It’s been nearly five months since San Fernando Valley residents in District 6 have had an elected official represent them on the Los Angeles City Council due to the resignation of former Council President Nury Martinez last October.
Vote-by-mail ballots have started going out this week to residents in Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hills, North Hollywood, Panorama City, Sun Valley and Van Nuys for the April 4 special election to choose a new council representative.
Seven names are on the ballot in the following order: Isaac Kim, Imelda Padilla, Rose Grigoryan, Marisa Alcaraz, Antoinette Scully, Douglas Sierra and Marco Santana.
If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in April, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election on June 27. The winner will finish out what was Martinez’ term, ending in December 2024.
Below are the candidates’ views on a few pressing issues based on statements they made to the Los Angeles Daily News, on their websites, or at a candidate forum hosted by the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC).
Housing and homelessness
Every candidate identified homelessness or the region’s housing affordability crisis as a priority issue and said more mental health and substance abuse treatment services are needed.
Marco Santana, director of engagement for LA Family Housing, a nonprofit that provides housing and services to the homeless, wants more coordination between councilmembers. “L.A. city leaders must work together; having 15 different councilmembers with 15 different plans which stop at the council borders have made our homelessness crisis worse,” he said.
While permanent housing is being built, Santana said the city must quickly build temporary shelters. He proposed interim “safe parking” sites and overnight parking for RVs. He supports bringing to District 6 a pilot program in Council District 7 in which people living in RVs are housed if they give up their vehicles.
Douglas Sierra wants to…
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