Posted April 11, 2012:

I would like to thank everyone for participating in this years election.
SignageI congratulate Gary and John for their election victory and continued service as Councilmen. The residents of Arcadia have spoken and I respect and support their decision. I thank my parents, my daughter and all my friends for all their support. It has meant a lot to me and I have made many new friends throughout this process. I still feel honored to have been able to participate and voice my vision and thoughts for our great city. Thank you to all for allowing me such a great experience.

Henry Nunez

Posted April 6, 2012:

The Emperor Has No Clothes

As one of the three candidates that Mickey Segal targeted at the past City Council meeting, I feel it is only appropriate for me to respond.

My initial reaction is, how strange was this tirade? His comments were shocking, unrelated to any business of the Council and totally out of left field. They were contradictory, illogical and the content showed arrogance and his pompous attitude toward others. The fact that he knew none of the attacked candidates could respond shows his immaturity and childish school-ground retaliatory behavior. What Mickey is saying is he doesn’t think anyone is up to his standards and is wondering why can’t any candidates be as great as him. Thank goodness we are not. He is so out of touch with reality and so self-absorbed that he acts like the emperor without any clothes. This is exactly why I chose to run for the Arcadia City Council.

The Good Old Boys Club has taken extraordinary steps to blatantly support incumbents Kovacic and Wuo. Roger Chandler and Bob Harbicht participated in pre-recorded telephone messages (robo-calling) paid for by the campaign of John Wuo, asking residents to vote for John Wuo. Mickey’s tirade is just as desperate an act. The Good Old Boys Network seems very afraid and they are certainly acting like it. What is their motivation, what are they hiding? Is this in the best interests of Arcadia? Is this the type of character that we want in our Council? All it shows to me, is what Sho, Mary and I have been saying prior to and during this election period….Arcadia needs new voices on our Council now, not in 2014.

The only thing I can suggest is a double dose of humbleness for these guys.

I, for one, would be proud to serve with Sho or Mary. I see them both as highly qualified, contributing members of our community and most of all able to work intelligently and professionally with others. Lastly, I pray that we are elected so that we can show the people of Arcadia how very wrong Mickey has portrayed the three of us. I wear it as a badge of honor that I was included in the same group as Sho and Mary.

Posted March 27, 2012:

Vote before April 10th for new members of Arcadia Council

As a new member of our Council, I would be very proactive in facing the issues that Arcadia faces today. We need to be very diligent in addressing the signage problems, massage parlors and lack of collection of retail tax in certain commercial areas of Arcadia.

I don’t see why this is so difficult to do.

We have our ordinances and guidelines that dictate the types, size and language content of business signs. The solution is a two-step process. First, a drive-by inspection is all it takes to create a database of offenses. Secondly, strict enforcement of our guidelines is needed.

Massage Parlors
We need to strengthen our existing guidelines to stop illegitimate massage parlors from operating and spreading all over Arcadia. Again, the solution is a simple two-step process. First, the creation of a database of existing massage parlors allows us to identify the scope of the problem. Secondly, diligent inspections along with strict enforcement of strengthened guidelines will close the illegitimate massage parlors and stop others from coming to Arcadia. There is no place in Arcadia for these types of businesses to be left to thrive and spread throughout our City.

Lack of Retail Sales Tax being paid in parts of Arcadia
There are several areas of Arcadia’s commercial districts that have not been paying their retail sales tax. This problem has been left to continue for many years and is certainly unfair to those businesses that have paid their fair share of sales tax for many years. Again, a simple two-step process is the solution. First, identify the businesses in those commercial districts that consistently refuse to pay retail sales tax even though their business has been operating for years. Secondly, inspections that determine customer count and cooperation with the State Board of Equalization for strict enforcement of the law would stop this offense from continuing and spreading in Arcadia.

Gold Line and Downtown
We are the only City in the Foothill Gold Line extension to not have any vision, direction or plans for the Gold Line stop in Arcadia. It is a great opportunity for us to create a downtown with dining, shopping and local events for us to gather. Who doesn’t want that? Let us be in control of the destiny of this opportunity rather than ignore the elephant in the room. Let us be proactive along with the Arcadia Downtown Business Association and be certain that our ideals and values will be upheld.

Good Ole Boys Group at City Hall
The robo-calling by Roger Chandler and Bob Harbicht for former councilmember and current candidate John Wuo is an effort to continue this Good Ole Boys Group. These robo-calls are paid for by the campaign funds of John Wuo. Which begs the question…what is the motivation for Roger Chandler and Bob Harbicht to go to such extremes to return John Wuo to Arcadias Council? One could say that John Wuo will be beholden to them for his vote. One could point to other more nefarious motivations. Or one could say that the current strength of council candidates has placed fear in the Good Ole Boys Group and they are reacting to that. Lastly, one could also say that they are exercising their right to support whichever candidate they like.

Whichever reason it is, there is just no place in Arcadia for this to continue.

The above issues have all been able to fester for many years. New faces on our Council will bring new energy, new ideas and a proactive way to face the issues of today. If you haven’t voted yet, please vote for me, Henry Nunez, before April 10th.

Posted March 12, 2012:

Why it’s the right time for Arcadia to elect new council members

Enthusiasm
Traits that describe an Enthusiastic personality are:
Planning, Anticipation, Work, Wisdom, Emotional contagion

It’s important to have different opinions, methods, thoughts, ideas and personalities in all groups. This helps for all group members to examine different sides of all issues. Enthusiasm seems to have the ability to spread among others and provide inspiration and participation in common goals. I think at this time our council would benefit by a candidate with enthusiasm.

