Candidates Lining Up for Council Election

As of July 30, 13 candidates have filed to run for five seats on the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council board.

They are Linda L. Alexander, Sylvan Arguello, Heidi Bartlett, Vernon C. I. Connoly, Renee Sanchez Durbin, Jilonda Johnson, Margie Maxwell, Wenceslao Murillo, Raymond Parker, Max W. Pierce, Rosa Elvira Quintero, Pedro Araujo Reyes and Phillip Trigas.

According to the council’s election rules, any stakeholder at least 14 years old can run for a seat on the board. A stakeholder is anyone who lives, works or owns property in the council’s boundaries (roughly north of 18th Street, east of Leland Street and south of Miraflores Avenue).

New city rules also allow anyone to declare a stake in the neighborhood by merely affirming the factual basis for it, such as dining at a downtown restaurant or attending school in the area.

Also new this year is the election of five at-large board members in place of the officer positions that were previously chosen directly by voters.

Under the council’s new bylaws, all council members will be elected as at-large representatives. The board members then vote in their president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and communications officer.

There will be a candidate forum at the council’s monthly meeting on Aug. 12. Each hopeful will get about two minutes to speak. (The meeting takes place at the Port of Los Angeles High School, 250 W. Fifth St., beginning with refreshments at 6 p.m. and the meeting at 6:30 p.m.).

Aug. 10 at 5 p.m. is the filing deadline for candidates to appear on the ballot. After that time, candidates can file as write-ins through Sept. 8 at 5 p.m.

The term of office runs through the spring of 2010.

The election will be held at the Port of Los Angeles High School on Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 3:30 - 7:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the central council’s election page.