Activists Say Latinos Slighted on Panels : Representation: City Council’s appointments don’t reflect Anaheim’s ethnic makeup, they claim. Officials cite progress.

Activists criticized the City Council this week for failing to appoint representative numbers of Latinos to its citizen committees.

On five major appointed groups, including the influential Planning and Redevelopment commissions, eight of the 55 total seats are occupied by Latinos, activists complained at a Tuesday night council meeting. About 32% of Anaheim is Latino, according to the 1990 census.

“The representations on the city of Anaheim’s commissions have never represented the Chicano/ Mexicano community,” said Seferino Garcia, executive director of an Anaheim-based Latino organization called Solevar Community Development Corp. “Can it afford to continue to underrepresent its low- and moderate-income population? Can it continue to disenfranchise its constituents?”

But city officials, including newly elected Councilman Lou Lopez, took issue with the attacks, saying more Latinos are participating in Anaheim government than ever.

“I’ve gone over the numbers and I’m satisfied progress is being made,” said Lopez, who is the first Latino ever elected to the council.

Added Mayor Tom Daly: “It’s been pointed out that there are one or two Hispanics on some commissions. However, it was only four or five years ago that there was zero.”

Although Solevar activists have been pressing the council for years to increase Latino appointments, the recent formation of an advisory board to the Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Council brought the issue to a head. Originally, city officials wanted an 11-member board. But when the Solevar members complained that the board included too few Latinos, four more seats were added.

The activists fear low representation of Latinos on committees will result in the interests of business succeeding over those of Latino residents. At stake potentially are millions of dollars in federal block grants targeted for improving low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

Solevar said Latinos on major city committees include one of seven planning commissioners, one of 15 redevelopment commissioners, one of seven parks and recreation commissioners, three of 15 on the Community Service Board and two of 11 on the Anti-Gang and Drug Task Force.

However, city officials pointed out that eight of 25 members of its neighborhood councils are Latino. Neighborhood councils help advise the council on block grant money and other residential concerns.