Strategic Planning
The strategic planning process includes the following approaches:
Situation-Target-Proposal

Evaluate the current situation and how it came about. What is today’s situation? What is the ideal image or the desired state? What is the gap from ideal and why? Define goals and/or objectives. Map a possible route to the goals/objectives. What specific actions must be taken to close the gap between today’s situation and the ideal state? What resources are required to execute the activities?

For the past years our business districts such as Live Oak, Baldwin, Foothill and Arcadia Downtown have not flourished. The Gold Line station is on its way and provides us an opportunity to better able to increase city revenues. For the past eighteen months our Arcadia Business Association has studied, worked and united to create and revitalize our downtown. March 6th, the city council agreed to spend up to $70,000 from our general funds to hire a consultant to analyze the downtown area to create a business improvement district for the purpose of revitalizing the downtown area. This effort will create new events to offer new activities for us to gather, market our downtown and business and create a stronger sense of community. Strategic planning is the process to ensure that our efforts have been studied and debated in great detail and more importantly that the results includes all the values and ideals that our great city stands for.

Increased City Revenues

Our city has a $60 million dollar pension obligation along with the costs of all the great services we enjoy. I feel it is very prudent and responsible to explore ways to continually increase our city revenues and control our expenses. Recently, it seems as though the emphasis has been to cut our budget and this requires our police, fire, hospital and city departments to constantly do more with less. We should examine how we can benefit from all the great resources that we have here in Arcadia. The Santa Anita Race Track is a global property, the Arboretum, Santa Anita Golf Course and Park, Library, Chantry, Wilderness Park to name just a few. Maybe a citywide economic plan can help us to identify ways to leverage these great properties and contribute to our city revenues.

The Jewel of the San Gabriel Valley

Arcadia has always been the Jewel of the San Gabriel Valley. Our leadership is responsible to continue in this path and it requires forward planning, analysis of the past, the future and what direction is the best for our residents. Our leadership has provided us a conservative and diligent foundation that we have always been able to count on. I feel it is responsible for me to voice opportunities that we have here in Arcadia to better our city. Revitalization, Improvement, the definitions are nearly identical. I just want Arcadia to always remain an example for the entire San Gabriel Valley. Our values and ideals is what I grew up on here is Arcadia since I was five years old and it is what our future generations will depend on. It takes our entire community to keep our city great. Please join me in this effort.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
Henry Nunez
Age 53
Businessman

I am proud to say that I was raised in Arcadia, attended our great schools and graduated from Arcadia High School in 1976. I grew up with Arcadias’ great traditions, strong sense of community and sense of safety and security. In 1986, I began my real estate career in Arcadia and founded my firm here in 1998.

My priorities are increasing sources of revenue while adhering to strict fiscal policy. Strong police and fire, public safety, education and Arcadias’ outstanding resources are our foundation.

My focus is:
TRADITION — COMMUNITY — REVITALIZATION
Protecting and supporting our traditions will help to increase involvement and strengthen our sense of community. Revitalizing our business base and mix will provide us an opportunity to support our local businesses and spend here in town. We need to create more public spaces to gather and make our streets pleasurable to walk.

My leadership in community organizations includes:

• 2007 President of the Arcadia Association of Realtors
• 2008-09 Chairman of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership
• Support for the Foothill Gold Line
• 1982 Bachelor of Science, Marketing Major, SW Oklahoma State University
• 2001 Masters in Real Estate Development, University of Southern California

Posted April 9, 2012:

Tomorrow is Election Day for the Arcadia City Council. I want to wish all 5 candidates, who are all eager to serve this great community of ours, the best of luck!

John Wuo

I also wanted to take this opportunity to say that I have always taken the high road during election campaigns. I do not believe in negative campaigns, and I will never partake in one. I am an independent thinker with no hidden agenda. I only want to preserve Arcadia and make the city even better for generations to come.

As this election comes to an end, I hope the citizens of Arcadia have voted for the 2 best candidates to serve our city. I want to thank all my supporters and volunteers for doing such a great job. Let’s work together to make Arcadia even better!

Posted March 31, 2012:

Arcadia is not like any other City! It is important to me that we retain our unique qualities and remain the emerald jewel in the San Gabriel Valley.

Arcadia is famously known for its beautiful homes, quiet neighborhoods, beautiful parks, protected open spaces, excellent education system and safe environment to live, work and raise a family.

Beyond that, however, we also have the lowest utilities rates, water rates and trash rates in the San Gabriel Valley. We also have our own police and fire departments which allow us to provide the highest levels of service and fastest response times for our residents.

As a previous member of the City Council I worked very hard to preserve all of these wonderful qualities about Arcadia. With the fiscal challenges facing our nation and state maintaining these special features will not be easy.

It is important that our elected city leaders not respond with short-term solutions that only create long-term problems. Our tax base and budget reserves are on solid footing. We should not rush to bring additional businesses and traffic to our community. Thoughtful planning and careful financial management will help us to preserve the Arcadia we all know and love.

On April 10th we will be conducting an election for Arcadia City Council. Every voter has been mailed a ballot. It is very important that those ballots be received by the City Clerk by 8 p.m. on April 10. A postmark will not be sufficient to get the ballot counted if it is received at a later time.

I would like to have one of your two votes for City Council. You can count on me to serve on the Council with the same thoughtful and serious decision making that marked my previous tenure on the Council. I hope I can count on your support.

