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.
Arcadia City Council voted 4-0 to approve a voluntary spending limit of 50 cents per resident for campaign spending. The law comes up for a second vote at the next council meeting.
The City Council has unanimously opposed 2 police proposals for 3 12-hour shifts per week and a 1.5% increase for overtime, pay for being on call, and for equipment. The contract which gave officers a 25.3% pay increase over the past 3 years expired Sept. 30th.
Current mayor Dennis Lojeski and former Councilman Bob Harbicht appear to have finished ahead of five other candidates Tuesday in the race for two City Council seats. Propositions A and B passed; Propositions C and D did not pass. Final tally is not expected until Thursday.
City Council appointed Peter Ulrich, an Arcadia Beautiful commissioner and a real estate consultant, as the newest member of the panel. Ulrich, 72, will temporarily fill the seat vacated by Bob Margett, who was elected June 6 to the State Assembly. Photo.
LA County Superior Court Judge Stephen O'Neil threw out a challenge to the City Council election, saying he found insufficient evidence of voter fraud.
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.