Mann endorses two challengers

One day after the incumbent mayor of Westlake Village, Chris Mann, announced that he won’t seek reelection, he endorsed two candidates for the Nov. 4 ballot.

"I am excited that Michael Edelstein and Jim Bruno are running for the two open seats on the city council this November," Mann said. "Both are men of valuable experience and remarkable integrity, and both have the right ideas for the future of Westlake Village."

Mann plans on actively campaigning for both before putting down his gavel in December. "Michael Edelstein and Jim Bruno have the business and financial experience the city needs to ensure continued economic success," he said.

He strongly believes that the next few years are going to be crucial for Westlake Village, Mann said. He promised to devote time and energy to the campaigns of Edelstein and Bruno, calling them the right people at the right time for Westlake Village.

Edelstein is a former medical doctor and currently runs a financial advising company. Bruno is also in that field and is a former planning commissioner for the city of Thousand Oaks.

City Councilwoman Betty DeSantis, also stepping down, has announced her endorsement of Phillipa Klessig, who’s also seeking a seat on the Westlake Village City Council in the Nov. 4 election.

"Phillipa Klessig is a bright woman and a good thinker," said DeSantis. "She worked on my campaign and I know she loves this city." Klessig is a business owner of a landscape design company.

Candidates must have filed by 4 p.m. yesterday.

—Lori Porter