Sincerely,
John Wuo

Posted January 23, 2012

JOHN WUO
鄂 志 超
jwuo218@gmail.com

John Wuo was born in Taipei, Taiwan on February 18, 1950 and attended schools there until 1966. In 1959 John was diagnosed with a heart defect requiring open heart surgery. John’s parents decided to make arrangements to have the operation performed at UCLA Medical Center, whose success rate for the procedure was 100%.

Due to the difficulty his parents encountered in obtaining Visas, John traveled by himself to Los Angeles in June of 1966 to undergo the required surgery. After the surgery has been performed, John was taken home by one of the hospital volunteers to recuperate. John stayed with this family until his graduation from La Canada High School in June of 1968. After completing high school, John attended the University of Redlands and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering in 1972.

John got his first job at Sheldon Industries in Monrovia as a Research and Development Engineer. He stayed with the company for five years, during which time he met his elementary school classmate, Jane, who had also come to America to study. They were married in 1974, and have three children, Jeff who is 34 and working for Swinerton Builders, Jennifer who is 30 and is a teacher at Arcadia Unified School District, Jonathan who is 26 graduated from UCLA with Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, and is currently working for S.C.Edison.

John purchased his first home in Alhambra in 1975. In 1985 the family moved to Arcadia, and all three of Wuo children went through Arcadia schools.

John has been a avid volunteer. He began doing volunteer work with the schools and then expanded his volunteerism to the community. He has served on the Parks and Recreation and Centennial Commissions. Additionally, John has served as a Director of the Arcadia High School Athletic Booster Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Red Cross, the Arcadia Tournament of Roses, the Arcadia Chinese Association, the Arcadia Association of Realtors, and the Foothill Federal Credit Union (Supervisory Committee). John also served as President of the Arcadia Educational Foundation, Arcadia High School Chinese Parents Booster Club, Arcadia Association of Realtors, Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Services, Arcadia Historical Society, and American Cancer Society, San Gabriel Valley Unit. In 1997, John was selected as Realtor of the Year. John has just served as Chair for Methodist Hospital Foundation Board, and currently serving on the Board of Governor of Farmers Insurance Exchange and Board of Governor of L. A. County Nature History of Museum.

John has served as Centennial Mayor for the city of Arcadia in 2003, and again served as a full term Mayor in 2005-2006 & 2009-2010. John has dedicated himself to serving the people of Arcadia, and surrounding communities.

Current Titles and Positions:

President – Golden Apple Group International Inc.
President – First Ave. Education Inc.
President – Excel Institute Inc.
Board of Governor – Farmers Insurance Group
Board of Governor – L. A. County Nature History Museum
Director – Friendly Hills Country Club

School & Community Involvements

Mayor – City of Arcadia 2005-2006 & 2009-2010
Chairman – Methodist Hospital Foundation Board 2010
President – Chinese -American Elected Officials 2007-2008
Founding President – A. H. S. Chinese Parents Booster Club 1993-1994
President – Arcadia Association of Realtors 1996 (First Asian President)
President – Arcadia Educational Foundation 1996-1997 (First Asian President)
President – Arcadia Historical Society 2001-2002
President – Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Services Inc. 2000 & 2001
President – American Cancer Society, San Gabriel Valley Unit 2002-2003
Chairman – Arcadia Relay for Life 2003
Chairman – Intercultural Committee 1994-1995
President-Elect Arcadia Chamber of Commerce 1996-1997
Vice President – Arcadia Chinese Association 1994
Director – A. H. S. Athletic Booster Club 1993-1995
Director – American Red Cross Arcadia Chapter 1994-1995
Director – Arcadia Tournament of Roses 1995-1997
Director – Arcadia Chamber of Commerce 1994-1997
Director – Arcadia Chinese Association 1993-1996
Director – Methodist Hospital Foundation 2002 to present,
Founding Member – Youth Master Plan, Arcadia Unified School District
Member – A. U. S. D. Educational Advisory Committee since 1994,
Member – Arcadia Rotary Club 1992-2002
Member – Methodist Hospital Strategic Planning Committee 2006
Commissioner – Arcadia Parks & Recreations Commission 1994-1998
Commissioner – Arcadia Centennial Commission 1999-2002
Commissioner – Los Angeles County Human Relation Commission 2008-2009
Trustee – Arcadia Educational Foundation 1992-2002
Translator – Arcadia Police Department since 1992

Education:

La Canada High School Graduated in 1968
University of Redlands Graduated in 1972, Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Glendale University College of Law – Attended from June 90’ to September 91’

Personal Information:

Date of Birth: 2-18-1950
Marital Status: Married with 3 children
Nationality: U.S. Citizen
Languages: Speak & Write English, Chinese
Sports: Golf, Tennis (Member of Friendly Hills Country Club)

Posted April 9, 2012 (see also my answers to questions e-mailed to me by Natalie Ragus at Arcadia.Patch.com)

I hope you have all spent time enjoying and appreciating family and friends, and appreciating our great community over the Easter and Passover season. It was a great time to pause and reflect upon all the things that make our lives a joy. We are truly blessed!

Mary Dougherty

We in Arcadia are indeed fortunate to have a City Council candidate pool of five that each has had significant involvement in Arcadia’s community. That has not been the case in many past elections. Each of us has a different perspective and different backgrounds, so there is a lot for voters to review and consider. However, April 10 will come and go, and we’ll still be around on April 11; let’s be sure that we turn our differences into a collective view for positive improvements to Arcadia and the community. It has been a pleasure to be involved in the many candidate forums, and to have the opportunity to express my concerns and my vision for the future.

