Challengers Assail Antonovich Over Growth, Traffic Problems

Seven challengers to Supervisor Mike Antonovich blamed the incumbent for most growth and traffic problems in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys at a candidates’ forum Wednesday night.

Besides those running against Antonovich, only 15 people attended the candidates’ forum at Arroyo Seco Junior High School in Santa Clarita, but the low turnout did not deter the speakers from lashing out at Antonovich, who did not attend. The supervisor attended a public hearing in Agoura instead.

Baxter Ward, unseated by Antonovich as the district’s supervisor in 1980, said one of his first actions if reelected would be to “make an inventory of all the damages that have been done” by the supervisor.

Except for Ward, who announced his candidacy independently, those speaking Wednesday were members of the Coalition for Planned Growth and Responsive Government, a grass-roots group of homeowner activists who say Antonovich has catered to developers and has been unresponsive to community groups.

The coalition hopes that its slate of eight candidates, plus Ward, will split the June 7 primary vote and force the well-financed Antonovich into a November runoff. The two-term supervisor needs at least 50% of the vote to avoid a fall contest.

The candidates urged voters to support any of the candidates running for supervisor except Antonovich.

“I hope you’ll chose one of us to vote for,” said Glenn Bailey, a Cal State Northridge administrator. Don Wallace, a Los Angeles Fire Department captain, urged the public to “vote for me” but quickly added that any candidate would be better than Antonovich.

In addition to attacking Antonovich’s record, the candidates bemoaned the supervisor’s repeated absences from candidates’ forums.