After Elliott Rothman’s 20 years of service as a councilman and mayor, it’s time for Pomona voters to replace him with a more dynamic, more professional leader who can give Pomona and its communities a much-needed shot in the arm.
That leader is Tim Sandoval, an entrepreneurial, self-made man who co-founded a Pomona educational nonprofit that helps disadvantaged youth make it to and through college. The Daily Bulletin wholeheartedly endorses Sandoval to be the next mayor of Pomona.
Sandoval was chair of the city task force that wrote a proposed ordinance for recycling centers.
He intends to do his best to leverage the terrific assets Pomona has, such as Cal Poly Pomona, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, Casa Colina and Fairplex. He thinks the city should be able to attract much more in the way of ancillary health services and other employers.
Sandoval has endorsements from business (BizFed — the L.A. County Business Federation), labor (L.A. County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, UFCW Local 1428, L.A. County Firefighters Local 1014), the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters and local state Sen. Connie Leyva, among others.
Rothman represented District 5 on the City Council from 1996 to 2008, when he was elected mayor. He’s an affable mayor who prides himself on his accessibility and on his “showing up where I’m supposed to be” — at ribbon cuttings and other events where the mayor should show interest and support. He maintains good relations with developers in the city, and he lets residents be heard at City Council meetings.
But Pomona needs more than that now. Pomona needs a dynamic mayor who can make the city proud, who can engage Pomona citizens in civic affairs, who will represent the city in its best light at meetings of regional boards and agencies, as well as in meetings with those who would like to build or do business in Pomona.
Tim Sandoval will be that kind of mayor.
DISTRICT 1: RUBIO GONZALEZ
For the City Council seat being vacated by one-term Councilman John Nolte, second-time candidate Rubio Ramiro Gonzalez is our choice.
Gonzalez has Nolte’s endorsement, along with those of a diverse group that includes Leyva, John and Deborah Clifford of the Historical Society of the Pomona Valley and the Pomona Library Foundation, and a slew of current and former city commissioners.
Gonzalez is a Historic Preservation commissioner and serves on several nonprofit boards and volunteer groups.
His top priorities are simple: Fix sidewalks, streets and alleys so that Pomona can attract more employers.
DISTRICT 4: PAULA LANTZ
Lantz has been on the council even longer than Rothman, since her first election in 1991. The Daily Bulletin has endorsed her time after time, and the editorial board sees no reason to change now. Lantz is a straightforward, common-sense leader who is good at policy and also with people. She often stands as the council’s fiscal hawk, opposing questionable spending plans.
One of her interests is finding solutions to homelessness, which means she’ll have plenty to work on in a next term as Pomona and the rest of the region try to deal with that difficult issue.
DISTRICT 6: DEBRA MARTIN
We didn’t endorse Debra Martin when she won this seat for years ago, but we’ve come to appreciate what a big heart she has for the city, her district and its residents. She is unquestionably sincere in her work on community gardens, park beautification and the like.
She is endorsed by Leyva and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis.
Martin faces a big challenge from a much slicker politician than she is: Robert Torres, the son of Congresswoman Norma Torres, the former District 6 councilwoman and Pomona mayor. Torres, who works for Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez, seems to be staking his campaign on painting Fairplex as a bad neighbor to Pomona and District 6, a view that we do not share. In any case, Martin voted with the rest of the council to review the city’s land-use regulations for Fairplex in 2017.
Our choices for Pomona are Tim Sandoval, Rubio Gonzalez, Paula Lantz and Debra Martin.