Yes, I hope that you cast one of your two votes for me for Arcadia’s City Council. I know that you will not always agree with every decision I might make; pleasing everyone all of the time is simply not possible. However, I pledge to you that I will listen to your concerns, study the issues, and strive to represent the best interests of our community and the City of Arcadia.

Be sure to deliver your ballot to the City Clerk’s office at Arcadia City Hall by Tuesday, April 10, no later than 8:00 p.m.

It would be my pleasure to represent you on Arcadia’s City Council!

Posted April 1, 2012:

Arcadia’s Unfunded Liability

Arcadia shows a surplus of $2.4 million; however, the footnotes show a $67 million unfunded liability for Pensions and Post-Retirement Health Care, and this figure is based on a mix of 2010 and 2011 figures reported by the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS).

Further, PERS used unrealistic assumptions in their reporting. PERS used a projection of 7.75% income from investments, when their actual income from investments had been in the neighborhood of 1-2%. PERS just recently lowered their projection of expected income from investments to 7.5%. Why didn’t they make it a more realistic figure? If they had done so, many cities would have had to declare bankruptcy, since that would mean they would have to increase their funding to the retirement system beyond their ability to pay. That means that Arcadia’s liability is even greater than what was reported.

Now let’s look at the level of funding compared to expected pension funding in private industry. The report states that Police and Fire pensions are 77% funded, and funding for other employee pensions is 82%. The expectation in private industry is 80% funding, so that doesn’t look too bad until you realize that the funding level is way overstated because of the unrealistic assumptions of PERS earning levels. Also, the report notes that the Post-Retirement Health Care is 0% funded.

Arcadia did attempt to address the problem of its unfunded liability by no longer paying the employees’ contribution to the pension fund. However, to make that change the City negotiated a 9% increase in police and fire salaries and a 7% increase in other employees’ salaries over a three-year time period. Some would say this was probably a good business decision. It would seem that these pay increases would only make the unfunded liability greater, and thus would dig the hole deeper. The next report from PERS won’t be out for two years, so hang on and we’ll find out!

The City also created a Second Tier retirement system for New Employees. Under this system, when new Police & Fire employees retire they will get 3% at age 55, instead of 3% at age 50; other new employees will get 2% at age 60 instead of 2.5% at age 55, for each year of service.

Added to this complex set of issues is the fact that the City projects that a third of its employees will retire within the next 10 years.
To complicate the problem further, retirement is based on the highest paid year – typically the last year of employment. So, the amount of retirement that must be funded from General Fund monies each year depends upon the length of employment and the pay level at the time of retirement of each retiree. That is whether or not the individual is an Arcadia City employee at the time of retirement, or has moved on to some other jurisdiction to a job at substantially higher pay.

There are so many variables in this equation that my head is spinning just thinking about it! How about yours?

Admittedly, Arcadia is in a better position than many or most other cities; however we should not ignore this problem. Talking only about the budget surplus and not the unfunded liabilities leads to unrealistic expectations for greater expenditures and higher levels of service, and kicks the can down the road to a future generation. Let’s start a discussion of how to address this issue and not saddle our children, grandchildren and future generations with solving this problem.

Submitted March 27, 2012:

I have attended several meetings of the Arcadia Downtown Business Association, and find the enthusiasm of its members encouraging and invigorating. Their members are excited about exploring the options for further improvements in the area.

The City provided a parking study of the area and is hiring a consultant to help the area determine how best to form and implement a Property Owner-based Business Improvement District. A PBID is a mechanism for a property and business owner collaborative. It is a partnership between the public and private sector organized for the improvement of a specific commercial area. The property owners determine the level of services and improvements necessary to fit the needs of the commercial area, and funds are raised through a special assessment on real property within a specific geographic area to fund those desired services.

Community residents told us on the General Plan Advisory Committee that they wanted a walkable area with restaurants, gift shops, art shops, boutiques and other retail that would promote an old-town or village-type atmosphere – a place to grab a bite to eat or to leisurely dine and stroll, surrounded by interesting shops. A less hectic place than the Mall with a more community-based atmosphere seemed to be the desire of the residents.

I don’t know where Arcadia’s “downtown” is – is it Baldwin Avenue, the Mall, Huntington Drive, or First Avenue? For that reason, I have suggested that the business and property owners consider changing to a unique name for the area – it might be “Village at Arcadia,” “Old Town Arcadia,” or some other name that they select, and that defines the area included in their PBID.

I believe that among the early steps is development of a shared database of the available properties, and sharing that information with the City, the Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, The Downtown Business Association, and the business and property owners. In that way, anyone interested in locating a business in Arcadia could be provided information no matter which they contacted, and those various entities could actively seek appropriate businesses for the available spaces.

Last year’s Independence Day parade was a terrific success. I think the community wants more of that kind of event, and with the business community’s enthusiastic support we can reach that goal.

I believe the possibilities for developing a viable business community that has its own charm provides a wonderful opportunity for Arcadia to enhance its commercial base for the future!

Submitted March 22, 2012:

Preserving Arcadia’s Community of Homes

I served on Arcadia’s General Plan Advisory Committee.

The residents of Arcadia told us that their most important concerns were the preservation of the atmosphere of a community of homes, and the prevention of mansionization.

To that end, I strongly believe in individuals’ property rights. Not just the property rights of the owner/builder/developer of property being developed, but also the property rights of the neighboring properties.

The City of Arcadia has Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines that were adopted in April 2009, that notes in site planning that “the location, configuration, size, and design of new buildings and structures, or the alteration or enlargement of exiting structures should be visually harmonious with their sites and compatible with the character and quality of the surroundings.”

