An informed resident makes better decisions for our beach city. ~MBStrong
You have 2 votes for City Council and 3 votes for School Board.
Welcome to our Voter Guide. It will help you cut through the rumors and biased rhetoric about the candidates. Included below are two sections: Candidates at a Glance, which gives you a snapshot of our rankings to use with your ballot; and factual details on the rankings for both the City Council and School Board races.
Let us begin by saying that our reviews about the candidates are not personal nor are they intended to cause hurt feelings or division. We respect anyone who is willing to step up with their time and money to run as a candidate for an elected position. It is grueling.
But like a job interview, we looked at all of the candidate’s qualifications, decisions they made while serving somewhere in their career, comments made in the Forums, interviews, etc, then we carefully made our decisions. We thank all the residents who contributed to Our Voter Guide.
Our HIGHER STAR RANKINGS go to candidates who are focused on the critical issues including, but not limited to, reclaiming local control over what we build in MB by standing up to Sacramento's overreaching housing laws, public safety, and returning our schools to a focus on Academic Excellence and eliminating partisan politics from the classroom.
Our ENDORSEMENT goes to a candidate who has demonstrated outstanding leadership over a period of years. Leaders take the initiative on issues, proactively work with residents and community stakeholders to solve problems, operate with high integrity which builds trust, are solution-oriented, and are willing to listen to a variety of ideas and opinions before making a decision. Leaders are the voices out front but also know they take their cues from the will of the people. City Council candidate Frank Chiella encompasses all of these leadership qualities.
CANDIDATES AT A GLANCE
Issued by MBStrong. Not authorized by a candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate.
CITY COUNCIL RACE
Two of the most critical issues our city faces today are public safety and Sacramento overreach.
For public safety, we need to develop a fiscally prudent avenue to add to our Police and Fire Departments and find ways to have our laws actually enforced.
For Sacramento's overreach, we need to prevent the state from usurping our city’s power to enact our own zoning laws. Finding legal options to reclaim our autonomy requires leaders on Council who will take action.
The state housing laws force overbuilding in cities already plagued by too much density like MB. Instead of building subdivisions in open land, such as east of Ontario to Palm Springs, the lawmaker’s stated goal is ideological: “to produce a diverse range of housing for all income levels” in every city in CA.
They have assigned cities with housing quotas that can only be met by building large apartment complexes similar to HighRose. Projects must include units designated for low to very low-income and eventually, government-subsidized units for the homeless. Our Council just met the State deadline to identify properties for such projects, and over 1000 properties in MB have been earmarked.
If cities do not comply, the lawmakers have established a state enforcement department that issues penalties such as withholding state funding to the city, halting building permits, and issuing financial penalties.
We have only two options: comply or find legal ways to take a stand.
Our 2013 Council, made up of present-day candidates, David Lesser (Mayor at the time), Amy Howorth, and Mark Burton, did more than comply, they voluntarily surrendered our city’s rights to control our own zoning laws by creating and passing ordinance 13-0006. They relinquished city control over to the state with an agreement to always submit to Sacramento regarding our zoning.
It is our position that ordinance 13-0006 must be rescinded and MB must take action to stand for our right to control what we build in MB.
Star ratings for City Council Candidates
FRANK CHIELLA - Endorsed
State housing laws. The only candidate to propose specific action to end state overreach by first rescinding ordinance 13-0006.
No on HighRose. Took the initiative to meet and listen to resident groups who are researching legal avenues, including environmental, to make a case that this project is not good for the community. Has spoken at City Council meetings during public comments emphasizing the need for Council to consider public safety first and reject the project.
No on Measure A. The only candidate that looked at how the Measure affected the community and gave a pragmatic solution at a Forum: “It caused divisiveness, but Council needs to be involved with communications to reduce the divisiveness.”
MB Fire Department - 35 years working in the MBFD as a Firefighter/Paramedic and in management as a Battalion Chief, retired in 2015. Regarding the conflict between the FD and Council, he stated at a Forum, “Comments were over-exaggerated on both sides and there were vendettas by some. But we need to reach a fair contract next year and we need to fill the long-standing vacancies to reduce OT.” He is the only candidate to propose the solution to offer higher signing bonuses to attract Police Officers and Firefighters from other cities and hire them laterally rather than waiting on graduates to apply at the basic level.
