By Tim Vink
This November, Cypress will finally elect City Council Members on a by-district basis. Under the newly drawn district maps, both District 3 and District 4 have open seats and Council Members Anne Mallari and Francis Marquez will not be eligible to run. This leaves only Council Members David Burke, Scott Minikus, and Bonnie Peat as incumbents. Therefore, Cypress voters have a unique opportunity to effectuate real change by electing a majority who will be truly transparent and accountable.
Whether you agree with moving from at-large elections to district based ones, this has been an inevitability based upon existing California law and past legal precedent. To put it bluntly, there’s no excuse for the politicization and delay of this straightforward decision. However, despite public calls by Council Members Burke and Marquez to pursue a more legally viable strategy, the other Council Members placed their own desire to retain political power ahead of the interests of the community as a whole. This has resulted in wasted time, money (over $1.3 million dollars), and resources which had to be dedicated to a legal battle that Cypress was destined to lose.
The poor judgement demonstrated by the past and current Council majority in the districting case is a theme and not an isolated incident. When Valley Vista Services sought significant rate increases and an extension to an already existing contract in 2021, Council Members Mallari, Minikus, and Jon Peat (the husband of current member Peat) vehemently supported the extension against an outcry of opposition from residents, without publicly considering viable alternatives or having a bona fide competitive bidding process. Despite this decision being questionable for a multitude of reasons, the majority at the time claimed that it was being done in the best interests of Cypress.
Given that Valley Vista’s quality of services continue to be severely insufficient (who can forget the sad attempt to provide compost bins and their inexplicably stingy bulky item disposal policy?), rates have only exploded since the extension (latest estimates show that costs to residents have increased by 67%). Yet, we are locked into a contract with them until 2037. You can be the judge of whether this was the correct decision or not.
Even when the Council finally moved to by-district elections, the majority followed a questionable process and chose a map that divides neighborhoods down residential streets without giving constituents a true opportunity to weigh in. without giving constituents a true opportunity to weigh in. Council Member Mallari will have you believe that she made a huge personal sacrifice and “took one for the team” but it’s clear that the map was chosen because it put Council Members Mallari, Minikus, and Peat each into separate districts. Council Member Mallari can now run against Council Member Burke in 2026, rather than against Council Member Peat, to whom she lives much closer.
This is likely because Council Member Burke has been a vocal opponent of the majority’s lack of transparency and process. Rather than address these valid concerns, the majority has instead pursued political retribution against any members of the Council who question them. This includes baseless accusations and public calls for a “leak” investigation in the midst of fighting to move to district-based elections, which turned out to be nothing more than a political witch hunt.
Speaking of lack of transparency, at the September 23, 2024, Council meeting, we also learned that Mayor Minikus attempted to have public funds used for political purposes. At the request of a local candidate whom he has endorsed, Mayor Minikus pressured the Cypress Community Festival to get rid of political booths, with the city compensating them for any loss of revenue. Whether you agree with the Festival’s decision or not, it’s deeply troubling that Mayor Minikus acted unilaterally without Council authority to spend taxpayer dollars to further his own political agenda. It’s even more troubling that he doesn’t seem to think he did anything wrong by doing so.
These examples are only the latest and most prominent cases that demonstrate a broader dysfunction permeating City Hall – one that has been festering for years and driven by a majority that has been captured by special interests and who has become complacent because they were insulated from real electoral consequences. Rather than pursue the will of their constituents, they have pursued their own personal agendas and petty feuds with their critics.
This context is important to understand who the leading candidates for Districts 3 and 4 are. While candidates Mark Plager (running for District 3) and Glenn Button (running for District 4) claim to prioritize things like fiscal responsibility and investment in the community, they have been endorsed by a Council majority who rode a wave of Valley Vista money into office, and has wasted millions of dollars on lawsuits and petty political feuds. To this point, Mr. Button has spoken out publicly in support of the Valley Vista extension and has even received $2,500 in campaign contributions from Jon and Bonnie Peat, according to public records. Jon Peat also serves as the Treasurer for Mr. Plager’s campaign. If elected, ask yourself if you believe Mr. Button and Mr. Plager will pursue Cypress’ best interests or just follow the marching orders of the current majority?
In contrast, Kyle Chang (District 3) and Blaze Bhence (District 4) have embraced agendas that will include the voice of all Cypress voters – not just those of special interests and political allies. Both Chang and Bhence have publicly championed more transparency and accountability while being endorsed by a diverse mix of elected officials and community leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to changing the old “politics as usual”, such as Council Member Burke and George Pardon.
Cypress deserves better and should be represented by a City Council who embraces transparency and civil discourse, and is focused on representing the best interests of their constituents. While the City of Cypress continues to move forward and blossom with an increasingly diverse population, our government has been stuck in the past. Before casting your vote in November, you owe it to yourself to ask one question: Am I satisfied with politics as usual, or do we deserve more transparency, responsiveness, and civic mindedness from our local government?