New 17,000 square-foot home under construction on south side of Longden Avenue just east of Santa Anita Avenue, as viewed from backyard of neighbor whose grey wall is in foreground (Note that new house extends beyond the neighbor’s rear property line).

It further states that “The height and bulk of proposed dwellings and structures on the site should be in scale and in proportion with the height and bulk of dwellings and structures on surrounding sites;” and that “the design of a new house should provide effective and varied open space around the residence.”

In light of these requirements, how did the City approve a 17,000 square foot residence with 10 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and an indoor swimming pool?
This residence that is currently under construction sits between two houses that each has fewer than 2,500 square feet.

That means that it is nearly seven times the size of those homes!
Furthermore, the design has a solid wall with windows facing the neighbor’s yard with no open space. The next largest house in the neighborhood according to the Assessor’s map is 5,900 square feet. So this house that is being constructed is nearly three times the size of the next largest house. Yet, no one was notified of construction plans. The first notification the neighbors received was the beginning of construction, at which time the neighbors were told that it was a legal house and they had no right to appeal.

The new house can be seen between the neighbor’s house and garage.

This means if staff had denied the application that the owner/builder/developer could have appealed to the Planning Commission. However, the neighbors that were impacted had no right of appeal. I think that is just plain wrong!

When one person’s proposed actions impact another’s property rights, that individual should be notified. That doesn’t mean that a neighbor can veto his or her neighbor’s project. It simply means that the neighbor can be heard, and that protecting the neighbor’s property rights are as important a consideration as the developer’s in the development process.

Yes, I believe in property rights! I believe in everyone’s property rights!

Submitted Feb. 18, 2012:

HERE’S WHY I SUPPORT MEASURE A

Over the last five years the Arcadia Unified School District has cut $17 million from its budget, and if this measure isn’t passed the District faces the potential of cutting another $4 million. The District has kept the cuts as far away from the classroom as possible, thus trying to reduce the impact on the students. During the 16 years I served on the AUSD Board of Education we always made the students and their education our highest priority, and I’m proud to say that philosophy has continued.

With Measure A, none of the money can be spent on administrators’ salaries or benefits; it can ONLY be spent on teachers and the school program. There will be an oversight committee established by the Board of Education to ensure that the proceeds of the tax are spent according to the purposes stated in Measure A.

You might ask how the District has been able to build the Performing Arts center and renovate the schools, and still has to layoff teachers or have furlough days. The answer is simple. We, the voters, passed a $215 million bond issue to allow this construction. The bond money CANNOT BE USED for salaries or for ANY purpose other than for those purposes stated in the bond measure when it was submitted to the voters. A Bond Oversight Committee is charged with seeing that the monies are spent according to the plan that was approved by the voters.

Most of us moved to Arcadia because we wanted excellent schools for our children. Business needs an educated workforce to grow our economy. The desirability and value of our homes is tied to the educational value presented by our schools. Thus, I believe that we must continue to support our local schools.

I believe that Measure A is an investment in the future of the children, an investment in economic growth, and an investment in our property values.

Submitted January 17, 2012:

I believe there is a need for a fresh voice on Arcadia City Council, with a new perspective. My daytime availability will allow me to thoroughly study issues in advance of meetings. I have no conflicts of interest that would preclude my full participation in Council deliberations and decisions.

Mary Dougherty (right) seen filing her paperwork with City Clerk Lisa Mussenden on deadline day for City Council candidates: Jan. 16, 2012

I am an ardent supporter of the concept of maintaining Arcadia’s image as a Community of Homes, and recently chaired the group of architectural review chairmen that drafted the newly adopted Joint Resolution covering development in all five homeowners’ associations. I believe in development that is compatible with the neighborhood streetscape and promotes architectural harmony.

I also am an enthusiastic supporter of business development. I have been a member of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for the past ten years, and co-chairman of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Forum. I have been actively involved in many Chamber activities and represent the Chamber at the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership and the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Coalition of Chambers. A goal of mine is to promote small businesses as well as to encourage larger commercial developments in order to grow our local economy.

As a past Arcadia Unified School District Board Member for four terms (16 years), I am a supporter of education, and believe that an investment in education is an investment in the youth of the future, as well as an investment in our local property values. Most Arcadia residents moved to Arcadia for the high quality schools; the schools epitomize the quality of our community. I highly value the collaboration between the City and the School District.

I am a fiscal conservative who believes in conservative budget practices. Our School District projects came in on time and under budget, and prudent reserves were maintained. Careful advance planning makes adhering to the budget possible.

Posted April 8

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE

As the members of our California State Champion Arcadia High School Constitution Team know, there are really very few differences in the rights and obligations between United States citizens and non-citizens.

Gary Kovacic

As far as obligations, all persons have a duty to obey the laws and pay taxes. Interestingly, all males (documented or undocumented) living inside the Untied States, age 18 through 25, are also still required to register with the Selective Service.

The additional legal responsibilities and rights that apply only to citizens are few, but extremely important. For example, citizens have the responsibility to serve on juries. While some people find jury duty to be no more than a boring burden, the constitutional right to trial by a jury of one’s peers depends on the willingness of our citizens to serve as jurors when called.

Citizens have the additional right to run for public office. They also have the right, and I would argue the obligation, to cast an informed vote in elections. Failing to exercise the right to vote and fulfill the obligation to cast an informed vote is failing to live up to the fundamental responsibility of being a United States citizen.

