Five Locals Pull Papers To Run For Manhattan Beach City Council

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Two incumbents on the current Manhattan Beach City Council have pulled official papers and announced their candidacies. Mayor Richard Montgomery and council member Steve Napolitano told Manhattan Beach Patch they both will be on the ballot in November.

Former Manhattan Beach Mayor Mark Burton has also pulled papers and announced his candidacy. Joe Franklin and Grettel Fournell, whose husband Bill has been on the Board of Trustees of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District for many years, are also listed as having pulled official candidate papers.

To qualify for the November ballot, candidates pull and file papers, and then Los Angeles County verifies their eligibility. The election will be held Nov. 3, along with the Presidential election and figures to draw a robust number of voters. Monday, July 13 was the first day potential candidates could pull papers.

Current council member Nancy Hersman told Manhattan Beach Patch she will not seek re-election. "My husband and I have decided to retire and enjoy life a little more," she said. "The work we did on the council in the first few years was inspirational and positive. We moved many projects forward. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case more recently. Perhaps a new council member can renew the positive energy and move the city forward."

Manhattan beach resident and former mayor Wayne Powell told Manhattan Beach Patch he does not plant to run for city council in 2020.

Burton, who was elected to council for a 4-year term and did not win re-election, is a former city attorney for the City of Los Angeles. He has served as a prosecutor, trial attorney and principal legal advisor to the Los Angeles police and fire departments, airport police and the Emergency Operations Department. The LA Police Commission awarded him the Distinguished Service medal in recognition of his work in implementing critical police reforms.

Burton notes that during his term as Manhattan Beach mayor, city council "was more open and honest in all respects with more community engagement. All too often," he said in a news release, "the council has stopped listening to our residents and are doing the bidding of special interests, people of wealth and means or a political party.”

Said Montgomery, "As the only candidate to lead the city through a recession (2008), a pandemic, protests and severe financial impacts (2020), I have the experience to lead us into the future. This council has emphasized public safety as our highest priority, fiscal discipline with another balanced budget, contributed more funds to emergency financial reserves, addressed pension obligations, reestablished a strong relationship with the MBUSD (Manhattan Beach Unified School District) School Board (investing $1 million to strengthen security at our schools), removed unnecessary and costly city staff positions (saving $500,000 in salaries and benefits), approved public art across the city utilizing the Public Art Trust Fund, allowed resident driven underground districts to move forward, repaved our roads, installed flashing crosswalks and maintained our water and sewer systems. We also dismissed any idea that the prior council had about building a hotel next to the Senior Villas and the MB Village soccer field!"

Napolitano said, "Four years ago, I ran to get our city working again and get things done. I ran to rebuild a positive partnership with our school district, keep us safe, protect our small town atmosphere, help our local businesses and provide balanced, common sense leadership. I’m running for one of three seats. I’m not running ‘against’ anyone, I’m only running to serve our community as I have for more than 25 years. As I’ve said many times, I ran for council years ago to make a difference, make things better, and be a voice for those who didn’t feel they had one. Today, I’m running for those same reasons again. I'm want to keep the "beach" in Manhattan Beach!"

Current council member Hildy Stern and Mayor Pro Tem Suzanne Hadley are only two years into a four-year term.

City Treasurer Tim Lilligren has pulled papers to seek re-election.