2 Councilmen Ousted in Irwindale Upsets

Two longtime City Council members were ousted from office Tuesday in an upset the winners said was caused by the desire for “some new blood” in city government.

“The people wanted a change, and that’s what happened,” said winner Salvador Hernandez.

Hernandez and Richard Chico won the two seats by defeating incumbents Arthur Tapia and Jose Sal Castellanos.

Hernandez, the co-owner of Utility Disposal, a garbage hauling company in Irwindale, was the top vote-getter with 158 votes.

He was followed by Chico, the former general manager of Arciero Companies, a construction firm in Anaheim, with 154 votes.

Tapia received 115 votes, Castellanos 85 votes, and write-in candidate Jacquelyn Breceda Quintero finished last with 74 votes.

In a city where incumbents have traditionally won reelection, the defeat of both Tapia and Castellanos was a surprise.

Tapia, a 66-year-old retired barber, was one of the five original council members when the city was incorporated in 1957. He served three different stints on the council, resigning once because of a recall threat. His latest stretch began in 1976, when he finished just six votes ahead of Chico.

Castellanos, 53, an English and social studies teacher at Rincon Intermediate School in West Covina, has served on the council for eight years.

Tapia and Castellanos have been allies on the council, frequently voting together on issues.

Chico, 47, said the defeat of the incumbents was a clear sign that the 1,040 residents of this tightly knit industrial community wanted a fresh approach to city government.

“People want to see something new. Except for the Raiders, there hasn’t been anything new in the city for years,” he said. “Things have been moving along well, but they have been moving along on their own steam.”

Chico and Hernandez said the Raiders’ proposed move to Irwindale may also have led many voters to reject Tapia and Castellanos in favor of the challengers, who have more business experience.

The two said their business expertise will be critical in the city’s negotiations with the Raiders to build a stadium in a gravel pit.

Chico, who served on the council from 1968 to 1976, has been working as a private computer consultant since leaving Arciero in February.

Hernandez, who had made two previous attempts to win a council seat, has been co-owner of Utility Disposal for 10 years.

“I’ve been in business for a number of years, and of course the city is a business too,” Hernandez said. “The city needs someone with some knowledge of contracts, bonds and everything else right up the line.”

Hernandez added that the results showed residents’ dissatisfaction with the loose voting bloc formed by Tapia, Castellanos and Councilman Joe Breceda, who was not up for reelection.

He said Tapia and Castellanos had frequently followed Breceda’s lead, fostering the perception that the city is run by a few powerful families.

Breceda is the uncle of losing candidate Quintero and Irwindale police Officer Richard Breceda Jr., and the brother of former Councilman Richard Breceda and police Sgt. Raul Breceda.

Members of Tapia’s and Castellanos’ families said neither candidate would comment on the election.