Serving our country and community and voting are the highest forms of civic virtue. Arcadia’s mail-in City Council election ends this Tuesday, April 10. Please take the time to exercise your right to vote in this election as a concerned, informed, and productive member of our community.

I have been endorsed by the Arcadia Police Officers Association, the Pasadena Star-News, and many of your Arcadia friends and neighbors. As a City Council Member and Mayor, I have demonstrated the experience, dedication, common sense, and independence to serve Arcadia well. My leadership abilities, strong work ethic, critical thinking skills, and legal training are proven qualifications to handle the complex issues that will continue to confront our community in the future. I would be honored to receive one of your two votes in this City Council election.

Thank you for your support and your vote on or before April 10.

Posted March 25, 2012:

As many of you know, I have helped coach the Arcadia High School Constitution Team for the last 16 years.
In addition to study in and out of the classroom, Arcadia High’s 30-member team practices every Monday night in the Arcadia City Council Chambers with volunteer coaches. Most Sunday nights, unit members also meet in my family room to discuss the United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, and relevant historical and contemporary court cases and events.

A tremendous amount of planning, work, and dedication go into preparing for the highly competitive “We the People . . The Citizen and the Constitution” program, which requires teams to analyze and answer complex questions in district, regional, state, and national rounds of competition.

In February, Arcadia High’s team won the 2012 California State Championships. In late April, the team will compete in the National Finals in Washington, D.C.

When I arrived home from this year’s California State Finals in February, a good friend asked me how the team did. With a rather proud smile, I replied that the team had won the State Championship. My friend’s immediate response was “That’s nice, but you guys win every year anyway, don’t you?”

The response was surprising.

First of all, we don’t win every year, although it may seem so since the team won both the State and National Championships two years ago in 2010. However, more surprising was the fact that such a comment seemed to take our team’s success for granted. That somehow excellence just happened.

I was reminded of this again when I opened the March 2012 issue of Sunset Magazine, a pretty good expert on life in Southern California. It was an extremely complimentary article about Arcadia that described our town as:

Tree-lined streets with tidy homes surround grassy parks and a walkable downtown that’s retained its Main Street U.S.A. appeal.

Especially during the election season, people need to take a step back to truly appreciate what we have in Arcadia. They need to understand how much vision, hard work, collaboration, and concern for our community go into creating the success we experience every day.

Elections are healthy chapters in a city’s life. They raise issues that are not always discussed and bring out people who are not always involved. But let’s not lose sight of what we have in Arcadia:

• Safe and beautiful residential neighborhoods
• Fiscally conservative budgets with adequate reserves
• First-class police, fire, and paramedic services
• The ability to respond to emergencies (like the December wind storm) with expert personnel and sufficient emergency funding
• Real pension reform in new contracts with the city’s bargaining units
• New police station, fire station headquarters, historical museum, skate board park, and gymnasium
• Modern public library and community center
• Exceptional senior and youth facilities and programs
• Excellent water, trash and sewer services at some of the lowest rates in the area
• Well-maintained roads, parks, landscaping, and other infrastructure
• Compatible business development
• City-wide residential design review and code enforcement
• Unique collaboration and cooperation between the city and school district

We also have honest leaders, thousands of community volunteers, and much more that enhances our quality of life. We have a great community that I wouldn’t trade with any of our neighbors.

As we experience this year’s election season, let’s not allow single issues, special interests, or political rhetoric to diminish how we view our community as a whole.

During my three terms on the City Council (and four terms as Mayor), I have worked hard and effectively for my hometown. Can we continue improve as a community here and there? Absolutely. But, we are entering a period of uncertainty with a new city manager, the demise of redevelopment, a still-struggling economy, state mandates and takeaways, our own budget challenges, and a multitude of future unknown problems. Now is not the time for on-the-job leadership training, simplistic answers, re-inventing our community, or taking our success for granted. Now is the time for experienced leadership, proven ability, and common sense to continue that success.

You have two votes in this City Council election. I would be honored to receive one of those votes.

Posted Jan. 23, 2012:

Gary attended Santa Anita Elementary School, Dana Junior High School, and Arcadia High School (Class of 1969). He played baseball at Arcadia National Little League, was a delivery boy for Barron’s Pharmacy in West Arcadia, and spent five summers as a day camp counselor for the Arcadia Recreation Department at Wilderness Park.

From 1996 to 2006, Gary was a member of the Arcadia City Council, serving three full terms as Mayor (1998-99, 2000-01, and 2004-05) and also serving as one of the Centennial Mayors in 2003. In April 2008 Gary was elected to the City Council after taking a two-year term limit “time out.” He is currently serving as Mayor.

Prior to serving on the City Council, Gary was a two-term member of the Arcadia Planning Commission and chaired the Santa Anita Village Architectural Review Board for seven years.

When he joined the City Council in 1996, Arcadia faced substantial budget deficits. As Mayor and City Council Member, Gary helped change how Arcadia does business. Since then, the city’s accomplishments are remarkable including:

· Fiscally conservative budgets and adequate reserves
· Contracts with the city’s bargaining units that include real pension reform
· First-class police, fire, and paramedic services
· Expert response and sufficient emergency reserves to handle the recent wind damage
· Exceptional senior and youth facilities and programs
· Compatible development
· Superior water, sewers, roads, parks, landscaping, and other infrastructure
· Increased code enforcement
· Enhanced city and school district cooperation
· Twice named Business Week’s “Best Place to Raise Your Kids” in California

The city also built a new police station, fire station headquarters, historical museum, and skate board park, and modernized the public library. Gary also played a leading role in creating the annual Mayor’s Bike Ride and Law Day events, beautifying the Peacock Fountain at Arcadia County Park, placing a Community Tile Tapestry on the library’s exterior wall, holding town forums, establishing city-wide residential design review, promoting volunteerism, and fostering a strong city council-school board alliance.

