit and on commercial corridors, not on single-family streets. Make backyard units easier to permit.
- New homes come with the roads and the way out they need, built before people move in. My growth plan.
Your money
- Families here are stretched thin. Financial literacy workshops for residents.
- Fiscal decisions that help families reduce debt, not add to it.
- Any new tax goes to a public vote, tied to one clear purpose.
- Protect the city's AAA credit rating, balanced budget, and reserves. Keep paying down pension debt ahead of schedule.
- Grow revenue through employers, retail, and film production, so residents can work closer to home.
Open books
- A plain-language budget summary any resident can read in ten minutes.
- An online checkbook: every city payment over a set amount, searchable, updated monthly.
- Real notice before big votes, mailed to affected neighborhoods before the vote, not after.
About Liliia
“Republican, Democrat, or neither, everyone wants their home clean, safe, and prospering.” Liliia Chernova
Read the transcript
Good evening, Council. During the last week's debates, I've noticed that many of you don't know me. So here I am. My name is Liliia Chernova. I'm Moldovan American, and I am a candidate for the City Council in District 5.
In 2008, I arrived to this country alone on a college scholarship. I was determined to build a future through hard work and education. And eventually I became an American citizen. When my husband, an Armenian immigrant, and I explored Los Angeles County for our home, we looked all around until we saw the hills of Canyon Country and the breathtaking sunsets.
These beautiful hills first caught our attention, but the neighbors and the sense of community made us stay and love this place. That experience shapes my vision for Santa Clarita, improving our city without losing what makes it special.
California requires Santa Clarita to plan thousands of additional homes. My position is smart growth, not overdevelopment. I will work to plan infrastructure alongside new development, require developers to fund their share of improvements, and ensure residents aren't paying for the costs they did not create.
I bring over 15 years of experience in global technology, including serving as a head of investor relations at two public tech companies. Having four degrees including an MBA, I understand why city budgets, infrastructure improvements and contracts demand financial accountability. Those decisions affect our everyday life. Reliable roads, water systems, utilities and public services matter. Traffic congestion costs families time and can delay critical medical care.
Our surrounding beautiful hills also demand serious wildfire preparedness. During my time at Google, I completed EMT training at one of the top California's EMT colleges, EMT programs. So I could volunteer during Northern California fires, because I lived in Northern California back then, and I did. I volunteered, and I'm looking forward to volunteer here to support the community.
That experience shapes my priorities, vegetation clearance, fire-resistant homes, dependable emergency alerts and evacuation planning.
My governing promise is to protect what makes Canyon Country special while holding City Hall accountable for responsible growth, essential services and public safety with residents being heard before decisions are made.
The beautiful hills brought us here. The neighbors made us stay and together we can shape the community we will share tomorrow. Thank you.
Liliia Chernova
Candidate for Santa Clarita City Council, District 5
Liliia Chernova is a candidate for Santa Clarita City Council, District 5.
Moldovan American, Chernova came to the United States alone in 2008 on a college scholarship and became a citizen through her employment.
Her career covers 21 years in business, 15 in enterprise technology, carrying profit responsibility up to $50 million. She ran investor relations at two publicly traded technology companies, EPAM Systems and Grid Dynamics, work that showed her why financial accountability matters.
Chernova holds a Master of Education earned in Europe, a B.S. in Nonprofit Management from Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management, and a Global MBA in Green Energy and Sustainability from the University of Bologna. She is a certified Emergency Medical Technician, trained at Foothill Community College, and volunteered during California wildfires.
Her plan is:
- Smart growth, not overdevelopment. Plan infrastructure alongside new development, with roads and evacuation routes before occupancy. Require developers to fund their share so residents do not pay costs they did not create.
- Wildfire preparedness. Vegetation clearance, fire-resistant construction, emergency alerts, and evacuation planning.
- Financial accountability and transparency. Track what projects cost against promises, and hear residents before decisions are made.
Chernova’s commitment is to residents’ interests. No business or political organization backs her campaign, and she answers to residents alone. She and her husband, an Armenian immigrant, live in Canyon Country and want to improve Santa Clarita without losing what makes it feel special.
How to vote
Your ballot is in the mail
Check your district
District 5 covers most of Canyon Country and the city's eastern edge. Find your district.
Return it
Mail it, drop it in an official ballot box, or vote in person. Locations and deadlines at lavote.gov.
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Look for Liliia Chernova under City Council, 5th District.
Write to Liliia
Tell me what matters on your street
A blocked road, brush that never gets cleared, a crossing that scares you every school morning. I want to hear it before I ask for your vote.
Your message goes only to me. It is never shared, sold, or added to a mailing list. Leave an email only if you want a reply. Privacy policy.
In the news