Santa Clarita Campaigners Keep Gloves on for Round 1

The campaign in the first City Council election since Santa Clarita’s incorporation got off to a very polite and somewhat sedate start at a candidates’ forum that produced few fireworks Thursday night.

Although a few of the seven challengers took mild jabs at the three incumbents, most candidates chose to stress their own qualifications rather than attack their opponents.

About 100 people gathered at Arroyo Seco Junior High School for the forum sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Assn. of Realtors. The election will be held April 10.

A common theme was controlled growth. Growth should be allowed, most candidates agreed, only if there are enough roads, schools, parks and other public services to support additional development.

Mayor Jo Anne Darcy, who said traffic was her top campaign issue, said public services must accompany, and not follow, development.

Challenger Wayne Carter was more blunt. “We’ve got to stop it now, not later,” he said of growth. When asked by a moderator how they would provide more housing in the community, Jill Klajic and Kenneth Dean said the city needs no more housing.

“I would put a stop to all housing at this time,” Dean said.

Darcy and her fellow incumbents, Carl Boyer III and Dennis Koontz, said they oppose plans by the city and county of Los Angeles to operate a dump in Elsmere Canyon just east of Santa Clarita.

After a year of remaining neutral on the issue, the council last month voted to fight the proposed dump. Council members have said they delayed taking an official position on the advice of the city attorney, who said premature action by the council could hurt Santa Clarita’s chances of challenging the dump in court.

Klajic, Dean and Herb Wolfe said the council waited too long to oppose the dump.

“Only now are they taking a stand because of this election,” Klajic said.

“Our City Council made a real bad goof,” said Wolfe, referring to Elsmere Canyon.

It was the only political statement Wolfe made in his two-minute presentation. He spent most of his time telling the audience an opening joke and was cut off by a timekeeper just as he brought up Elsmere Canyon.

Linda Calvert said Santa Clarita incorporated in 1987 to avoid poor planning by Los Angeles County but charged that conditions had not improved with cityhood. The city, she said, makes the same mistakes the county did.

Darcy, Koontz and Boyer said the City Council has approved road improvements that have eased traffic congestion--a major complaint in the city--and has spearheaded road-building projects that will be completed in a few years.

Boyer stressed integrity in his brief statement. “I was elected to this job on a $1,000 campaign. I owe absolutely no one except the voters,” he said.