Covina : Council Candidates Seminar

The group that led the campaign to unseat all five Covina City Council members in July has organized educational seminars for the candidates who hope to replace them.

Stop the Utility Tax Committee will have seminars showing candidates what the group considers to be the duties of a council member.

The seminars, open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. Monday and Sept. 27. The first took place on Monday and was attended by 17 council candidates and about 50 citizens.

Stop the Utility Tax group members feel responsible for creating a void in local government and now want to assist the public in choosing qualified candidates to replace the recalled council, said member Earl Purkhiser. A new council will be chosen in the Nov. 2 election.

The city faces a $1.2-million budget shortfall next year without the utility tax.

The next two seminars will focus on subjects such as police and fire protection, city finances, and council communications and relationships with the media and governmental agencies.

Diamond Bar Councilman Dexter MacBride will lead the seminars. Purkhiser said MacBride conducted similar seminars in Diamond Bar four years ago, when the city incorporated.

The Stop the Utility Tax Committee has not endorsed any council candidates, but will by the end of the month, group leaders said.