City Council Candidates Talk Public Safety, Development At Tense Forum

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Beverly Hills City Council candidates on Wednesday and Thursday participated in a tense, two-night forum that took on recent city scandals and public safety.

Eleven candidates will vie for three open council spots in the June 7 election, including three incumbents: Bob Wunderlich, Lester Friedman and John Mirisch.

The Beverly Hills North Homeowners Association and the Municipal League of Beverly Hills hosted Wednesday and Thursday's forums.

Ten candidates, who were split into pairs, focused mostly on public safety, development in the city and some recent city scandals. Candidate Kevin Kugley was not at the forum.

Public Safety, Gascón And Law Enforcement

Public safety unsurprisingly was a focal point of the debates as incumbents were pushed to defend their efforts to keep the city safe.

The city has seen a series of flashy crimes in recent months, including the shooting death of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant and multiple smash-and-grab robberies.

Many candidates, including Friedman and Darian Bojeaux, noted that such flashy crimes were not unique to Beverly Hills and have become an issue across California.

Newcomers such as Akshat "A.B." Bhatia criticized incumbents' track record on public safety, asking why these crimes have apparently increased.

Many candidates also expressed support for the recall of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, which is poised to be a key issue in the election.

Sharona Nazarian, Andy Licht, Wunderlich, Friedman, Mirisch and Bhatia have all expressed support for the recall effort, which the Beverly Hills City Council unanimously supported in January.

But Bojeaux hesitated to support the recall, citing conflicting reports about what Gascón has actually allowed.

The controversial tenure of former Beverly Hills Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli took center stage at Wednesday's debate. Spagnoli resigned in April 2020 amid lawsuits claiming she had made racist remarks and harassed employees. The Beverly Hills Police Department has continued to see public criticism since Spagnoli's resignation, including a class action lawsuit claiming the department engaged in large-scale racial profiling.

Hostile moderator and former Mayor Bob Tanenbaum pressed Friedman for nearly 35 minutes about his handling of Spagnoli's departure, his campaign leaflets and public safety efforts. The audience responded to the line of questioning, at times laughing at and booing Tanenbaum's demeanor.

Candidate Vera Markowitz, who spearheaded the city's public safety program "Just in Case BH," said she was "delighted" that she called for Spagnoli's removal early in the controversy.

Development, Cheval Blanc

Many candidates discussed the city's mixed-use ordinance, passed in 2020, that would allow for mixed-use development in parts of the city, the Beverly Hills Courier reported. Mirisch was the only council member to vote no on the ordinance, which was met with significant resident pushback.

The question of zoning focused particularly on residents' way of life and the aesthetics of the city.

Candidates specifically discussed the Cheval Blanc project, a proposed mixed-use building with a maximum height of nine stories that would sit between the intersections of South Santa Monica Boulevard and North Beverly Drive and North Rodeo Drive, according to planning commission documents.

Licht, the Planning Commission chair, was pressed about his attitude toward the heavily criticized development project and his suggestion it may not be the eyesore critics claim.

Standout Moments

In a predictably hot moment, controversial local activist Shiva Gordon Bagheri accused the city of continually attempting to silence her and expressed disdain for the city's pandemic response. Bagheri garnered public attention in the past for her role in organizing anti-vaccine and anti-mask mandate protests in the city.

Bagheri appeared alongside Bhatia, who took a similarly frustrated tone in his comments. The two garnered audience applause and some laughter at the pair's energy. One audience member yelled comments at Bagheri.

Check out the candidate statements and recordings of the forums on the city of Beverly Hills' website.

Candidates will participate in another forum at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Beverly Hills City Council chambers.