By Brooklynn Wong
Buena Park’s Municipal Election is still nine months away, but it’ll be here before you know it. Get in on the ground level before everything ramps up. The California primary coming up on March 3 includes local ballot measures, but not City Council candidates.
That vote doesn’t come until November. But the months between then and now will be filled with candidates introducing themselves to the city and campaigning. Get to know those names before they start popping up on signs around your neighborhood.
Buena Park Municipal Elections are structured such that three of the Council seats are up for vote in one election, and the other two are up in the next election, two years later. This is a two-seat year, and the seats up for grabs are District 3 (Mayor Fred Smith’s) and District 4 (Councilman Art Brown’s).
Mayor Smith is termed out as of this year, so there will be a new face in his seat following this election, but Council Member Brown has one term remaining. No challengers for his seat have yet announced themselves.
The other three seats will be up for vote in 2022.
Buena Park residents choose the five City Council Members, but not the Mayor directly. The Council chooses one of its own to be Mayor each year, around the holidays.
Residents elect only the Council Member that corresponds to the district they live in, so only residents of Districts 3 and 4 will see a City Council vote option on their ballot.
District 3, Mayor Smith’s, is the southeast end of the city, and includes Buena Park Downtown and Knott’s Berry Farm.
District 4, Councilman Brown’s, is the southwest end of the city.
If you’re not sure which district you live, you can go to the city’s website and find a “find your district” tool under the “City Clerk” section.
District Three
With Mayor Smith terming out, candidates for that spot have already popped up and started campaigning. They include active community member Susan Sonne, and one more recent entrant.
Sonne announced her candidacy quite some time ago, holding a campaign kickoff event at The Cauldron last September. She is the Executive Director of the Buena Park Collaborative, Chair of the Beautification-Environmental Commission, and has served on the Buena Park Homeless Committee and the Police Chief’s Advisory Board. She had a 40 year IT career prior to that. She has been endorsed by current Mayor Pro Tem Connor Traut, State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, former State Senator Josh Newman and many school board members from various area districts. More can be learned at her website, susan-sonne.com.
City Clerk Adria Jimenez told the Independent this week that one more candidate has recently started the filing process to run. She is Sharon Smith, wife of Mayor Fred Smith. Ms. Smith did respond to a last-minute email inquiry from the Independent, and let us know that she would soon be sending some information about herself and her campaign. Look for an updated version of this story next week that includes that.
Mayor Smith was first elected to the City Council in 2008, and has served a few terms, including being named Mayor three times. He has been involved with the Boys and Girls Club, the Buena Park Historical Society, the Lions Club, and Silverado Days.
District Four
No challengers have announced intention to run at this time, against incumbent Council Member Art Brown. Brown has been on the City Council and/or served as Mayor several times since the early ‘90s. He is active in the Lions Club, where he served as President for a time; and is a veteran of three branches of the military as well as a retired Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff. He is very active in the Buena Park Historical Society.
Council Members in the City of Buena Park are elected for four year terms, with term limits of three terms, or 12 consecutive years. They may then take a four-year break, and then run again.
The Municipal Election takes place on the first Tuesday of November in even years. This year that will be November 3.
Look for further coverage from the Independent as the year goes along.
Chime in by sending an email to newsroom@localnewspapers.org.
