Four vying for two seats on city council.
The City of Avalon will hold its election for Mayor and City Council persons on June 7. Mayor Anni Marshall is running for re-election against the challenge of councilwoman Cinde MacGugan-Cassidy. Four people are running for two available seats on the council. Michael Ponce is running for re-election to the seat he won in 2020, that had two years left on its term. The other seat is the one that is being vacated by MacGugan-Cassidy. The three other candidates for the two available seats are Mary Schickling, Carl Johnson and former councilman Oley Olsen.
Each candidate was offered a chance to submit responses to two questions for this week’s paper, prior to the candidate forum that is scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m. The candidates were asked, to explain why they should be elected to the office they are seeking and what are some of their overarching goals they would like to accomplish to consider their time in office a success.
The following are the responses submitted by the candidates. Rather than write down his thoughts, Ponce opted to give his responses to Editor Ted Apodaca over the phone (an option that was offered to all candidates) and have it written up for him. The candidates are all well known on the island, but hopefully this will provide some insight into what they are looking to bring to their service to the community and the forum will delve more specifically into how they hope to accomplish those goals.
Mayoral Candidates
Anni Marshall
Why do you feel you should be elected to the office you are seeking?
I am a dedicated, elected public servant accessible to ALL. I commit the majority of my time to communicate with our citizens, businesses and visitors. (Just ask my husband)
I enjoy representing the City at public and private events, conferences and meetings.
I am honest and sometimes too straightforward, that is why I deem myself a public servant, not a politician. I feel I have a good rapport with all city departments and applaud their dedication to the city while being challenged with staffing and benefit reductions.
During the pandemic I communicated with the people of Avalon by hosting a weekly Minutes with the Mayor keeping transparency in the forefront. I believe I have served the community fairly and honestly for the last eight years and look forward to another two-year term, with YOUR SUPPORT!
On what will you base whether or not your time in office has been a success?
Projects which I believe to be DOABLE in the next two years, with Council Consensus would be:
• Reducing vehicle noise and emissions
• Simplifying vehicle ordinances, with regard to parking and stickers
• Implementing SB 1383 with recycling education: reduce, reuse, recycle. This is a mandated program
• Promote Public Art
• Continue to identify property and golf cart owners from registering their asset illegally.
• Encourage citizen involvement in City government.
• Maintaining a balanced budget and increasing our reserves
When discussing our capital improvement projects, it is often frustrating I must say, due to limited funding, staff resources and state agency regulations. I am optimistic we will see progress on the Mole Phase II, Pebbly Beach Road improvements, 206 E. Whittley housing and others. Please follow our council meetings as we work toward adopting the 2022-23 year budget. You will be impressed and possibly overwhelmed at the many mandatory projects needed in the Harbor and elsewhere to keep our population safe.
The City Council is a policy board. Any additions or changes to our ordinances or creation of programs/projects are possible with a minimum of 3/5 approval of the elected body.
I look forward to working with whomever is seated at the dais with me.
Cinde MacGugan-Cassidy
Why do you feel you should be elected to the office you are seeking?
I am running for Mayor as I have been in city government in Avalon for 15 years having worked up from Harbor Committee to Planning Commissioner to City Council Member and the past four years as our Mayor Pro-Tem. I am ready for change and enhanced challenges to better our community and plan for the future. I will not retain a seat on the council if unsuccessful and I seek your vote as Mayor on June .
On what will you base whether or not your time in office has been a success?
I have already seen many successes during my tenure as a member of our city council. The mole projects underway, many upgrades to infrastructure and capital improvement projects, new city parks and upgrades to our existing, such as Joe Machado field as well as a balanced city budget. I hope to lead our community to develop the next strategic plan for public works, staffing, contract management and alternative energy utilities. I am committed to bringing together the parties needed to provide workforce housing. Let’s stop talking about it and start making it happen. I have the leadership abilities to help our community see a project come to fruition. I am equally committed to working on our transportation codes and vehicle concerns.
City Council Candidates
Carl Johnson
Why do you feel you should be elected to the office you are seeking?
I am running for office in my hometown of Avalon because engagement with the City’s Business is a top priority of mine. I want the best for my town & the island community. I have the resoluteness that is necessary to address the toughest issues our city faces. I am a candidate that will always take an out-of-the-box approach to find the best solutions. I refuse to settle on the normal course of action by voting unanimously; particularly if there is a difference of opinion among the community, I am your candidate & I am your voice. Sensible development & natural growth that Avalon can support without adding stress on our infrastructure is important to me – as well as exploring innovative ideas to execute future projects.
