Westlake Village voters elect Bruno, Klessig to city council

By Lori Porter Acorn Staff Writer

With no incumbents running for reelection, voters on Tuesday elected Jim Bruno and Philippa Klessig to the Westlake Village City Council in a close race among three candidates.

Bruno led the balloting, capturing 798 votes, while Klessig received 704. On a ballot in which voters could pick two of three candidates, 654 votes went to candidate Michael Edelstein.

"In my heart of hearts, I know I am going to be able to make a difference in Westlake Village," said Bruno. "I don’t ever remember feeling so much love from so many people before."

Bruno said his previous experience as a planning commissioner in Thousand Oaks will serve well the city of Westlake Village and he’s looking forward to working on issues such as preserving open space.

Klessig said she was exhilarated after hearing she won on Tuesday night. "I am so thrilled and honored and am glad I get to work with Jim Bruno and all the great city council members," she said. "I cannot wait to get to work and start making things happen."

While all three candidates were passionate about open space, Klessig also hopes to improve communications between city residents and their city council. She also wants better communication with neighboring cities.

A disappointed Edelstein said he was unhappy. Despite his tendency to be positive, he was obviously dissatisfied. But he was proud, he said, of his team and his wife, who did an incredible job with his campaign.

Edelstein plans to remain involved in Westlake Village, he said.