BY K.P. SANDER
Eastvale – With the General Municipal Election just around the corner, citizens are beginning to formulate decisions about who they will be voting for. Three seats are open on the City Council, with only two of the five incumbents seeking reelection. Council members Kelly Howell and Jeff DeGrandpre have resigned within the last year, and Councilman Richard Welch will not run for a second term.
When voters cast their ballots on Tues., Nov. 4, they will select from a field of nine candidates: Ramon E. Aguilar, Steven Daniel Aguilar, Richard Duran, Anwer Khan, William Link (Incumbent, Council Member), Clinton Lorimore, Cesar Morales, Adam Rush (Incumbent, Mayor Pro-Tem), and Brandon Matthew Villalpando.
City Council members are elected at-large for a four year term. Council members serve “staggered” terms, meaning that either two or three seats are open for election every two years. Council members receive a $400 per month stipend as compensation for their service.
To qualify, candidates must reside and be registered to vote within the jurisdiction at the time nomination papers are issued. More specifically, they must be at least 18 years old; a U.S. citizen; a resident of the City of Eastvale; registered to vote in the City of Eastvale; and must not be on parole or serving time for a felony conviction. All candidates have met these requirements.
The Eastvale Community News asked each of these candidates the same two questions in an effort to provide some information toward voting research.
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The Eastvale Community News will display two of the candidate’s answers each week, up to the election. Here is your candidate feedback for Ramon E. Aguilar, and Steven D. Aguilar:
Ramon E. Aguilar
Ramon E. Aguilar: The first issue would have to be protecting the residents from any further financial burden. There are many ways of doing this, first by assuring that we get what we pay for (contracting out to the Sheriff’s Department is a big chunk of our City’s budget). I believe that we should be looking into establishing our own Police Department. Secondly, I would be establishing our own Unified School District that would serve only Eastvale’s resident students, guaranteeing that our schools receive the proper allocation of funds to better serve our youth. Thirdly, I would look at why and what has not worked in the past when it deals with bringing a high end variety of services to our residents (businesses, retail, restaurants and nightly social venues). The second issue would have to be maintaining the safest cultural environment in Eastvale. As a former CHP officer, and Dean of Discipline (for LAUSD) I have been fortunate to have firsthand experience in dealing with safety issues and preventive measures at different levels in our community. As a former Title 1 Coordinator at LAUSD, I managed the school site’s multimillion dollar budget and provided transparency to all stakeholders and community members. I would definitely look at the City’s budget to evaluate and provide transparency to the community of Eastvale and survey what the priorities are within our community. In order for any type of growth in our City, we need to make sure that every dollar is being utilized effectively and efficiently and determine if the resources are being used to improve the growth of our City.
Steven Daniel Aguilar: Sustainability: As one of California’s newest cities, Eastvale has reached a critical juncture where it
Steven Aguilar
must determine its destiny. Since its inception, Eastvale has faced financial threats beyond its control and it’s imperative that the City Council ponder new ideas and examine fresh perspectives to increase our revenue base in order to safeguard the future of our City. As Eastvale enters these important years of existence, the future of our financial stability will be determined by the Council’s actions and leadership decisions. Economic Growth: Eastvale must create a strong tax base and recruiting business is the key to this strategy. As a former employee of a major company, I understand that business and local government must work in partnership in order for both to succeed. The City Council needs to make the decisions that will increase economic development to keep tax dollars in Eastvale and allow residents to work where they live. As your next Council Member, I will focus on: increasing our public safety budget by making every effort to be involved with contract negotiations, investing our tax dollars to provide more efficient City services while maintaining a balanced budget, enhancing the quality of life in Eastvale to better represent our community’s development, and lastly, securing the future of our great city. I truly believe that Eastvale’s destiny is to be one of the premier communities in the region. To achieve it, we need an elected body that is responsive to our residents, leadership to make the tough decisions, and a clear direction to move forward in. I would be honored to have your vote in the November election for Eastvale City Council. Please contact me at (951) 751-8549 for more information and remember to vote for #5!