In 2003, Gary edited and published “Visions of Arcadia: A Centennial Anthology,” a collection of 130 essays and over 90 historic photographs about life in Arcadia. The 363-page hardcover book was unveiled on August 5, 2003, the city’s 100th birthday.

Gary’s other community activities have included service on Methodist Hospital’s Bio-ethics Committee, Congressman David Dreier’s Military Academy Nominations Panel, and the boards of the Arcadia Educational Foundation, Foothill Unity Center, and Arcadia Historical Society. Since 1995, Gary has been a volunteer coach of Arcadia High School’s award-winning Constitution Team. In 2010, the team won the national championship in Washington, D.C. He is also an active member of Arcadia’s Church of the Good Shepherd.

Gary’s past awards include being named Arcadia’s 2006 Citizen of the Year, the Lucky Baldwin District (Boys Scouts of America) Distinguished Citizen Award, the Chinese American Education Association Distinguished Service Award, the Arcadia Chinese Association City Service Award, and the AUSD “Golden Apple” Award.

In 2006, Gary chaired citizen campaign committees for Measure A (bond measure for a Gold Line grade separation at Santa Anita Avenue) and Measure I (bond measure to improve Arcadia schools). Both Arcadia bond measures passed with over two-thirds of the vote.

Gary is a partner in the downtown Los Angeles law firm of Sullivan, Workman & Dee, LLP. Since 1976, he has concentrated his law practice in the area of representing property and business owners in eminent domain, land use, and zoning matters.

Gary lives in the Village area of Arcadia with his wife Barb. Barb helps senior citizens with their daily money management issues. Their daughter Kelly teaches Advanced Placement U. S. History to inner-city high school students in San Diego. She was the 2010 California Teacher of the Year and one of four finalists for 2010 National Teacher of the Year. Their son Casey is an attorney in Portland, Oregon.

Gary brings experience, leadership, and common sense to face Arcadia’s upcoming challenges including the budget, state mandates and takeaways, public safety, development, traffic, and future unknown problems. His vision for Arcadia includes:

· Safe, Beautiful Neighborhoods
· Strong Police and Fire Departments
· Sound Fiscal Policy
· Outstanding Schools
· Efficient Government
· Superior Senior and Youth Programs
· Sensible Development
· Rigorous Code Enforcement
· Volunteerism
· Continuing to be hardworking, independent, reasonable, and respectful

Gary’s e-mail address is garykovacic@gmail.com

You can also follow Gary on Twitter at @GaryKovacic

Posted April 7, 2012:

I am honored to announce that I have received an endorsement from the Pasadena Star-News. They have been doing their research on City Council candidates for Arcadia and our neighboring cities, and I’m honored that they chose to endorse me for a seat on the Council. They, like many of my supporters, can see that I have a solid track record of community service. They support my stance on spending money more conservatively and putting money aside for rainy days. But most importantly of all, they recognize my passion for Arcadia.

Sho Tay

Your neighbor,
Sho Tay

Posted March 18, 2012:

This resolution cost us approximately $500,000

Arcadia is a great city. We have had great leadership throughout the years and they have done a good job keeping the city in good shape. I can proudly say that we are doing much better than many of our neighboring cities.

The council has made some great decisions keeping the city together but they’ve also made some foolish choices that I strongly disagree with. As a business owner, i’m a strong proponent of being fiscally conservative and spending money responsibly.

In 2006, Council member Harbicht, Segal, Wuo and Chandler adopted Resolution No. 6539 (below) agreeing to pay the health insurance monthly premium for the SPOUSE of an eligible city retiree for a length of 15 years or until the spouse is eligible for Medicare Coverage, which ever occurs first. In other words, if John Doe works for the city of Arcadia at age 21 and enrolls in the city health plan and retires at age 51, the City of Arcadia will continue to pay the spouse’s health insurance until she’s 65 years of age, at which point Medicare coverage will take effect. This decision costs you and I hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Now i completely understand paying good money for good talent and I agree we should be hiring excellent employees, but this is just ridiculous. My son works for a $12 Billion dollar company, and while they offer an excellent employee health plan, they still make him pay the spouse’s premiums. This, ladies and
gentlemen, is NOT being fiscally responsible.

Posted March 12, 2012:

Preserving and Promoting our Rich Cultural Heritage

Arcadia is diverse. We are 65,000 citizens strong with over 43% of us born in another country. That’s nearly double the state average and makes us number 28 on the list of the top 100 cities in the United States with foreign-born citizens. We are German Americans, English Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, African Americans, and more. We speak different languages. We participate in different customs. We enjoy different foods. Some of us like to hang our clothes on a line and some of us like to use a dryer. Some of us fear the number 4 and some of us fear the number 13. The point is, though we have all come from very different places, though we seemingly have little in common, we’ve all chosen Arcadia to be our home. We are Arcadian-Americans.

Our diversity is what makes us unique and if elected to the city council, I plan to celebrate it. I’ll do this by creating an annual city wide cultural festival highlighting the richness contained in our populace.
We will learn about each other’s art, cuisine, language, and traditions. By creating this opportunity to connect to one another we will, no doubt, build awareness, sensitivity, and appreciation for our neighbors and foster a greater sense of community within the borders of Arcadia.

