With questions being submitted by the audience, the Los Alamitos City Council candidate forum on Oct. 17 provided those in attendance the chance to ask some direct questions of the four people who are vying for two open seats on the council.
With questions being submitted by the audience, the Los Alamitos City Council candidate forum on Oct. 17 provided those in attendance the chance to ask some direct questions of the four people who are vying for two open seats on the council.
One question in particular addressed the issue of former Mayor Dean Grose’s forwarding of an e-mail depicting a watermelon patch on the White House lawn, shortly after the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. The e-mail drew national attention and eventually led to Grose resigning from the council.
Grose is running to also be re-elected back to the council because he said he feels he has some ideas on how to move the city forward in a positive direction. He said he has apologized for the e-mail and believes it is time to move on. He also noted that the voters will have to decide if that is possible.
“I didn’t understand at the time, the impact it would have, I understand that now,” Grose said. “I have a great deal more sensitivity than I did at that point.”
The candidates were also asked about measure DD on the city ballot that will revise the telephone tax code to decrease the tax on landlines, but apply it to cell phones and other internet phone technologies. The measure was intended to make things fair for those who are now paying more for landline usage, but has been criticized as a major tax increase on citizens.
The candidates were asked if they would vote for it. Richard Murphy, Demi Devaney and Grose all said they would not support the measure as it stands. Incumbent Ken Stephens urged voters to read the measure carefully and decide whether or not they would support it, but declined to say how he intended to vote on the measure.
Each candidate brings a different perspective on the future of the city, but many of the concerns were the same. The candidates were asked what they thought was the most important issue the city would face in the next few years.
“Big picture, I think the biggest issue facing the city is leadership,” Murphy said.
Beyond that, Murphy said the city will face economic issues, in particular, balancing the budget and making tough decisions. He noted that members of both sides of the divided city council encouraged him to run and that he believes he will bring a new voice to the council. He also noted that the city needs someone who will work with both sides and that he feels he can bridge that gap.
Grose said that he thought the biggest issue facing the city would be business development and city revenue. He said the city will need to diversify its business base to stabilize their revenue and that he will work towards that end. He also said the city needs to work in complete transparency.
“I have a commitment and an unwavering passion for the city,” Grose said.
Stephens said that the state budgets cuts have hit cities hard in recent years, and there is no predicting how much more decline there is likely to be. Therefore, he said fiscal responsibility will be the key issue for Los Alamitos in the next few years. He noted that the city will have to decide how to budget for the things it needs, without sacrificing services for its citizens.
“I think maintaining the fiscal integrity of the city is extremely important,” Stephens said.
Devaney said she also thinks business development and financial issues will be key factors in the city’s development, but added that she has concerns about the proposed changes along Katella Avenue. Residents in the carrier row neighborhood have expressed concerns with changes in traffic, light placement, and adding a eastbound turn lane into the 24 Hour Fitness shopping center. She said she shares those concerns.
“I am a simple citizen that wants progress and development in our city,” Devaney said.