MB Police Department. He has more years of experience working with the PD than any other candidate. Committed to “supporting the new Police Chief with more tools, more manpower, and more boots on the ground, especially downtown.”
Leadership: Co-founder of MB CERT (community emergency response team) in 2008 which started with 7 members and now has over 600. It has become the largest organization of its kind in the State and is used as a model across the country. These volunteers are CPR trained, many are trained by Frank, and they are prepared to manage disasters if one should strike at any of our city events such as the AVP, Hometown Fair, or any large-scale disaster such as an earthquake. Since his retirement from the MBFD, he voluntarily serves as CERT Program Director and serves at all of our city events.
Leadership: Director on the Board for the Channel Islands Beach Community Service District (similar to a City Council) in Ventura County. Elected twice and served 8 years. Was proactive in setting sound environmental policies in this newly developed area, which are still in place to this day. Led a team to solve the water shortage problem and had a desalination station built. Went to DC to lobby for funds and was successful in getting the funds to build the station.
SUZANNE HADLEY - incumbent
State housing laws. Suzanne has voiced her opposition to the state housing laws and plans for our city during Council meetings. She voted against the housing plan mandated for MB in March, but with no leadership on Council to find ways to take a stand, she voted to comply with the recently updated state housing plan. It is our position that MB must find a legal way to stand for our right to control what we build in MB.
No on HighRose.
No on Measure A.
Bruce’s Beach. When the Bruce Family began making public threats of lawsuits with claims they will use our city history against us, hundreds of residents sent letters to Council asking them not to take it upon themselves to write the plaque language or the Resolution of Condemnation. Residents asked Council to hire a professional historical firm that specializes in this work for municipalities. However, Suzanne refused the idea of hiring a firm, and instead, she wrote the majority of the plaque language herself, and others wrote the Resolution. Our longstanding position has been that a professional historical firm should review both items and make the necessary amendments to best protect our city and its treasury. The city hires professionals for many other services and considering what is at stake here, they should also hire professionals for this work.
MB Fire Department. Councilmember Hadley received criticism from the public for disrespectful comments made and her attitude toward the MB Firefighters, for what many perceive is from a lack of understanding of the work of a Firefighter/Paramedic. It is our opinion that Councilmembers should maintain composure and a professional demeanor. They should never berate anyone, especially our Firefighters/Paramedics and Police Officers who protect and save the lives of our residents. It is also our opinion that every Councilmember should do a ride-a-long for an entire shift with Police Officers and Firefighters/Paramedics.
MB Police Department. During Councilmember Hadley’s 4 years on Council, the city ran the Police Department at $2M in overtime/year. It has been our position that Council needs to investigate the City’s practice of running all city departments on massive OT, from the Police and Fire Dept. to all other departments.
MARK BURTON
State housing laws. Mr. Burton was part of the 2013 Council with Amy Howorth and David Lesser who passed the city ordinance 13-0006 which surrendered our local control over our zoning (see above).
No on HighRose. He submitted an appeal and spoke against the project at City Council meetings,
Yes on Measure A. Mr. Burton publicly campaigned in favor of Measure A.
Fire and Police Dept. He denounced the deplorable manner in which our Firefighters/Paramedics were treated and he wants to hire more Police Officers.
RITA CRABTREE-KAMPE
State housing laws. In the 9/23/22 Council meeting on Zoom, Rita advocated for pushback on the state but did not propose a specific action.
HighRose. She stated at a Forum that she is against HighRose because it is near a refinery, but she wants more low-income housing in MB which conflicts with her position above.
No on Measure A.
Fire and Police Dept. Rita spoke at a City Council meeting about her concerns for the mental health of the Firefighters by working so much OT and asked Council to consider including the mediator’s recommendations in a new contract but then agreed with the Council’s decision to impose their contract on the Firefighters which did not have any of the mediator’s recommendations.
Rita stated at a Forum that the most important issue facing MB is hate speech. While we certainly agree that hate speech should not be tolerated we do not think it is the most critical issue facing MB.
