Candidates begin election debate

Challengers say incumbents no longer



Challengers say incumbents no longer ‘civil’

By Michael Picarella


pic@theacorn.com

Calabasas residents heard six candidates in the upcoming council election talk about issues such as traffic, schools, environment and the new civic center during a televised forum last week sponsored by the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters.


Candidate Vern Padgett failed to appear, citing other commitments. Seven candidates are competing for three seats in the March 8 election.


Challenger Mary Sue Maurer, a businesswoman, went on the offensive and charged the incumbents, James Bozajian, Michael Harrison and Lesley Devine, with wasting taxpayer dollars due to delays in the new civic center. She said the long-awaited government center at the Commons has been pushed back repeatedly due to the council’s inability to take decisive action.


"I think we need change," Maurer said.


But after speaking with residents in the community, Maurer said the number one complaint she heard was the council’s inability to get along.


Consumer attorney Bob Sibilia, a former council member and Calabasas mayor, said the discussion about poor council behavior isn’t new. He said his ability to build consensus would be a welcome change on the five-member council.


According to Harrison, a lawyer and an arbitrator, council members don’t always need to get along or agree on every vote, they just have to show results.


Harrison presented part of a 22-point plan that he said would build on his accomplishments in office. Harrison was elected four years ago.


Devine, a member of the city council since the city incorporated in 1991, said the city is successful because its leaders work hard. She said council members sometimes get "testy," but they’re not supposed to be "hall monitors," Devine said, they’re "leaders."


Devine touted the city’s economic standing, its ability to keep up with the latest technologies and, above all, its successful fight against the 2,800-home Ahmanson Ranch development. She also took credit for the city’s outstanding public safety record and its cooperation with the school board, among other accomplishments.


Wolfson, a member of the Calabasas Planning Commission, spoke frequently about the council’s need to make important decisions in a civil manner and to be expedient so that the residents will respect the council. Wolfson also mentioned the need to reinstate a waste and efficiency initiative in city government. The incumbents recently suspended the initiative.


Bozajian, who’s been mayor twice, is seeking his third term on the council. The longtime Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney said he takes pride in serving as an "ambassador" for the city and building relationships with outside communities and agencies.


Bozajian feels his work in the community is important, including his experience on the Calabasas Policing Commission, the Calabasas Historical Society, the Calabasas Players and the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center Joint Powers Authority.


On other issues, Sibilia talked about the importance of making Calabasas a family-oriented community, which would attract more people to buy homes and keep property values high. Sibilia also wants the city’s youth to have more of a say in the planning process.


To watch the forum in its entirety on CTV, the city’s cable access channel 3, go to the city website at www.cityofcalabasas.com, click on CTV and watch the archived event. Call the Calabasas media department 878-4225 for more details.


Two other candidate forums were held this week sponsored by the Mulwood Homeowners Association and the Calabasas Park Homeowners Association.


The council candidates will meet for a final debate at 7 p.m. Tues., Feb. 15 at the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District building, 4232 Las Virgenes Road. The Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation will host the forum.





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