Gardena Candidates

Gardena voters will go to the polls April 14 to choose a mayor from between two candidates; two city council

members (three candidates); a city clerk (unopposed), and a city treasurer (two candidates). The mayor’s seat is for a

two-year term. The others in the at-large election carry

f our-year terms.

Mayor *

Donald L. Dear

Age: 52

Occupation: incumbent mayor; junior high school teacher

Key issues: has worked for creation of a first-time home buyers program; renaming of the 91 Freeway to Gardena Freeway; expansion of police and paramedic services.

* Mayoral candidate Edmund K. Enos declined to be photographed.

City Treasurer

Jonathan Kaji

Age: 36

Occupation: real estate consultant

Key issues: wants to reduce the budget of the city treasurer’s office; establish an investment committee to manage city investments; review the qualifications of existing staff.

Lorenzo Ybarra

Age: 50

Occupation: incumbent treasurer; accountant

Key issues: make sure no city money is tied up in junk bonds or speculative investments; continue to improve the city’s investment criteria and policies; continue to improve office procedures regarding cash receipts and disbursements.

City Clerk

May Y. Doi

Age: 65

Occupation: incumbent city clerk; former teacher

Key issues: reorganization and development of historical files and archives; recodifying and publishing of Municipal Code.

City Council

Paul Y. Tsukahara

Age: 65

Occupation: incumbent council member; dentist

Key issues: continue economic growth and revenue generating programs; would explore the idea of a city-sponsored private school as an alternative to LAUSD; helped shape the city’s first-time home buyer program.

James W. Cragin

Age: 67

Occupation: incumbent council member; judge on county assessment appeals board

Key issues: stimulating new jobs and business development; helped in creating a first-time home buyers program.

Steven Bradford

Age: 32

Occupation: recycling director for Los Angeles Conservation Corp.

Key issues: creating a city-sponsored summer Youth Job Corp. that would hire Gardena youths to remove graffiti; halt construction of high-density condominiums and apartments to preserve single-family neighborhoods.