A united city is a thriving city.
We live in an incredible place, fellow Arcadians, and it is my wish as your City Councilman, to insure that it continues to grow stronger for all of us who call it home now and for those who have yet to come. Together united in spirit, love, and passion, let us re-imagine our city and ensure that its future continues to burn bright.

Posted March 5, 2012:

Balancing budget and increasing revenues

From my perspective, these two issues are closely related. Balancing our budgets really depends on increasing our revenues. As it stands today, we simply don’t posses adequate reserves to cover our basic needs so we must find the funds to do so.

As evidenced by the recent windstorm and the millions of dollars it cost our city, we cannot afford to continue cutting basic services like city upkeep, in this case tree-trimming. Cutting services costs us money on the backend when disaster strikes and on the frontend as our home values decrease. Therefore, it is imperative that we find creative solutions for paying our necessary bills.

If elected to city council, I will make it a priority to create a more business friendly environment which, through Sales tax, will provide a more dependable revenue stream for things like city services.

Now, in order to be the community that we are, it is helpful to have sensible regulations in place. These help us to facilitate development that reflects our history, values, and identity. However, too many restrictions discourage local businesses from associating with our city even if they intend to target Arcadians as their primary customers. There are many examples of businesses springing up on our borders, profiting from our citizens, all the while paying city sales taxes to our neighbors.

Posted Feb. 29, 2012:

I am pleased to present this letter I received a few days ago, which I think speaks for itself:

Posted Feb. 18, 2012:

We, as a city council, must ensure that our young people feel safe, secure, and supported within their school environments. The Arcadia Unified School District is an asset to our community, ranked as one of the best districts in the area, and it is vitally important that we do what we can to make certain that its reputation remains intact.
After all, our teachers and administrators continue to do their job, providing consistent exemplary service within the walls of the schools. It is our job, then, as a community to make sure that the streets and surrounding areas don’t undermine the good work our educators are doing.

As a parent, I was deeply affected in early 2011 when a young Arcadia High School student was struck by a car and killed just a few blocks from the school. It was an accident that took place on a Sunday, the lightest traffic day of the week, at a mid-block crosswalk which are typically discouraged by traffic safety engineers because of their inherent dangers.

A few months earlier, in the very same area, again a few blocks from Arcadia High and Holly Avenue Elementary, a man was killed in a similar accident, this one a hit-and-run. In an area where, five days every week, young people of all ages come to learn, they are required to share the streets with thousands of cars headed to nearby hospitals, malls, entertainment venues, and restaurants.
The streets surrounding our local schools are not tailored to meet the needs of our young people and, though several Arcadia High School students have implored the city council to make changes. They have not yet and it has cost us dearly.

As far as I’m concerned, as a parent and as a community member, one life lost is one too many and an immediate change to area traffic is in order. If elected, I would meet with city officials on day one and develop a plan of action. Crosswalks need to be made clearer and safer, traffic signals must be tested and approved, and streets need to be widened to accommodate safer student drop-off zones.

Above all else, the needs of our young people need to be met. We all have a vested interest in our school system and the students that attend. Whether you’re a parent, a businessperson, or a simply a homeowner, a strong school system and the safety of its students has a direct impact on your life.

Posted Feb. 18, 2012:

Most of our seniors, certainly those with medical issues, rely on our local transit system to get them to and from their doctor’s offices, their family’s homes, shopping centers, business appointments, and social activities. There are many wonderful things about this system already in place.
It is low cost, it is curb-to-curb, and it’s open to everyone.
With that said, there is room for improvement.
Though this system is adequate for the majority, it struggles to meet the concerns of those most challenged. The vans have a 30-minute window of possible arrival time and yet only wait 90-seconds for the rider. This current system often puts the riders in a hurry-up-and-wait and then hurry-up-again situation creating stress, frustration, and potential safety hazards. 90-seconds…I can’t even gather my keys and get my wife out the door for dinner in 90-seconds. I’m not sure why we would expect our seniors to do the same.
Also, the current service is not available on all major holidays preventing some of our seniors from participating in the same joyous events we all count on annually.

If elected, I will dedicate additional revenue to outfit the service with more vans so that schedules are better adhered to and the 90-second wait time at pick-up points can be increased. Also, I’ll open up the schedule to provide transit opportunities every day of the year so that our seniors can get to their community and family events enriching the lives of those they love.

Posted Jan. 23, 2012:

SHO TAY

Occupation: Retired Businessman

My wife and I have lived in Arcadia for almost 30 years. We raised both of our children here and it’s where we call home. As any homeowner would strive to improve their home, I feel the same about Arcadia.

I’ve served on several organizations such as the Arcadia Historical Museum Foundation, Arcadia Chinese Association President, Arcadia Masonic Lodge Master, Boy Scouts Lucky Baldwin District Chair, Chamber of Commerce Director, Arcadia Historical Society and Arboretum Director. I now wish to serve the people of Arcadia and improve our city on a larger scale.

As a successful and retired entrepreneur and businessman, I carry the skills and knowledge to serve as an Arcadia City Councilman. My dedication and track record of service to Arcadia earned me the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award for 2011-12.

I am committed to:
• Improving the quality of life for our residents.
• Improve transportation for our elderly and physically challenged residents.
• Improve traffic around schools.
• Advocate a balanced budget by promoting sensible growth and preserving our longstanding businesses.

I pledge to be your voice and together we’ll carry Arcadia into a brighter future. You can always reach me at 626-447-2935.