Neighborhood Election Results
The results from the April 29th “Region G” Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Elections are now official. Just as I predicted, Chris Smith sailed into victory as President of Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council! (He ran unopposed.)
Sadly, despite last-minute efforts to get out the vote, and lines out the door at Historic Highland Park’s polling place; turn-out was worse than last election with only 354 voters. Twenty fewer voters showed up to HHPNC’s election than the previous one, 2 1/2 years ago. Which is not as bad as the abysmal turn-out of some of the other neighborhood council elections held the same day. 90042′s other Neighborhood Council, the Arroyo Seco NC had only 75 voters. Here are some of the other Northeast LA neighborhood council voter turn-outs: Eagle Rock (101), Cypress Park (51), Elysian Valley “Frogtown” (50), Glassell Park (112), LA-32 El Sereno (43) (There were more people in line for Kogi BBQ at their farmer’s market!)
A couple of surprising numbers from the “Region G” voter turn-out was Lincoln Heights’ besting the rest of NELA with an impressive 435 voters turning out for their election, and the confusingly named Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council (read: Chinatown) with their turn out of 1190 voters! Their council district is one of the smallest in the region, yet has a comparatively huge turn out. Now that’s participation! Let’s do whatever they’re doing.
Here is the break-down for the Historic Highland Park, and Arroyo Seco NC Election, as published by Eastern Group Publications:
Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council
President: Chris M. Smith
First Vice President: Lisa E. Brewer
Second Vice President: Richard F. Marquez
Secretary: (N/A)
Treasurer: Mark H. Reback
Issue Chair Directors: Teresa A. Bonsell, David Kekone, Mauro Garcia, David L. Baird, Stanley W. Moore, Richard F. Marquez, Steve Crouch, and Kristy L. Baltezone.
At-Large Directors: Lisa E. Brewer, Trisha Gossette, Janet Dodson, Mark H. Reback, David L. Baird, Mauro Garcia, Ofelia Zuniga, and Stanley W. Moore.
Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council
Retail, Wholesale, and Services At-Large Representative: Meredith C. McKenzie
Faith-based Organizations At-Large Representative: Glenda Lubelsky
Environment At-Large Representative: Jerry P. Schneider
Education and Youth At-Large Representative: Joseph Riser
Recreation, Culture, and the Arts At-Large Representative: Martha F. Benedict
Healthcare and Seniors At-Large Representative: (N/A)
Community Non-profits At-Large Representative: Mark S. Legassie
Hermon Representatives: Ken Kallman and Clifford R. Moseley
Montecito Heights Representatives: Anthony Guida and Tom Marble
Monterey Hills Representatives: Judy L. Knapton (and one vacant seat)
Mount Washington Representatives: Ann W. Walnum and Paul M. Sirola (plus two vacant seats)
Sycamore Grove Representatives: (N/A)
With the exception of Lincoln Heights and Chinatown, the neighborhood councils throughout the region are suffering from a lack of participation and many offices are going vacant. Coro Fellow, Sean Holiday has produced a comprehensive Community Study that investigates the Historic Highland Park neighborhood council, and makes recommendations for improvement with regards to its recent lack of cohesion, effectiveness, and lacking stake-holder participation. See the PDF of his presentation from the Vote Highland Park website.
Congratulations and thanks to all the winners and participants. Your service and dedication are needed and much appreciated. Viva Democracy!
Thank You for the update, it is appreciated.
There has been a challenge to the HHPNC election, if I get any information about it, I will post.
Wait, next time… why NOT get some food trucks posted on Piedmont? Surely residents should feel compelled anyway, but maybe more can be done to generate enthusiasm.
The turnout should be greater. The crappy turnouts in the other neighborhoods is amazing.
I want to congratulate my mother, Teresa Bonsell, for winning the position she really wanted! She does a lot for the community and she’ll continue to do so!
I think it’s important to note that this year’s elections were apples and oranges compared to others. For the first time, the City wouldn’t pay for vote-by-mail ballots, which in some cases in past years were the majority of votes cast. They wouldn’t even allow individual councils to pay for that themselves if they had the money (saying that it would be “unfair” to other councils that had already spent their funds in other ways). They also outlawed attempts at vote by Internet and by phone, both studied by some councils through a third-party vendor with secure technologies.
Also forbidden by the City was any sort of giveaway or concurrent council events at the one polling place in each council area – events that would have probably increased turnout – possibly out of concern that the City officials wouldn’t be able to police candidate electioneering if there was something “festive” taking place next door, etc.
But with all due respect to Historic Cultural, which has had much better turnout than the average in all its elections, it’s not really correct to say this council (including Chinatown, Olvera Street, Little Tokyo, and several distinct residential areas) is the “smallest.” Although it has less “residents” than all but two of the others that held elections the same day, its actual stakeholder base is at least 3-4 times larger (and much more densely concentrated) than that raw number, in part because the City definition of stakeholder includes workers, landlords, shopkeepers, club members, and churchgoers, etc. regardless of where those people actually live.
Historic Cultural includes light industrial areas (with residential lofts), heavy commercial and retail zones, hotels, and so on. And, for many thousands of the potential voters in that neighborhood council, the polling place was just a few blocks walk from their business — not miles away by car or bus.
There’s often more to the story than just raw numbers. Each of these neighborhood councils are very different, and have unique histories and demographic makeups, so that comparing them side-by-side is very unreliable. Typically the council that’s ungoing the most strife and adversity (often over one issue, or even just a personality conflict) among its current elected board is the one that has better turnout, that year.
In recent past years, it’s important to remember, two of the three neighborhood councils getting the largest number of votes in this region were under intense scrutiny by the City department overseeing them, and were at least considered candidates to be decertified for their inability to operate.
whoo-hoo! half of the at-large directors are my neighbors — in addition to being overall awesome people. we are in good hands.
Seems that the asshole in chief Dr.Richard Dyke, the ousted Prez, is the one who has made a challenge to this election.
What a total jerk, and total scumbag.
This is the same guy who caused the council’s funds rescinded by the city, due to his stealing money from the council to buy people dinner.
More attempts to defame the canidates you voted for from Dr. Dyke. Now he’s after CORO for asking stakeholders what their priorities are for the NC as part of voter outreach.
HEY DR. DYKE, part of voter outreach is asking stakeholders what would make them come out and vote! Empowering them to vote by letting them know that the neighborhood council is there to represent their needs, not the egos of a few angry old farts!
BTW: Aren’t you banned from ever serving on the neighborhood council again because of some of the same CLAIMS you are now making against the soon to be officially seated board members? How excatly do you spell hypocrite?
I encourage everyone to openly discuss this and keep fighting for the candidates you voted for. IT’S YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL…CLAIM IT.
angry makes a bad speller o’ me
It wasn’t for Mr. Holliday (CORO-Fellow), voter turnout may have been an all-time low like other neighboring NC elections! The truth in the matter, for every 20 people outreach, we are lucky to get one person come and vote! Highland Park is deserving of us collaborating to improve the quality of life for HP residents.