ELECTIONS : 12 Candidates Vie for 3 Open Seats on Hermosa Council

No one can say Hermosa Beach voters have no choice.

Thirteen names will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot for three seats on the five-member Hermosa Beach City Council, with 12 of them actively seeking office (Michael D’Amico withdrew from the race too late to have his name removed from the ballot).

Still in the running are incumbent Mayor Albert Wiemans, John Bowler, Christian Burke, Roger Carlson, Joseph DiMonda, Gene Dreher, Jeanette Jones, Thomas Loversky, Peter Mangurian, Julie Oakes, Phil Pennington and J.R. Reviczky.

Council members Kathleen Midstokke and Robert Essertier decided not to seek additional terms.

Midstokke, a nine-year council veteran, said: “In the last couple of years, I seem to have been the odd man out on a lot of issues, and I began to feel maybe I was not representing the majority sentiment of the citizens anymore.”

Essertier was among three council members targeted last year in an unsuccessful recall bid. “I resent a lot of the personal assaults I have gotten from the public,” he said.

Councilmen Robert (Bergie) Benz and Sam Edgerton are not up for reelection until 1995. But critics last week notified city authorities that they intend to launch a second recall effort.

The upcoming election comes as the financially strapped city stands on the verge of sweeping changes that include the possible renovation of its municipal pier and the revitalization of its downtown area. While city leaders hope such improvements will draw revenue-producing businesses to town, they are struggling to stretch shrinking funds to maintain basic municipal services.

Most of the 12 candidates consider improving the city’s business climate a top priority. The decision voters face, they say, is who is best qualified to lead the city toward that goal.

The candidates differ widely in their approach toward their campaigns.

Burke, Dreher, Pennington and Wiemans all filed non-itemized campaign disclosure forms, indicating that they did not expect to raise or spend more than $1,000. Wiemans said he returned $1,400 in contributions because, “I don’t want to be beholden to anybody.”

Several of the candidates have loaned themselves large sums to pay for their campaigns, but DiMonda has garnered the highest amount of outside cash contributions so far.

DiMonda’s campaign disclosure forms show he received $699, including $200 from family and friends in New York and North Carolina, as of Sept. 18. Reviczky came in second with $555 in outside cash contributions, followed by Bowler, who reported having received $374. Carlson reported $150 in outside contributions, $100 of which came from his parents, who live in Connecticut.

As of Sept. 18, the biggest spender in the race was Bowler, who reported $2,963 in campaign expenditures. Loversky spent $2,079, while Reviczky spent $969. DiMonda reported $499 in expenditures, while Carlson reported $491. Oakes spent $318.

Late filers included Burke, Wiemans and Jones, who asked city officials to waive any penalties because she had a death in her family, and because her car, which contained all her paperwork, was stolen. She reported no contributions and no expenditures as of Sept. 18.

Also appearing on the Hermosa Beach ballot is an advisory measure asking voters whether they support increasing height limits in multi-unit residential and professional zones to 35 feet from 30 feet.

The council’s vote to reduce the height limit last year generated a storm of controversy from property owners who said the new restrictions would depreciate the value of their land. The council then agreed to put the matter before voters. Even if Hermosa Beach residents vote in favor of raising the height limit, the council will not be required to reverse its earlier decision.