By Brooklynn Wong
Are you ready to vote on Nov. 6? The Independent reached out to candidates running for Mayor and City Council in Anaheim, asking them each for their answers to the same set of questions. At the time of publication, The Independent had yet to receive responses from candidates Cynthia Ward, Tony D. Martin, Harry Sidhu, Rudy Gaona, Robert Trimble, Donald Bruhns, Mitch Caldwell, Robert R. Nelson, Jose Moreno and Trevor O’Neil. Responses will be published as they are received until Election Day.
Name: Duane Roberts, City Council Candidate
Personal info: Teacher, 51 years old
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
I have lived in west Anaheim for almost 50 years and am aware of the many challenges our community faces. As council member, my priorities will be keeping neighborhoods safe, cleaning up our parks, fixing deteriorating roads, and making this city an affordable place to live. Furthermore, I will fight corporate welfare, oppose regressive taxation, reduce homelessness, expand green space, support rent control and keep law enforcement accountable.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
I would fight for rent control. More than half of Anaheim’s residents are renters and many pay 50% or more of their income on just rent alone. More and more working families, single mothers, and seniors are facing the possibility of being evicted and becoming homeless because of skyrocketing rents. We need laws to protect the thousands of tenants living in apartments and mobile home parks from being gouged by landlords and real estate speculators.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city subsidized businesses to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
I support Measure L because I believe billionaires that receive millions of dollars in government aid need to pay their employees a living wage. Opponents argue that if hotels that receive taxpayer subsidies are required to pay their workers $18 an hour by 2022, no more four diamond hotels will be built in Anaheim. But a similar wage ordinance exists in Los Angeles County and it has the hottest hotel market in California. That hasn’t stopped four diamond hotels from being built there.
Why should voters choose you?
I have been involved in community issues for more than 20 years. Not only has my activism brought me into contact with police, politicians, and city bureaucrats, but it has offered me a rich, in-depth knowledge of a wide range of issues, everything from urban planning to crime control. I have a BA degree in Criminology, Law and Society from UCI, a TESOL Certificate from UCI Continuing Education, and am a graduate of the Anaheim Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy.
Name: Lorri Galloway, Mayoral Candidate
Personal info: Former eight-year council member and Mayor Pro Tem. Currently, founder and Executive Director of The Eli Home, Inc., shelters for homeless, abused children since 1983. Married to Michael, resident of Anaheim for 47 years.
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
I have a seven-point plan for Anaheim: Build an economy that benefits everyone. Solve the homelessness crisis. Get tough on gangs, graffiti and vandalism. Increase the supply of affordable housing. Increase mobility through transportation investments. Prepare our children to get ahead. Leverage investments in resorts and tourism.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
Homelessness is the most pressing social issue. I have a 35-year background in understanding the complex dynamics of this problem. Drug addiction, mental illness, family violence, formerly incarcerated, economic and job loss, and not wanting to follow rules are core issues that must be dealt with to solve this crisis. Providing permanent supportive housing is a key solution to many issues.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city subsidized businesses to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
I am in support of Measure L. This measure is very specific in that it is tied to employees of Anaheim hotels that are to receive hundreds of millions of dollars of tax subsidies in order to build the four star hotels. Any tax incentive that is given to a private business should provide clear and tangible benefits to the people, such as community benefits, local hire requirements and living wage. Otherwise, one of my core beliefs is that private business should have the least amount of government intervention.
Why should voters choose you?
I am ready to lead the City of Anaheim. Anaheim is a billion dollar plus enterprise. The top leadership position is not one for rookies, but one for someone who has hands-on experience in the field, the necessary qualifications and a track record of success. I know City Hall from the inside and have a track record of getting things done. My decisions, as mayor, will come from my experience as a business owner, executive director and as a public official.
I know the struggle of making payroll as a business person, and I equally know the heartache of families who have no extra money for basic needs. I am a freedom friendly business advocate who calls for the least amount of government intervention. I also believe that hard-working employees should have a decent living wage.
My endorsements do not align me with any special interest or any political side. They do not and cannot hold me to any unspoken allegiances. People can trust me to be fair, reasonable, thorough and effective.
