Wide-Open Battle Looms in Races for South Gate Council Seats

Races for three City Council seats appeared to be headed for a wide-open battle among six candidates and the incumbent mayor last week because two incumbents decided not to seek reelection.

Councilmen William H. DeWitt and Odell L. Snavely decided not to run. Mayor Herbert W. Cranton is running for a third term on the council.

Snavely, 71, has been on the five-member council for 11 years. Snavely said he decided four years ago that he would not run for reelection. He said his decision not to run was not connected to the fact that he was placed on two years’ probation and fined $500 last month after pleading no contest to charges of contributing to the delinquency of two teen-age girls. DeWitt, 48, has been on the council since 1980. He said he chose not to run because he wants to devote more time to his family and his business, General Veneer Manufacturing Co.

In addition to Cranton, Mary Ann Buckles, Jerry M. Garcia, Henry C. Gonzalez, Larry R. Leonard, Johnny Ramirez and John F. Sheehy have filed for seats.

Two of the candidates, former Councilmen Sheehy and Gonzalez, charged that Councilman Robert A. Philipp is trying to stack the City Council by backing three candidates.

Philipp, who is not up for reelection, said he is supporting Ramirez, Leonard and Buckles because he believes they are qualified and will bring their own unique expertise to the council.

Philipp said Ramirez and Buckles “gained insight into how government works” as members of the Planning Commission. Leonard is experienced in government matters, having served as finance director for South Gate from 1972 to 1979, Philipp said.

Philipp said he is not supporting Cranton because he does not believe Cranton has done a good job.

Cranton said he did not know why Philipp was not supporting him. But he and Philipp have recently disagreed over the development of a one-stop auto supermarket.

Cranton, DeWitt and Snavely in December approved an agreement to develop the auto mart on 7.14-acres of vacant city land near an adjoining mobile home park. Philipp and Councilman Gregory Slaughter voted against the venture and supported a group of residents of a adjoining mobile home park who protested that the auto mart would create too much noise and traffic.

Cranton said because Philipp was supporting other candidates, he intends to support Sheehy and Gonzalez.

“I’ve worked well with them in the past. I can work with them again,” Cranton said.

Sheehy and Gonzalez were defeated by Philipp and Councilwoman Dorothea Lombardo in April, 1988. Lombardo died in November, 1988. Slaughter won the seat in a special election in March, 1989.

Sheehy and Gonzalez have accused Philipp of supporting “inexperienced” candidates to win and tip the balance of power on the five-member council in his favor.

Gonzalez said he had not planned to run but when he discovered Philipp “had selected these three people,” he changed his mind.

“You can’t put people in office who aren’t experienced,” Sheehy said.

Philipp denied that he is trying to stack the council with supporters. He and Slaughter do not always vote the same way, he said.

“I don’t think we’ll have a 5-0 vote if these people are elected,” Philipp said.

Slaughter said he, too, is supporting Ramirez, Leonard and Buckles.

All three candidates said they are running independent campaigns.

Ramirez, 31, is an operations manager for Western Federal Savings & Loan in Marina del Rey. He was appointed to the Planning Commission by Slaughter.

Buckles, 50, is a department manager for Bohemian Distributing Co. in North Hollywood. She was appointed to the Planning Commission by Philipp.

Leonard, 47, was director of finance and assistant city administrator for South Gate from 1972 to 1979. He owned a Midas Muffler franchise in Downey until he sold it last year.

Cranton, 66, said he is running for reelection because he wants to complete a number of tasks, including increasing the number of officers on the 91-officer Police Department and the completion of a business and industrial park at the site of the former General Motors assembly plant.

Cranton said that during his eight years on the council it was successful in providing more than $5 million for improvements, including new sewers and a face lift for the city’s main business district along Tweedy Boulevard.

Garcia, 41, a senior manufacturing budget controller for Northrop Aircraft in Hawthorne, has also decided to run.

Garcia was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the April, 1989, special election to replace Lombardo.