The voters have spoken

The Agoura Hills City Council race ended Tuesday with little real surprise. Longtime incumbent Denis Weber was elected to a fourth term, while planning commissioners Bill Koehler and Harry Schwarz, the other two-thirds of the powerful Old Agoura slate, also earned seats on the council. All three men are highly competent, wellintentioned city leaders.

Challenger Todd August, who was criticized by opponents for supporting Heschel West, the Jewish day school that Old Agoura is against, came in fourth and was defeated in his first city council bid. It’s ironic that while August lost, the Heschel school will continue to move forward following its approval by the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission.

The results of the election are proof once again that without the backing of the incumbency—and the Old Agoura residents who bring the largest number of voters to the polls—any challenger for city council will have a tough road to hoe. We hope the two newcomers, Koehler and Schwarz, will reach out to Agoura Hills’ disenfranchised business community and help heal old wounds.

Residents in Calabasas voted against annexation of the Malibu Valley Inn and Spa and in favor of open space preservation. While the Measure C vote is non-binding and the city council can still approve the 200-room resort, such a move would be political suicide for the incumbents. If the city really wanted to annex the project and reap the financial benefits, it’s curious why they put the measure on the ballot in the first place. At least now they know how the public feels.