I will persevere without discouragement to make a positive impact because I am determined. Last election, I was the only candidate encouraging voters to make their own educated decision & refused to influence the vote with my stance – when asked about measures on the ballot – and challenged voters to approach me with questions or concerns that mattered to them. We are taught at a young age to follow our passion & pursue a career that matters to each of us – one’s passion is never definitive & could change over time. It becomes evident that our purpose is our legacy & what we contribute to the world we leave behind.
As your Councilmember, I promise to stand up for what is right and only make reasonable compromises to bring stakeholders together on issues that benefit all. I will stay true to the values this town has instilled in me. I will ask the tough questions without hesitation & hold all who represent the City of Avalon accountable for their actions – or lack thereof.
On what will you base whether or not your time in office has been a success?
This is a crucial time in a community with a large reliance on visitor revenue & suffered unprecedented hardships. We have witnessed the breakdown of government – resulting in the tough decision to gut our local jurisdiction. We have received inadequate support & relief from State or Federal authorities – who established detrimental mandates.
As your Councilmember, there is much to be done to achieve success – let’s avoid doing the same thing & expect different results. Learning from past mistakes by implementing proactive solutions – rather than the common reactive approach. I will work to establish & make adjustments that leave us better prepared for further over-reach. I will urge the Council to act quickly – to capitalize on pent-up visitor demand looking for affordable vacations closer to home in the near term.
I will not support a tax for General Fund purposes. You should vote with confidence – knowing tax revenue is being utilized in a defined manner. I’ll focus on outstanding issues – which will have the biggest negative impact on future economic growth. Reasonable solutions exist for projects including the South Beach Erosion – where the cost of a study & their results was both ludicrous. We already have the resources to implement a successful fix & can’t imagine the cost being more than the initial study.
I will implement creative & cost-effective solutions for extending the use of our Landfill. Without action, this adds $2million to the city’s annual budget – only to transport waste off the island – which is unacceptable!
I am a free-thinking American who doesn’t gravitate toward a particular party. One doesn’t align with my passion & the other doesn’t align with my purpose. I won’t come to the table with a hard stance & I promise to remain open to the opposition until all voices are heard & there is a vote. I would appreciate your support, I am ready to work, & I accept the challenge!
Oley Olsen
Why do you feel you should be elected to the office you are seeking?
I want to continue to work with our partners to ensure that our residents receive all the services available to them.
Working with the county, state and the federal government make sure that all the programs offered will also be offered on the Island and try to remove any roadblocks that are in the way of our residents receiving these services and programs.
On what will you base whether or not your time in office has been a success?
We need to continue to work on increasing the inventory of work force housing.
Avalon needs to work on all the options to increase the inventory of work force housing. We cannot continue to be successful without an adequate supply of quality housing for our front-line employees.
Michael Ponce
Why do you feel you should be elected to the office you are seeking?
Michael Ponce returned to the council two years ago after having previously served. He said the one of the things that make him the best choice for the office is his willingness to listen to both sides of any issue. He said too often people have preconceived ideas that settle them on one side or another when it comes to an issue. He said an elected official has to be willing to listen to arguments on both sides of an issue and be open to the possibility of changing their mind.
“That’s the basis for anyone being in office,” Ponce said.
He thinks he’s surprised some people with the way he’s voted on some issues, because he was willing to see both sides of an issue and hasn’t been afraid to change his stance.
On what will you base whether or not your time in office has been a success?
Ponce said that the measure of success often comes after an elected official leaves office. He noted his prior terms in office when the council decided to use redevelopment money from the state to repair and update the city’s water and sewer system. The council made that decision when he was part of it, though the benefits were not realized until after he left office.
This time around he said some of the issues that need addressing are the continued rebound from the pandemic and the economic impact of living on the island for many workers. He said many people have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. He said that issue sometimes goes unaddressed by government agencies and that mindset has to change.
Mary Schickling
Why do you feel you should be elected to the office you are seeking?
I think I should be elected to the City Council because I think outside the box. I work for Edison as an analyst, so I have a very analytical mind. I’m determined to find a balance between vacation rentals and sustainable, affordable rentals for our local community. There are many issues plaguing the city, but I see this issue as the most important one (as the teachers pleaded for at the 5/17/22 council meeting). I’m also investigating ways to make the city more money so we could be less dependent on grant funds for infrastructure projects. I’m not saying to stop pursuing grants, I just want to make the city more money. I also listen to people. I will do my best to address parking situations, the roof of the public showers on Casino Way, men’s urinals at the mole, etc. It would be my honor to represent the citizens of Avalon.
On what will you base whether or not your time in office has been a success?
I would feel that my time in office was successful if we had a significant reduction in new vacation rental permits, affordable housing for rent or purchase was available (or soon will be. Four years is hard to have it completely established), parking and vehicle compliance (number of golf carts/address) were improved, the landfill situation has a clear path, a more equitable agreement with the chamber of commerce and a solid working friendship with the Community, City, Island Company and Conservancy.
