Residents in 12 Cities Cast Ballots

From the desert to Catalina Island, voters in 12 Los Angeles County cities went to the polls Tuesday to elect civic leaders faced with a common theme of financial worries.

Voters among the 3,400 islanders in the town of Avalon approved two ballot measures aimed at replacing some $400,000 in state funds the town expects to lose in California’s budget crisis. With all votes counted, voters approved Measure A, which increases the hotel bed tax from 9% to 12%, and Measure B, which redirects business license fees from the island’s Chamber of Commerce to the city.

Avalon voters also returned Mayor Ralph Murrow and council member Tim Winslow to office and elected Robert Kennedy -- over his sister.

In the county’s second-largest city, Long Beach, City Council incumbents Dan Baker and Laura Richardson were reelected; Councilman Dennis Carroll was defeated by challenger Patrick O’Donnell, and Councilman Rob Webb will almost certainly face a runoff because he did not receive a majority of votes.

After election results are certified April 27, a runoff election will be scheduled for June between Webb and second-place finisher, Rae M. Gabelich.

Lawyer Doug Otto beat Realtor Richard Gaylord for an open seat on the Long Beach Community College board, while Felton C. Williams defeated W. Mack Tyson in the race for a seat on the Long Beach Unified School District board.

In Arcadia, Mark Segal and Roger Chandler were leading Sho Tay and Sheng Chang for two council seats.

In Culver City, Alan Corlin, Carol Gross and Steve Rose won three City Council seats, and voters defeated a measure that would have reduced the utility users’ tax.

In Santa Clarita, incumbents Cameron Smyth and Bob Kellar were leading Henry Schultz for two open City Council seats.

In Walnut’s race for three City Council seats, all three incumbents were reelected.

In the seven-person race for three Malibu City Council seats, incumbents Jess Jennings, Ken Kearsley and Pamela Conley Ulich won. Incumbents in Long Beach’s City Council races were expected to have a tough time returning to office in the face of a $105-million, three-year budget shortfall that had grown under the present council’s stewardship.

Though the influential Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce endorsed all four incumbents, the Long Beach Press Telegram called for their ouster, saying they did not earn reelection in light of the city’s looming financial crisis.

The threat of fiscal disaster has clouded all other pressing issues, among them expansion around Long Beach Airport, part of which falls in Carroll’s council district.

In the city of Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, meanwhile, fighting crime had been the primary theme in local campaigning.

The Antelope Valley saw a record 43 homicides in 2003, as many as half gang-related.

One candidate has been convicted of stalking, and the son of another candidate was charged in two stabbings.

Four-term incumbent Mayor Frank Roberts defeated Gene Gaynor, Tom Delaney (whose campaigning ceased after his son was charged in February with attempted murder) and David “Ab” Abber (who was convicted of felony stalking in 2001).

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Election Results

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Arcadia City Council (2 Elected)

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*--* 82% Precincts Reporting Votes % Mark Segal* 3,701 36 Roger Chandler 3,250 31 Sheng Chang* 2,205 21 Sho Tay 1,181 11

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Avalon Mayor

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Ralph J. Morrow Jr.* 630 69 Dan O’Connor 287 31

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City Council

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(2 Elected)

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Robert Kennedy 355 20 Tim Winslow* 292 16 Michael Ponce 243 14 Carlos Cubillo 223 13 Charles H. Martin 219 12 David E. Creigh 217 12 Sandra Okada 147 8 Marcy L. Kennedy 87 5

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Measures

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes %

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A -- Increase transient occupancy tax Yes 516 56 No 404 44

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B -- Repeal ordinance #378 Yes 643 71 No 269 29

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Culver City City Council (3 Elected)

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Alan Corlin* 3,646 24 Carol Gross* 3,363 23 Steve Rose* 3,200 21 Thomas Camarella 2,092 14 Mary Ann Greene 2,004 13 Marcus G.Tiggs 641 4

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Treasurer

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Crystal Alexander 2,948 54 Christopher Armenta 2,493 46

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Measure

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes %

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U -- Utility users tax reduction initiative Yes 1,094 19 No 4,666 81

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El Segundo City Council (3 Elected)

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Jim Boulgarides 1,799 21 Eric Busch 1,449 17 Carl Jacobson 1,448 17 Bill Fisher 1,391 16 Sandra Jacobs* 1,366 16 Nancy Wernick* 1,228 14

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Lancaster Mayor

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Frank C. Roberts* 4,333 55 Gene Gaynor 1,837 24 Tom Delaney 1,054 13 David Abber 591 8

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City Council

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(2 Elected)

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Andy Visokey* 4,390 30 Jim Jeffra* 3,617 25 Charles D. Hansen 2,048 14 Ted A.J. Kalnas 1,868 13 William R. Parris 1,349 9 Tim Rosen 1,300 9

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Measure

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes %

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A -- Special tax for law enforcement Requires two-thirds vote Yes 3,717 47 No 4,147 53

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Lawndale Mayor

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Harold E. Hofmann* 703 50 Nancy McKee 467 33 James D. Ramsey 234 17

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City Council

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(2 Elected)

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Robert Pullen-Miles 625 24 Virginia Rhodes 468 18 Pat Kearney 398 15 Kenneth Fine 373 14 Uffe Moller 249 9 Fred Siegel 218 8 Gary M. McDonald 205 8 David J. Murry Sr. 90 3

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Long Beach City Council District 2

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Dan Baker* 1,557 83 M.L. Bozeman 319 17

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District 4

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Patrick O’Donnell 2,565 65 Dennis Carroll* 1,392 35

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District 6

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Laura Richardson* 1,094 58 Dee Andrews 538 28 Regina Chaney 143 8 Lewis Lester 113 6

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District 8

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Rob Webb* 1,327 40 Rae M. Gabelich 1,060 32 Terry G. Jensen 772 23 Kennedy Collins 139 4

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Long Beach Comm Coll Trustee Area 4

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Douglas W. Otto 4,079 58 Richard F. Gaylord 2,944 42

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Long Beach USD District 2

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Felton C. Williams 2,181 76 W. Mack Tyson 677 24

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Malibu City Council (3 Elected)

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Ken Kearsley* 1,941 20 Jeff Jennings* 1,866 19 Pamela C. Ulich 1,647 17 Walter F. Keller 1,564 16 Jay Liebig 1,390 14 John Mazza 1,234 13 William Winokur 92 1

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Santa Clarita City Council (2 Elected)

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*--* 77% Precincts Reporting Votes % Cameron Smyth* 6,117 40 Bob Kellar* 4,954 33 Henry Schultz 4,104 27

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Sierra Madre City Council (2 Elected)

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % John Buchanan 1,477 39 Enid Joffe 1,137 30 Jeff Bohn 742 20 Michael Minehart 242 6 Bill Tice 158 4 Brad Sayles 7 0

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Walnut City Council (3 Elected)

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Joaquin A. Lim* 2,306 25 Tom Sykes* 2,145 23 Antonio Cartagena* 2,031 22 June Wentworth 1,646 18 Miles Nan 1,182 13

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Measure

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes %

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L -- Library services and facilities funding Requires two-thirds vote Yes 1,344 39 No 2,065 61

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Whittier City Council (3 Elected)

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*--* 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Owen Newcomer* 5,216 26 Cathy Warner 4,600 23 Dave Butler* 4,436 22 Alex Moisa 2,667 13 Robert Apodaca 1,613 8 Elvira M. De Guzman 840 4 Joe Marsico 679 3 *Denotes incumbent

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