September 12, 2013 (La Mesa)- At Tuesday’s City Council Meeting, Council got a status report and update of a revised and scaled down Planned Business Improvement District (PBID) development plan from two members of the PBID Formation Committee, Lynn McRey and Bill Ratan. Council voted 4-1 to stop funding consulting fees for the faltering PBID effort, dimming prospects for a PBID in La Mesa’s future. Mayor Art Madrid was the lone dissenting vote.
May 30, 2013 (La Mesa)- La Mesa’s City Council unanimously approved increasing sewer service rates at its May 14 meeting. For the average family, the rate will rise by 7% in each of the next two years. Ironically, citizens' successful effort at conserving water has reduced city revenues--and was among the factors cited by Council to justify the rate hike, which drew strong objections from some residents present.
March 27, 2013 (La Mesa)—The federal government has slashed Community Development Block Grant funding for La Mesa from $800,000 a few years ago down to just $350,000 this year. As a result, the City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday to completely eliminate funds for all public services funded by CDGB, except for fair housing. The cuts fall largely on programs that help the elderly, poor and disabled.
Funds will be axed for the Alzheimer’s Association, East County YMCA Summer Camp, Meals on Wheels of Greater San Diego, San Diego Youth Services, Elder help, Interfaith Shelter Network, Senior Community Centers, and more.
Mayor Art Madrid called the elimination of public services a “tough decision” necessitated by federal sequestration cuts. Sequestration mandates cuts across the board in nearly all federal agencies as a result of Congress failing to reach agreement on how to reduce federal debt and resolve the federal budget. Democrats sought a combination of revenue increases and budget cuts, while Republicans have blocked such proposals, holding out for cuts-only solutions.
January 20, 2013 (La Mesa) – La Mesa City Council will hear a presentation Tuesday regarding the San Diego Grantmakers’ Homelessness Working Group’s “Keys to Housing: Ending Family Homelessness Initiative.” In addition, a status update on construction of the downtown streetscape will be presented.
Also on the agenda are interviews of applicants for city board and commission vacancies, council committee reports, and discussion of council travel policy, among other items.
January 10, 2013 (La Mesa) – In an on-going commitment to communicate with residents, all five members of the La Mesa City Council will host two Town Hall Meetings. The open-forum sessions are scheduled at the following locations:
November 5, 2012 (La Mesa) -- ECM reviewed the October 25 final financial reports before the election, and discovered that special interest money from out of town and out of state has poured into the La Mesa City Council race.
The California Real Estate Committee PAC located in Los Angeles filed an Independent Expenditure Report that showed they spent $30,000 on mailers for Laura Lothian, and had received a $7,716 contribution for a poll from the National Association of Realtors Fund located in Chicago.
October 10, 2012 (La Mesa) -- Absentee Ballots went out yesterday. Do you have a particular topic that would influence your vote for La Mesa City Council? See what the candidates have said in their own words at candidate Forums. Topics are organized alphabetically in categories, to make it simple to find what you are looking for.
We also provide links to their websites and articles from prior campaigns, for those who want to know more about the candidates themselves and their histories.
Forum offers candidates a chance to touch on more topics from Parking in the Village, to the Homeless at the Library, to Global Warming.
By Kristin Kjaero
September 29, 2012 (La Mesa, Ca.) – The League of Women Voters hosted the second City Council Candidate Forum.
East County Magazine was there to record so you can hear the candidates in their own words, and we have provided separate video links so you can peruse their responses topic by topic.
Candidates Clash Over Their Visions for City’s Future
By Mark Gabrish Conlan
September 15, 2012 (La Mesa)--Five candidates for two seats on the La Mesa City Council — Kristine Alessio, Patrick Dean, Laura Lothian, Shannon O’Dunn and 20-year incumbent Ruth Sterling — met September 13 for the first candidates’ forum of the campaign. Held at the La Mesa Community Center on Memorial Drive and sponsored by the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, the 90-minute forum centered mostly around finances and development, specifically around downtown and the La Mesa Village area, but it also touched on issues like the city’s responsibility towards homeless people and whether it should declare itself a fair-trade zone.
September 15, 2012 (La Mesa)--The League of Women Voters will sponsor and moderate a candidate forum for La Mesa City Council candidates in the 2012 election. The forum will be held on September 27 from 7 to 9 pm at the La Mesa City Council Chamber.
September 15, 2012 (La Mesa, Ca.) – The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce hosted the first City Council Candidate Forum, and East County Magazine was there to record so you can hear the candidates in their own words.
Councilman Dave Allan announces he will not seek reelection
August 10, 2011 (La Mesa) – La Mesa’s City Council by a 5-0 vote approved a revised biennial budget. Revisions included a state takeaway of $215,000 in vehicle licensing fees formerly allocated to La Mesa.
At the June 14, 2011 La Mesa City Council meeting Mayor Art Madrid moved to remove the city from the East County Economic Development Council and rather use the $5,000 annual membership fee to allow city officials to do more travel to defend city financing at state and federal levels. Time will tell how worthwhile this plan will be.
Store targeted by measure reveals today that it is going out of business
December 1, 2010 (La Mesa) – On December 14 at 4 p.m., La Mesa’s City Council will consider an ordinance proposed by San Diego Stop Puppy Mills. The proposed law would prohibit pet stores from buying dogs from puppy mills and other breeders.
Since February 2009, the group has been protesting against Pet Works in Grossmont Center, alleging that the store sells dogs raised in puppy mills with inhumane conditions. Today, East County Magazine contacted Pet Works and learned that the store plans to shut down.