DAVID LESSER, AMY HOWORTH, and STEWART FOURNIER
State housing laws. David Lesser (no relation to Russ Lesser), Amy Howorth, and Stewart Fournier will not take a stand against the state housing laws. Mr. Lesser warned at a recent Forum, “We will be heavily penalized if we don’t comply,” and Mr. Fournier stated, “It is fiscally responsible to agree with the state laws.” Ms. Howorth stated, “The State is in control.”
Ordinance 13-0006, local zoning power. David Lesser and Amy Howorth along with Mark Burton created and passed ordinance 13-0006 while on Council in 2013. None have spoken of the ordinance during this campaign or suggested rescinding it.
Ideological push: Howorth founded the local political activist group, MB United which promotes Far Left/Progressive ideology in our school classrooms and in our local government. When residents denounced accusations made by members of her group accusing Manhattan Beach of systemic racism, Amy Howorth publically snapped back, “If you say you are not a racist, then you might be a racist.” (March 16, 2021). It is our position that any candidate who suggests a person or group of people as being a racist, without evidence, should not hold public office.
Yes on Measure A. Howorth is the co-founder with Wysh Weinstein (running for School Board) of the Committee for Measure A. Mr. Lesser and Mr. Fournier also voted for Measure A. Measure A asked for too much tax from the homeowners, for too many years, with no accountability for the spending. It was defeated in a 70% to 30% vote result in June. It is our position that elected officials must protect our residents from over-taxation.
Fire Department. All three candidates stated the relationship with our Fire Dept. needs to be repaired.
SCHOOL BOARD RACE
The vote for the School Board race is about values and spending. The differences between the candidates couldn’t be clearer.
The RED group of candidates are unabashedly Far Left/Progressives and will continue interjecting partisan politics in our classrooms. Please read our article about how the partisan Board is currently implementing this agenda with their Action Plan by clicking [HERE]).
The GREEN group of candidates is running to make Academics the priority again, rid the classrooms of partisan politics and social agendas, and bring fiscal responsibility back to the district.
Note: Electing only 1 or 2 candidates from the GREEN group will result in giving the majority of seats to the current Board Members. So if you are voting to restore our schools, you must vote for ALL 3 candidates in GREEN.
Star ratings for School Board Candidates
CHRISTY BARNES, JOHNNY U, MIKE WELSH
These 3 candidates vow to bring our District back to the standing it once was. Collectively their goal for the next 4 years includes, but is not limited to:
Return to non-partisan Academics.
Stop the flight of parents pulling their kids out of MBUSD and find a way to bring them back.
Spend wisely and bring back financial transparency, which Measure A did not provide. All 3 voted against the Measure.
End the intimidation and give all parents and all teachers a voice again at MBUSD. Watch Mike Welsh’s 2 1/2 min closing remarks at the Rotary Club Forum [HERE] about parents and residents feeling intimidated to speak up.
It is MBStrong’s opinion that all 4 goals must be met to right this ship and provide a well-rounded, academically rigorous, character-driven education that prepares our student's hearts and minds for work, family, and society.
JENNIFER FENTON, WYSH WEINSTEIN, TINA SHIVPURI
Jennifer Fenton - incumbent.
Voted to adopt the Board’s Action Plan which conditions students to accept a political partisan point of view on a variety of subjects including sex, gender, race, BLM, policing, etc.
She did not ask School Board member Jason Boxer to step down when he published messages about sex and children on his MBUSD Instagram account.
She supported Measure A.
She has shown no remorse and has not issued an apology for attempting to silence, with a Cease & Desist letter, parents she publically berated and labeled “dissenters” for objecting to pornography, gender, and race identity lessons, and other objectionable topics in the classroom. It is our opinion that an elected School Board official should never berate parents, in public or private.
Wysh Weinstein was one of the founders of the committee to push Measure A, along with Amy Howorth, who is running for City Council (see above). It is our opinion that if Wysh would not consider opposing input before deciding to push forward a nearly quadruple tax on MB property owners, we have no reason to believe she would consider opposing opinions when facing decisions as a Board member. It is also our position that elected officials must protect our residents from over-taxation.
Tina Shivpuri is overly obsessed with growing the Equity, Diversity, Social Justice, and Inclusion committee. We do not hear from Tina an argument to get our District back on an academic focus nor does she appear to empathize with parents who have been excluded by this Board from their child’s education.
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