On April 6, Arcadia will have a local election to fill two City Council seats and the position of City Clerk. Seven candidates are profiled: Charles Chivetta, George Fasching, Vincent Foley, Ruth Gilb, Bob Harbicht, Dennis Lojeski and Gino Roncelli. June Alford is also profiled. She is running unopposed for the office of City Clerk. Photos.
Mayor Roger Chandler lost his bid for re-election as challengers George Fasching and Joseph Ciraulo and incumbent Robert Harbicht were elected to the Arcadia City Council. Fasching led with 27.2% of the vote, followed by Ciraulo with 22.1% and Harbicht with 19.8%.
Mary Young, the only woman in Arcadia's history to serve 2 terms as mayor and only the second on the city council, was unanimously elected as mayor while Charles Gilb was elected mayor pro-tem by the newly formed city council.
Incumbents Sheng Chang and Barbara Kuhn failed in their bids for re-election to City Council as voters gave first-time candidate Gail Marshall, former Mayor Roger Chandler and council appointee Gary Kovacic the nod for the next four years. Gino Roncilli came in well ahead of former Mayor George Fasching for the two year seat. Voters also gave thumbs down to Measure A, a ballot initiative that would have added 2 percent to the current 5 percent utility tax for the next four years.
The seven candidates who vie for two open City Council seats represent two rival political factions which stem from one political event four years ago; the firing of City Manager George Watts in May 1992.
Incumbent councilwoman Mary Young is scheduled to take the gavel as the new Mayor of Arcadia. In the election, about 22% of the city's 25,000 registered voters participated. Here are the final results: George Fasching, 27.2%, 3996, Roger Chandler, 14.7%, 2162, Joseph Ciraulo, 22.1%, 3242, Charles Chivetta, 9.4% 1368, Robert Harbicht, 19.8%, 2907, Eileen Stephan, 6.9% 1014
Former Mayor Roger Chandler and first-time candidate John S. MacDonnell have joined incumbents Barbara Kuhn, Sheng Chang and Gary Kovacic in pulling papers to run for four open seats at the council elections April 14, 1998.
Candidates for city council give their comments regarding the proposed Santa Anita Arts & Entertainment Center. Proposition C is explained by City Attorney Mike Miller.
A question and answer forum is presented for candidates running for election, including: James Brewer (City Council[CC]), Patrick Gibson (CC), Dennis Lojeski(CC), Robert Margett (CC), June Alford (City Clerk) and Lisa Tomchuk (City Clerk).
Mayor George Fasching blasted a group of nine former mayors for distributing an open letter that accused the new City Council of breaking the law by asking City Manager George Watts to resign.
Dennis Lojeski, the city councilman and former mayor who won his narrowest election victory just four months ago, died Sunday of a brain aneurysm. He was 52.