Name: Jordan Brandman, City Council Candidate
Personal info: Local businessman/educator, age 38
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
1. Honestly address homelessness by first demanding that other OC cities do their part. We deserve to have access to safe, well-maintained parks and public spaces.
2. Hire 25 specialized community liaison and gang intervention police officers and stop overuse of helicopters.
3. Bring back higher-quality retail, dining and entertainment options. Wouldn’t it be great to drive down the street to a Trader Joe’s?
4. Repeal the fee hikes the current City Council recently imposed to use parks, libraries and community centers. We should not have to pay more to use our taxpayer-funded facilities.
5. Keep Anaheim Public Utilities rates the lowest in OC.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
We must honestly address homelessness. Our current representative has been giving us years of false promises, ineffective policy initiatives, and no results. It is time to put our families and children first. I will make sure City Hall, the County of Orange and surrounding cities are doing their fair share to tackle homelessness and make our neighborhoods safe again. My plan to tack homelessness includes:
-Reassess Anaheim’s participation in the OC Continuum of Care and build an initiative with Anaheim businesses to fully abate homelessness in our parks and neighborhoods.
-Create a real Neighborhood Improvement Fund, which will allow us to implement targeted, proactive services to alleviate homelessness.
-Invest in our parks and recreation facilities in West Anaheim so our facilities are of equal quality in every neighborhood.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city subsidized businesses to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
Yes. Some of its language causes me concern regarding implementation, but I am sure that will be worked out post-election.
Why should voters choose you?
This is the first time the voters of District 2 can choose their own representative, and I believe we owe it to ourselves to elect a Council Member who knows this community, understands it and can relate to the issues that impact our lives. I do not see that level of understanding and concern coming from the incumbent, and to me, that’s unacceptable after four years in office. When I previously served this area as an Anaheim Union High School District Trustee and Council Member, I never lost track of my responsibility to the residents. I am no different than any other neighbor in District 2, deeply concerned about the direction our city is taking and the impact City Hall has on our neighborhoods. Together, we can strengthen our quality of life in District 2—but to do that, we need new leadership with a plan. That is what I am offering to our voters.
Name: Grant Henninger, City Council Candidate
Personal info: I am a lifelong resident of Anaheim Hills, and I am running for Anaheim City Council District 6. Anaheim Hills was a great place to grow up, which is why I decided to raise my family here. I want to ensure that Anaheim Hills continues to be a wonderful place for my son and daughter to grow up and hopefully raise their families here.
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
Anaheim has the potential to be the crown jewel of Orange County. I want to help guide Anaheim towards being a vibrant and prosperous city, with good schools, safe streets and a bustling local economy.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
The first thing that needs to happen in Anaheim is to build bridges between the pro-Disney and anti-Disney factions on the City Council and within the community. We currently have a City Council that cannot work together to solve our community’s problems and to make Anaheim the vibrant, prosperous city it can be.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city subsidized businesses to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
I do not support Measure L. If Measure L is passed, the City of Anaheim will be required to spend millions of dollars of taxpayer money defending lawsuits, which I think will ultimately fail. Furthermore, Measure L does not address the fundamental problems facing our economy, it simply shifts the burden to other workers in our community.
Why should voters choose you?
There are two main reasons voters should vote for me this November. I am the most experienced candidate on the ballot for District 6. I have spent over a decade on various boards and commissions in Anaheim, including as Chair of the Community Services Board and a member of the Planning Commission, learning how the city works and how to be effective in a committee environment. I am also a consensus builder. In my time serving Anaheim, I have built a strong network of friends and contacts on every side of the pressing issues affecting our city. I can use those relationships to bring the various factions together, to seek compromise, and to move Anaheim forward towards a more vibrant and prosperous future.
Name: Fuji Shioura, Mayoral Candidate
Personal info: Age 46, founder of California School Inc.
