City Council Candidate Comments

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After nearly three months of campaigning, the road to a City Council seat will end for all four candidates tonight as four-year stints on city council begin for the elected two.

Patch asked three of the candidates the following question.

A theme of your candidacy is that you will bring more transparency to city council. So, let's take your transparency claim to the context of the current lawsuit against the city charging a Brown Act violation with respect to Geoff Dolan's separation. 

If you are elected, you will be made aware of the facts of Dolan's departure, as well as the infamous anonymous letter. You say you will be more transparent than the current city council members.

Will you disclose the content of the anonymous letter? Will you disclose the facts leading to Dolan's separation?

Candidate Amy Howorth

Without knowing any of the facts, it's hard to make concrete statements. I do believe in transparency, but I also believe that there are private individuals who deserve confidentiality. Otherwise, workers will never come forward in workplace settings to complain of unfair or illegal treatment.  

There may be a legal way to disclose the facts of Geoff's departure, and I will explore that. The main thing that residents need to know is why did Geoff Dolan receive his full severance? That's contractual. If there was a legal reason to break the contract, that should have been explored.  

Candidate David Lesser

As a council member, I would want to better understand why our City Council was not more forthcoming with information concerning the departure of former City Manager Geoff Dolan. 

City officials have represented there are countervailing privacy interests at issue and the matter is presently the subject of litigation. I take them at their word and it would be irresponsible for me, in light of the ongoing litigation, to commit in advance to disclosing documents related to the separation.  

Nevertheless, I have spoken with city attorneys for several other cities who question whether our city's disclosures were consistent with the Brown Act based on the limited public information available. I want to clearly understand the legal basis for withholding more information regarding the separation. In the absence of a sufficient legal foundation I will strongly push for greater disclosure consistent with state law. 

Candidate Kathleen Paralusz

You asked about the Geoff Dolan issue. The answer is, it depends. Without knowing what the facts are and whether or not publicly disclosing them would violate the law or otherwise subject the city to additional lawsuits, I can only say that I would hope to be able to do so. However, I do not want to put the city at further risk of litigation either.

As you're aware, the current watchdog lawsuit is going to trial later this month.  I'm hopeful that the judge will rule that some, if not all of the information you asked about, can be made part of the public record.

MB Patch

Please say what you want to say, one more time, about being Mayor Richard Montgomery's sister-in-law.

Candidate Kathleen Paralusz

Although some people say I'm Mayor Montgomery's sister-in-law, the fact is I consider it the other way around, he's my brother-in-law. Richard married into my family - I didn't marry into his - and while I'm happy he and my sister found each other, as most people know, I'm an 11-year resident and have been a commissioner and a community volunteer since before they even went on their first date.  
 
It's also important that people understand that I've been involved with politics and public service since I was 17 years old.  Growing up in New Jersey on the Jersey Shore in the late 1980s, I experienced the devastating economic and environmental impact that occurred when tons of medical waste washed up on our shores in the summers of  1987 and '88.  The beaches were closed and the region, which relies upon the summer economy to exist, suffered $1 billion in losses.

At the same time, the congressman representing my district passed away and I volunteered on the campaign of one of the candidates running to fill his seat. The candidate was committed to finding out who was responsible for the medical waste and damage, to hold that entity responsible, and to pass a law to ban ocean dumping to ensure it never happened again. When he won, I interned in his field office down the street from my house. That candidate, Frank Pallone, Jr., remains a congressman today and he did succeed in passing the legislation I mentioned.
 
That was the spark that got me involved with politics and government service. I have a 20-year history of public service in college, after college, and during and after law school. 

I brought that dedication and passion with me to Manhattan Beach when I moved here and I got involved in different community organizations and applied for appointment to a city commission. 

I applied the first time in 2003, didn't get on. Applied again in 2004, didn't get on.  When I applied in 2005, I finally got appointed to my first commission, Parks and Recreation, and a year later, was appointed to the Parking and Public Improvements Commission. 

In 2008, I was appointed to the Planning Commission, which I currently chair.

In every instance, I've demonstrated and continue to demonstrate the utmost integrity, fairness, independence and impartiality in making my decisions, and I am a fierce advocate for doing what is in the best interest of our city. I base my decisions on facts, law and public input. I don't discuss my opinions or votes with any member of City Council because council evaluates and votes on whether to uphold or reject the Planning Commission's recommendations. That will never change.

MB Patch 

Can you reveal how much money you've spent on your campaign?

