BUENA PARK : McCune, Chessen Reelected to Council

Incumbents Rhonda J. McCune and Donna L. Chessen were reelected to the City Council, along with first-time candidate Arthur Brown.

The two incumbents and six challengers vied for three seats in what was a relatively quiet campaign. Councilman Kenneth B. Jones did not seek reelection.

“I feel gratified that people think I did a good job and came back and supported me,” said McCune, a commercial appraiser who has been on the council since 1985.

McCune was the top vote-getter, followed by Chessen, who was instrumental in bringing a professional golfing tour to the city and serves on several county boards.

Brown’s victory came as a surprise to some. He bested five challengers, including two members of the Planning Commission.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Brown, a retired deputy sheriff. “I thought it was going to be a struggle for name recognition.”

On the losing side were Robert Roefs, Max Schulman, Alfred Whitmore, a former planning commissioner, and current commissioners Jerry Sigler and Larry Wieck.

Both Brown and McCune had been endorsed by the police and firefighter’s unions. Besides donating money to their campaigns, the unions actively campaigned for the candidates.

The new council will be sworn in next month.