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
1. Modernize city government efficiently
2. Promote, support and expand the diversification of our city economies.
3. Make our streets more pedestrian- and biker-friendly.
4. Consolidate as many Anaheim School Districts as possible into a single school district.
6. Consider replacing the Anaheim Fire Department with OCFA to provide more services, while saving money to use for other things.
7. Direct our city attorneys to propose a homeless person lawsuit against other states and cities outside of California, for sending their homeless population to California, to acquire monetary compensation that would be used to build homeless shelters. If a homeless shelter is built in west Anaheim, I will order another homeless shelter in Anaheim Hills.
8. Modernize citywide elections, such as being able to securely vote on the internet.
9. Work with Anaheim’s large Latino population, as well as reform immigration. As an educator that has personally lost my at-risk students to inner city violence, I know this is what my students would want me to do. I will do what is right, just and constitutional. I have sworn to defend our Constitution; that I take very seriously.
10. In all things, remain true to put my faith in God first in all things I do. This includes encouraging school vouchers for Anaheim families to use to send their kids to charter schools or religious schools like St. Catherine’s Academy.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
Relocate Anaheim’s Mayor’s office from the seventh floor to the first floor so that I can talk to our residents face to face, and not look down at them, detached and disconnected.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city-subsidized business to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
No. Measure L is a city government overreach that creates an anti-business climate for companies, investors, and entrepreneurs that Anaheim depends on that jeopardizes job creation and revenue collection.
Why should voters choose you?
I am asking the voters of Anaheim to vote for me because for a genuine change in our city government to occur; we have to vote differently than before. Politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, are more interested in fighting each other than fighting for you and me. I have family and friends that are Democrats and Republicans, and as your next Mayor of Anaheim, I will treat my family, friends and all Anaheim residents as fellow Californians first and foremost, American born, documented and undocumented alike. And just as important, I am the only candidate with the real-world technology skillset to modernize our schools and diversify our economies to drive job creation and tech startup investment nationally and abroad. Be different and be the change. Vote Independent.
Name: Patty Gaby, City Council Candidate
Personal info: Age 60, retired teacher after 36 years, recently retired. I have two children, Alison and Mitchel and a one-year-old grandson, Benjamin. I have been married for 34 years to my husband Dennis. We have lived in Anaheim Hills for 34 years.
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
To invest in our city’s infrastructure. Our roads and parks are aging and I will work to ensure the scheduled maintenance doesn’t slip. I will work to protect our general fund money and not give it a way to special interest groups or multi-million dollar hoteliers. Our Mayor, Tom Tait, has put Anaheim on a strong financial footing, and I will continue his work by making sure that our money is spent on providing services such as police, fire and as a Park Commissioner I want to improve and maintain our parks and open spaces. Anaheim has a $600 million public pension debt and the cost is growing higher each year. We must keep our promise to those who were given a promise of a pension, but we need pension reform as we move forward. We cannot afford to kick the can down the road any longer. The homeless are a concern for every city. The city has agreed to build a temporary shelter for the homeless and will be working with the Salvation Army to give wrap-around services, which for some people might be just the help they need to start a better life. Having this shelter will allow the police to enforce policies the city already has in place, the police will be able to say to the homeless you cannot sleep in our parks, benches or public facilities that are to be used for public use. This is being kind to both the homeless and the residents who are being impacted by this issue.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
I believe the number one priority should be to keep Anaheim residents safe. If the people are not safe, or do not feel safe in their own community, then little else in city government matters. Public safety means more police presence in our neighborhoods. In Anaheim Hills we need to be prepared for wildfires as well. The Canyon 2 fire was a wakeup call for many reasons. Though our fire department did an exceptional job, and no life was lost, the evacuation plan was flawed. If elected, I will be working with the fire department, schools, Cal Trans, and residents, on a comprehensive evacuation plan.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city-subsidized business to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
Measure L was put on the ballot because of the subsidies. The companies who are getting the subsidies are the ones who would be on the hook for the $18 living wage. I say let the voters decide this because the multi-million-dollar companies receiving the subsidies should in turn help provide the increase in their employees’ wage. However, I believe government should not have a role in setting wages.
Why should voters choose you?
