"Together, we can build a brighter future for Palm Desert...
where community thrives, opportunities grow, and every voice is heard."
About Joe
Joe Pradetto has worked hard his whole life to make the Inland Empire a better place to live, becoming one of the region’s foremost experts in local government. And recently, he has brought those skills home to make Palm Desert the best it can be.
Born and raised in Riverside County, Joe graduated from the University of California, Riverside and earned a Master’s of Public Administration from California Baptist University.
Joe came to Palm Desert to work on the staff of the late State Senator and County Supervisor John Benoit; representing the Senator in the community, advising him on a range of important local issues, and serving as the Senator’s Alternate on the Palo Verde Transit Agency Board of Directors. In 2014, Joe was profiled as one of Palm Spring Life’s 40 Under 40 for his work on behalf of Supervisor Benoit.
After serving an important role in the Office of the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, in 2021 Joe was selected to serve as Chief of Staff to County Supervisor Chuck Washington. As Chief of Staff, Joe provided leadership to the County of Riverside surrounding issues ranging from criminal justice systems, to economic development, to health and human services, to land entitlement, to human resources, to government finance, to hospitals, and more. Joe also served as the Supervisor’s Alternate to the Riverside Transit Agency.
Currently, Joe works as the Director of Governmental Affairs for the City of Yucaipa.
Joe is also a committed community leader in Palm Desert. As a former Member of the Palm Desert Finance Committee and member of the Planning Commission, Joe has been happy to volunteer and give back. As Past President of the Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District, Joe showed his leadership-style – protecting taxpayers by ending years of corruption and delivering an overdue unmodified audit, while earning statewide recognition for innovation in environmental conservation.
Joe Pradetto lives in South Palm Desert with his wife Aubrey, daughters Elena and Ayla, and their dog Noodle. Always on the go, Joe fills what little spare time he has with home improvement projects, reading, weightlifting, and enjoying the natural beauty of the Coachella Valley through hiking with family and friends.
Issues
I’ve worked in local government long enough to get familiar with most major public policy issues facing Palm Desert and beyond. That experience has also taught me that without a focus on a few top priorities, it is easy to let the avalanche of never-ending work steal your attention.
I’m a common-sense guy willing to roll up my sleeves and get to work on a range of issues from our budget and economic development, to healthcare and senior services, to transportation and infrastructure investment. But I know that improving our lives in Palm Desert means starting with three core issues: public safety, homelessness, and enhancing quality of life without new taxes.
ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY
We need to hire more Sheriff’s deputies to keep Palm Desert safe. From violent crimes to vehicle thefts, crime has been rising for years, and it is time our City Council did something about it. My goal is to add 6 new full-time deputies within my first term, returning to previous policing levels. We have to turn back the trend of rising crime.
REAL RESULTS ON HOMELESSNESS
Homelessness keeps getting worse and worse. Meanwhile, our City Council continues throwing away millions of dollars chasing flawed strategies instead of addressing the obvious problems of addiction and mental health. Offering services without demanding adherence to our local laws and ways of life only makes the problem worse. We have to get tougher.
BACK TO BUSINESS
Palm Desert’s a world-class destination, and it needs to look like one. That means showing pride in our City and focusing on maintenance to keep it looking great. However, many residents have noticed a shift in the City’s efforts towards pet projects and ideological initiatives at the expense of maintaining what we already have. We have to get back to business.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Smart fiscal management is the bedrock of good governance. Budgeting requires setting priorities, sticking to a plan, and exercising restraint. The City cut 6 deputies while wasting millions of dollars on studies and pet projects that never came to fruition. We have to get our priorities straight.
Endorsements
