7 San Fernando Candidates Vow to Join Group’s Fight on Graffiti, Liquor Licenses

San Fernando City Council candidates on Wednesday night pledged to support a church-based organization’s efforts to combat graffiti, improve schools and limit the number of liquor licenses issued in the city.

About 200 people attended the candidates’ forum sponsored by Valley Organized in Community Efforts at Santa Rosa Catholic Church.

Seven candidates are on the April 10 ballot for three seats on the five-member City Council, which governs the 2.4-square-mile city of 20,000.

They are Mayor Daniel Acuna, 49, a Sepulveda real estate agent; Councilman Doude Wysbeek, 52, a machine-shop owner; city planning commissioners Mary Jane Tuomy, 68, and Jose Hernandez, 59, an urban studies professor at Cal State Northridge; community activists Gabe Rodriguez, 66, a retired manufacturing plant supervisor, and Linda Jauron, 41, a businesswoman; and Robert Villafino, 45, a social worker and member of the city Parks Commission.

Elections in the small city, where council candidates rely heavily on old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning, often are decided by a few hundred votes. The city has about 6,000 registered voters.

All seven candidates vowed to support VOICE’s efforts.

“We have too many liquor stores in San Fernando,” said Hernandez, urging VOICE members to get involved in protests against authorization of new liquor sales licenses. “There is a close correlation between the number of liquor stores and problems with youth.”

Several of the candidates said they advocate breaking up the Los Angeles Unified School District into smaller districts. Although VOICE has taken no stand on the issue, some of its members have been calling for creation of a smaller district, which they say would reduce the student dropout rate.

VOICE leaders said they want the City Council to push passage of a bill by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Panorama City), now before the Legislature, which would tax spray paint cans and use the income to fight graffiti.

Members of the group asked for more city money to fight graffiti, which they said is an essential first step to reducing gang activity.

VOICE representatives also questioned the candidates about redevelopment in the city, where they said existing businesses are standing vacant while buildings are being built elsewhere.

“We’re concerned about the large number of empty businesses,” said VOICE spokeswoman Sister Carmel Somers, who organized the forum. “We also want some protections for the residential areas.”

VOICE was inaugurated in 1988 by about 1,200 church and synagogue members who vowed to improve the quality of life in the San Fernando Valley. The group’s initial goals were to stop drug dealing outside homes and liquor sales to minors. In the last year, members have focused on developing programs to fight gang problems and have become involved in transportation issues.