I have lived in the area for 32 years and I have been involved in a variety of activities in the community and in my church, San Antonio. I have a servant’s heart. I like to be involved and to be helpful. I recently retired after 36 years of teaching and I want to give back to my area. I am passionate about keeping Anaheim safe and growing. I am not supported by any special interest groups so I can make decisions based on what is good for the city. I am endorsed by fiscally conservative Mayor Tom Tait, Sen. John Moorlach and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association.
Name: Robert Williams, Mayoral Candidate
Personal info: 52 years old, 16-year resident of Anaheim
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
To have everyone working together, with all departments on the same page.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
I would hold a business/city hall/Chamber of Commerce summit, to work on numerous city issues using private and public partnerships.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city-subsidized business to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
No. Everyone has the freedom to choose where to work.
Why should voters choose you?
I have a plan and I am interested in what is best for the City of Anaheim today and tomorrow. I also will not run for a second term. If I can’t lead the city to great things in one term, after four years it will be time to replace me.
Name: James Vanderbilt, City Council Candidate
Personal info: 53 years old, currently an Anaheim City Council Member and College Lecturer, 50-year resident of Anaheim
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
My top priorities are the safety and quality of life of our residents. I support an active police presence with more neighborhood patrols to prevent crime. I oppose homeless camps in our parks and public spaces. During my first term on the City Council, I have worked successfully to direct city resources and park improvements to our West Anaheim neighborhoods that had been ignored for too long at City Hall. I secured funding for significant upgrades at Clara Barton, John Marshall and Modjeska parks. I have also worked closely with residents to strengthen code enforcement services in West Anaheim and remove unsightly for-sale cars on Ball Road.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
If elected, I would continue my practice of focusing on constituent services. Since the city has moved to district representation, I have worked to respond carefully and directly to District 2 constituents’ inquiries to City Hall. When citizens email my office, I respond by going directly to their neighborhoods to address the situation.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city-subsidized business to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
I believe the negotiations between our city’s largest employer and their employees have resolved, to a large extent, the wage issues that prompted Measure L. I suggested to both parties to continue discussions and I believe the settlements will lead to higher wages for all throughout the resort district and the city.
Why should voters choose you?
I am citizen representative not beholden to any special interests. I have demonstrated my independence these last four years as an at-large City Council Member and I will continue to do so if re-elected.
Name: Ashleigh Aitken, Mayoral Candidate
Personal info: I am an Anaheim kid. My husband and I are proud to be raising our three children in my hometown. I am a former federal prosecutor, and a consumer protection attorney who fights on behalf of victims.
What are your long-term plans to improve Anaheim?
-Solve homelessness—I plan to provide services to help people get back on their feet, provide locations for permanent supportive housing and coordinate regionally with the county and service providers to ensure that all cities are doing their fair share.
-Address the cost of housing—I will prioritize inexpensive “starter” housing that encourage recent graduates to live and work in Anaheim. I will work to streamline the permitting process for community-approved housing developments that reserves units for affordable housing.
-Reduce crime—We need to grow community policing, keep criminals out of our neighborhoods, collaborate with police to promote programs in schools and community events that allow residents to directly work with local officers. We need to increase first-responder staff and add more critical care units to free up full engine responses for large scale emergencies like the Canyon fire.
If elected, what would be the issue you would want to work on first?
My first priority is to work to solve homelessness. As a member of the Orange County United Way’s United to End Homelessness leadership team, I have worked with the city, our non-profits and faith organizations to provide wrap-around services centered in permanent supportive housing.
Should the ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage for city subsidized business to $18 an hour pass (Measure L)?
Yes, I fully support Measure L, which raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2019 for city-subsidized businesses.
Why should voters choose you?
I am running for Mayor to protect Anaheim’s small-town feel, while tackling the growing pains our neighborhoods face. I have the background and experience to solve our city’s most pressing issues: homelessness, affordability and crime. I will continue to fight against corporate giveaways to the richest companies among us at the expense of our Anaheim working families. I am proud to be the only candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party, Anaheim city employees, Loretta Sanchez and Lou Correa. I would be honored to earn your support and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