Candidate David Lesser

Reaching residents as a candidate is a huge challenge. Most people live busy lives and do not closely follow events at city hall. A further challenge for me in this election is two of my fellow candidates have far greater name recognition than me. One has been elected twice to public office while the other ran just two years ago. 

Inevitably, that meant spending more than $30,000 on mail, advertising, brochures, signs, T-shirts, a kick-off party and a website. It is a lot of money and consists of funds my wife and I have saved over many years. 

MB Patch

Explain why the Manhattan Beach Unified School District board (Howorth is currently on the board) won't have to hold a special election to replace you if you're elected?

Candidate Amy Howorth

The school board does not have to hold a special election left because of the length of time left in my term. My term would be up in November of this year, so Ed Code dictates that the board can appoint.  

They don't want to have an election because it would cost around $65,000. That's a teacher's salary.  

I could  not, in good conscience, leave the board if I knew that they would have to use operating costs to fund a special election. I've worked too hard to be fiscally responsible.

Amy Howorth

Today I will be energizing my base. It's all about voter turnout.

My grand total for the campaign will be about $12,000. I did one mail piece. I printed signs. I ran two ads in the Beach Reporter.  

I didn't hire a consultant and I did my own website. I relied on my reputation, hard won after seven years of serving on the school board.  

I took that risk because I wanted my campaign to reflect my values of modest budgeting and respect for the small town atmosphere of Manhattan Beach. I had lots of meet and greets in private homes, which are always wonderful ways to engage with folks. I find you have more time for real conversations in those comfortable settings. I attended lots of community events, which wasn't really campaigning as I would do those normally.  

And frankly, I continued to do my job on the school board, which is the best campaigning I can do. I did limited door to door, and that was great too.  

The great thing is, I heard the same messages whether I went door to door, went to a meet and greet, or a debate; pension reform, transparency, inclusion.  

Whether you live east of Sepulveda, north of Marine, or down the street from Shade, you just want to be heard.

Kathleen Paralusz

I've been knocking on doors, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends and neighbors, across the city since the first weekend of January. 

I can't tell you how many residents I've met who told me that I was the only candidate they'd had knock on their door or, in some cases, ever, as we discussed the issues that matter to Manhattan Beach residents. 

I don't have a final count of the number of doors knocked on, but I started out with a list of approximately 4,900 high-propensity municipal voters and have reached 77 percent of their doors. After today, that number will be higher. 

People really enjoy and appreciate the fact that I am working hard to reach them, to listen to them, sometimes in pouring rain or wind, and that I'm going to address their concerns if I'm elected.
 
My volunteers and I have personally touched every precinct except #8 (which I will walk on March 7). I've knocked on doors in every neighborhood you asked about, Hill, Sand, Tree, Liberty Village and the rest of East Manhattan Beach. I also have two friends who are residents of Manhattan Village who knocked on doors for me there. 

It has been a really incredible experience and even though each neighborhood is different, one common theme prevails - residents love this city and want to make sure we continue to do well as a community.
 
I think you probably saw the latest financial disclosure numbers reported in the Beach Reporter Thursday. I estimate I've spent an additional $11,000 on top of that to pay for mailers, walk pieces, stickers, signs and postage. However, the most important thing we did - knocking on doors - was free.

Candidate David Lesser

My activities on Election Day will be dedicated to wrapping up my campaign. Many residents have helped me over the past several months and I want to call or write each of them to express my thanks. 

Early this evening, my wife and I plan to take our two kids to the Joslyn Center to watch as the City Clerk begins to count ballots. Win or loose, this a wonderful tradition in our city. My kids have school on Wednesday, however, so we will need to bring them home to bed before the final results are known.  

Yes, I campaigned door-to-door throughout the city and wish I had more time. I knocked on doors in the Sand Section, Tree Section, Hill Section, Liberty Village, and east of Sepulveda Blvd. The only area where I did not knock on doors was Manhattan Village, in deference to its homeowner association rules.

Throughout the city, I very much enjoyed meeting residents and discussing issues of common concern. Highlights included visiting neighborhoods where my wife and I have lived over the past 16 years and inadvertently knocking on doors of friends and acquaintances.

Candidate David Lesser

The outcome of the Manhattan Beach City Council Election is unknown as of this writing but I want to express my gratitude to the numerous residents who provided me with ideas, suggestions, and critical comments during the campaign. I appreciate your willingness to engage in an open conversation with me about the future of our city. I also want to thank the three other candidates for promoting a civil, issue-based campaign.  

Finally, I will never be able to adequately thank my family and supporters for being my foundation and the catalyst for my candidacy. You inspired me to think big, be sincere and engage in public service.