Two More City Council Candidates Gear Up For Manhattan Beach Vote

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The race is on for three Manhattan Beach City Council seats up for grabs in the Nov. 3rd election. Incumbent Richard Montgomery and Joe Franklin are the latest candidates to have been officially verified by Los Angeles County. They join incumbent Steve Napolitano, Grettel Fournell, and Mark Burton who have been verified as well. Council member Nancy Hersman is opting not to seek reelection.

Ever practical, Montgomery told Manhattan Beach Patch of his verification, "It is a merely step one of the election process, until the filing period is over. Then we see which candidates have actually qualified."

That filing period goes until this Wednesday. It was extended from Friday, August 7 due to potential incumbent Hersman not opting to run for council again, per state law. Two potential candidates Chaz Flemmings and Phoebe Lyons have filed paperwork and await verification from the county. Zach Stiffel and Michael Klineman have pulled paperwork and have yet to file it. Klineman pulled his papers just last Friday. Klineman and Stiffel have until 5:30 p.m. to file their papers with the city's City Clerk's office.

Franklin, who has run for City Council previously, said of his official entry into this race, "I feel great and am excited about running. Many people aren’t aware that it's quite a process to become verified. The City Clerk staff helps a great deal but you have to line up your campaign staff, open separate checking accounts for campaign donations and expenses, fill out lots of paperwork and learn the campaign rules and regulations. You also need to get 30 signatures from registered voters in Manhattan Beach. But that was the step I enjoyed the most as I got to tell many people of my intent to run."

As the current mayor, incumbent Montgomery has many civic credentials to point to, including being mayor during the onslaught of COVID-19. He also has served on council for 8 years prior to his current 4-year term. "As your mayor during the Great Recession and now a pandemic, I have a proven track record of 'getting things done' and would be honored to receive your vote November 3rd," he said.

Notably, he is "most proud of protecting our retail shops and restaurants during the pandemic, including outdoor dining and waiver of all parking meter fees, extending business license fees for six months, maintaining our emphasis on public safety and proudly supporting and increasing funding for our police department.

Montgomery is quick to point out his credentials. "I am a local business owner and 32-year Manhattan Beach resident. I have dedicated myself over those 32 years to helping neighbors, fellow residents, local businesses, supporting the MBEF and our outstanding schools, and local non-profits. As a Chamber of Commerce member, I have been involved in supporting our downtown and other merchants. As a former reserve police officer, I pledge to strongly support the continued delivery of superb public safety services. No defunding of the MBPD. No outsourcing of MBFD."

The Nov. 3rd election is bound to be unusual and perhaps challenging given COVID-19. Candidates will more than likely have to rely on virtual conversations, meetings and events as well as advertising, mailers, and phone calls.

Said Franklin, "I'd like to see the Candidate Forums happen where the candidates are all together in one physical place, spaced apart safely, and streamed live. The residents who are viewing the Forums can see the candidates respond 'on their feet,' so to speak, instead of speaking from their homes. I think all would agree it can be worked out this way. And as city council meeting 'attendance' seems to have grown with Zoom, I think the Candidates Forums might get more interest and a larger audience, as well, with this format."

The Nov. 3rd election will be a Vote By Mail only ballot, according to City Clerk Liza Tamura. Details thus far are available in this article on Manhattan Beach Patch: 24-Hour Drop Boxes For Manhattan Beach Voters In Nov. 3 Election.

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