Campaign enters final phase in Agoura Hills, Calabasas

Local politics take center stage Nov. 8 when voters go to the polls to decide a pair of city council and school board races, several state legislative propositions, and a development project in Calabasas that has split the community into two warring factions.

In the race for the Agoura Hills City Council, challenger Todd August was leading in campaign contributions with $24,350 as of the final Oct. 22 reporting period, according to city records.

Opponents are worried that much of the Todd August war chest has come from members of Heschel West, a proposed Jewish school near Old Agoura that August supports. August is married to the school’s finance director.

To date, August has spent $16,435 on his campaign, including about $6,000 for campaign consultants.

Six candidates are competing for three seats in the Agoura Hills election.

Seventy-nine of the 100 contributors to the August campaign live outside Agoura Hills. August raised money as far away as New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. In California, he received funds from residents of Studio City, Encino, Granada Hills, Woodland Hills and other parts of the San Fernando Valley. He also garnered financial support from residents of Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village.

Candidate William Koehler, an Agoura Hills planning commissioner, raised $13,469 from 143 supporters, 95 of whom live in Agoura Hills.

Total expenditures by Koehler at the final October filing period totaled $8,887. Koehler’s money was mainly spent on campaign literature and mailings.

Incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Denis Weber’s campaign contributions totaled $8,778 and came from 69 donors, most of whom reside in Agoura Hills.

Harry Schwarz, also an Agoura Hills planning commissioner, raised $8,534 for his city council bid. Schwarz collected his funds from 102 benefactors, about 80 of whom live in Agoura Hills.

George Christopher Thomas, who is hoping that his third bid for a city council seat will be successful, is using $8,800 of his own money in the campaign. Thomas reported over $5,000 in expenditures, including the distribution of flower seed packets to residents.

Adam Lewis Guynes, 20, reported no campaign expenditures.

In Calabasas, voters are debating the merits of the Malibu Valley Inn and Spa, a resort development on Mulholland Highway in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Measure C is a non-binding vote that asks voters whether or not they want the inn and spa annexed by the city of Calabasas, which stands to reap more than $2 million a year in business tax revenue if the project goes through.

Measure C will influence the city council heavily when it decides whether or not to approve the inn and spa.

The city’s large equestrian and outdoor recreation community supports the development. The Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation, except for the Calabasas Park Homeowners Association, is against it.

In the Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education race, incumbents Cindy Iser and Gordon Whitehead are favored to return to office.

Challengers Joann Melancon and Dave Moorman are battling for the school board seat left vacant by the retirement of Judy Jordan.