Update: A Union-Tribune article here revealed that Peter Cuthbert, 83, admitted responsibility for the mailer, which he says was sent to 15,000 addresses in La Mesa. A less than repentant sounding Cuthbert was quoted, saying, "If I get in trouble for doing this, I'll pay the fine."
October 24, 2010 (La Mesa) -- With the election nine days away, ECM offers La Mesa voters this expanded collection of interviews, video clips, debate and news coverage for candidates on their ballots.
Homelessness, crime, affordable housing, youth and senior issues among topics discussed
By Kristin Kjaero
October 5, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa residents got a chance to see a different side of the City candidates last night, when the La Mesa First United Methodist Church invited them to a forum on social issues, in what has become a Church tradition for the last three election cycles.
September 29, 2010 (San Diego's East County)--The League of Women Voters of East San Diego County is hosting a series of forums about ballot measures, as well as candidates for the La Mesa and El Cajon City Councils, and the Grossmont High School District Board.
Candidate Says he has the Right Chemistry for City Council
By Kristin Kjaero
In Part VII of this series on election races in La Mesa, East County Magazine spotlights City Council candidate Kevin Rynearson. For this series we asked all candidates the same set of questions on local issues, with an open invitation to bring up anything else they would like to discuss at the end of the session. We want each candidate to speak for themselves.
September 27, 2010 (La Mesa) – Kevin Rynearson is a 28-year-old student currently working on his third year defense and PhD in organic chemistry at UCSD, specifically in RNA anti-viral therapies for Hepatitis C. Now he thinks he has the formula to improve La Mesa.
Are you voting in the November election on races for La Mesa Mayor and City Council?
Be an informed voter!
September 29, 2010 (La Mesa) -- Come to the League of Women Voters La Mesa Candidate Forum tonight, September 29, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the La Mesa City Council Chambers, 8130 Allison Avenue, La Mesa CA 91942.
A Lifetime of Learning the City from the Inside Out
By Kristin Kjaero
In Part VI of this series on election races in La Mesa, East County Magazine spotlights Incumbent City Councilmember Mark Arapostathis. For this series we asked all candidates the same set of questions on local issues, with an open invitation to bring up anything else they would like to discuss at the end of the session.
September 26, 2010 (La Mesa) -- Incumbent Councilman Mark Arapostathis, 43, is a hometown boy and local teacher who knows the city from the inside out. He was born and raised in La Mesa, went to Lemon Avenue Elementary, La Mesa Middle School and Helix High School, earned his B.A., M.A. and PhD in education locally, and has spent his entire career teaching since 1991 in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District. He currently teaches second grade at Rolando Elementary School.
In Part Five of this series on election races in La Mesa, East County Magazine spotlights City Council candidate Ian Shiff. For this series we asked all candidates the same set of questions on local issues, with an open invitation to bring up anything else they would like to discuss at the end of the session.
September 15, 2010 (La Mesa) – City Council Candidate Ian Shiff and his family moved to La Mesa five months ago, because they like the community feeling. They bought their first house here and plan to raise their children, now three months and two years old, in the City.
“It’s the moral and ethical thing to do to protect the health and well-being of our residents,” Mayor Art Madrid
By Miriam Raftery
September 15, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa's City Council voted yesterday to oppose Proposition 23. Sempra Energy, parent company of San Diego Gas & Electric Company, also announced its opposition to Prop 23.
The ballot initiative would repeal California’s landmark AB 32, the law which protects clean air, requires greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and provides incentives for renewable, clean energy jobs in California.
In part two of this series on election races in La Mesa, East County Magazine spotlights incumbent Ernie Ewin. For this series we asked all candidates the same set of questions on local issues, with an open invitation to bring up anything else they would like to discuss at the end of the session. We want each candidate to speak for themselves.
September 2, 2010 (La Mesa) --Talk to Councilman Ernie Ewin about issues in the community and you’ll hear a wide-reaching perspective. From his early days in first grade at Murray Manor, to serving as Student Body President at Grossmont Community College, and on to San Diego State University, his roots in the community run deep.
October 28, 2009 (La Mesa) – At last night’s La Mesa City Council meeting, it came as a surprise to many in the audience to learn that alcohol consumption has been prohibited in City parks since 1991. Last night Council voted 5-0 to extend that ban to all public places including City streets, curbs, and sidewalks—drawing praise from some and criticism from others.
October 25, 2009 – On Tuesday, La Mesa’s City Council will vote on whether to ban drinking alcoholic beverages in public places—unless you fork over a $150 fee and apply two weeks in advance for your guzzling privileges. A City Manager’s report argues that tipsy people pose potential threats to others and cause police to waste time responding to calls about public intoxication.
How ironic, coming from a city that hosts an annual Oktoberfest touting public drinking and revelry; this year’s marketing slogan was “the big beer garden is back.”
January 10, 2013 (La Mesa) – In an on-going commitment to communicate with residents, all five members of the La Mesa City Council will host two Town Hall Meetings. The open-forum sessions are scheduled at the following locations:
September 15, 2012 (La Mesa)--The League of Women Voters will sponsor and moderate a candidate forum for La Mesa City Council candidates in the 2012 election. The forum will be held on September 27 from 7 to 9 pm at the La Mesa City Council Chamber.
By Scott H. Kidwell, La Mesa
Store targeted by measure reveals today that it is going out of business
By Kristin Kjaero and Miriam Raftery
By Kristin Kjaero
By Kristin Kjaero
Are you voting in the November election on races for La Mesa Mayor and City Council?
In Part VI of this series on election races in La Mesa, East County Magazine spotlights Incumbent City Councilmember Mark Arapostathis. For this series we asked all candidates the same set of questions on local issues, with an open invitation to bring up anything else they would like to discuss at the end of the session. 
By Miriam Raftery
By Joe Morris
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