Not affilated with any government, candidate, campaign, or organization, or in support or endorsement of any particular candidate.
Results reported as of Nov. 22, 3:11 p.m. - Next update on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Final certification on Dec. 5, 2022.
| Candidate | Votes | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Georgina Tamayo | 1,205 | 36.33% |
| Kimberly A. Cobos-Cawthorne* | 1,040 | 31.35% |
| Rosie Vasquez | 739 | 22.28% |
| Edward Franco | 333 | 10.04% |
* Incumbent candidate
--Updated Oct. 11, 2022--
Dear Neighbor,
My name is Gary Thornton. I'm a resident of the La Merced neighborhood of Montebello. This upcoming election is a historic one for Montebello. For the first time, candidates who will be elected to the City Council will each represent a different district of the city. This should mean a representative on the Council more closely interested in the well-being of our neighborhoods. Earlier this year, my wife and I and some of our neighbors successfully lobbied to keep the La Merced neighborhood from being divided between different districts. La Merced was left wholly within District 1, which includes everything east of Wilcox, north of Victoria, and north of Lincoln, east of Victoria.
I typically look forward to public candidate forums, hearing candidates answer questions and speaking to issues. However, it doesn’t look like that will happen for this election. Montebello also rarely gets media coverage where reporters put questions to candidates. So, I emailed my own questions to each District 1 candidate at the email addresses found on their campaign websites. I told them that I would share their unedited answers with neighbors. That's what I'm doing here.
Four candidates seek your vote to represent District 1. Kimberly Cobos-Cawthorne is in her first term on the Council (currently serving as Mayor) and seeks reelection. Rosie Vasquez was on the Council for one term, 2005 to 2009 (including a year serving as Mayor), was not reelected, and is now in her third run to return to office. Edward Franco and Georgina Tamayo are newcomers to the political arena, but not to business, government, and community service.
I sent each the following four questions:
1. Based on what you know about City government, what do you see as top priorities for the City and what specific reasons do you give for these?
2. If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
3. How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our city?
4. What is your most compelling argument for why voters should select you for this seat?
THREE CANDIDATES RESPONDED. Thank you to Kimberly Cobos-Cawthorne, Georgina Tamayo, and Rosie Vasquez for their responses. Rosie Vasquez provided only a single statement, however, instead of responding to the specific questions above. Her statement is included under the last question below. I followed-up several times with Edward Franco, but never heard back.
After candidate responses below, also see the section: WHO PAYS FOR THEIR CAMPAIGN?
Question: Based on what you know about City government, what do you see as top priorities for the City and what specific reasons do you give for these?
Responses in order of when received.
First and foremost, we need to regain the trust of the Montebello residents in regards to the political atmosphere within our city. Watching the City Council meetings has been disturbing to watch due to the level of bickering and infighting that takes place. Frankly speaking, this type of dialogue leaves people discouraged and embarrassed to partake or even simply watch the proceedings at times. This type of behavior has become normalized and the time for change is now. We need to bring professionalism and respect to the position of city council. Only after making these necessary changes can the city make progress and address the issues that are obvious and plain to see. After all, we simply need to step out of our houses to encounter some of the issues that need to be addressed.
Many residents like myself see our streets in simple disarray. Our streets are filled with cracks and potholes. Many of us have experienced tire punctures due to the conditions of our roads. My plan would be to survey the residents and prioritize the streets that need to be fixed. We need to have a transparent process that explains why one street is picked over another. We need a street repair plan with dates that prioritizes the streets with the most need. We need to end the random selection of repairs based on political favors.
Another top priority is to attract business to our city. When our city does not have a clear path to revitalization, it is obvious that nobody wants to do new business with us. It is time to develop a plan of revitalization and stop the mass exodus that is currently happening. Our city can’t sustain the exits of companies such as Costco and numerous other chain stores within our Shops of Montebello. This hurts our ability to create tax revenue that the city desperately needs to progress forward.
As we continue to see the development of the Metro Heights project it worries me that no plan is in place to address the influx of residents that are projected to move into the city. With ingress and egress of traffic currently all scheduled to be absorbed onto Montebello Blvd it will surely increase traffic to a street that is already impacted throughout the day. The new development will put an additional strain to our understaffed police and fire department. Within 100 days of being elected I would recommend the formation of a committee to address the added demands this project will put on our city.
Public safety is another of my main priorities. Currently both of our Police and Fire departments are understaffed. That means that response times are affected. Slower response times means that lives are put in danger. Currently our Fire and Police Departments need all the support that we can give them to be effective and in turn we will receive the level of service that is expected.
My top priority is to maintain and improve the quality of life for our residents. In order to do this we must address our infrastructure, our public safety and our open space. My top priority will be to continue to work with our police and fire department and address our unhoused population. I am proud of the work I have done with city staff on establishing the Montebello Community Assistance Program (MCAP). MCAP's goal is to provide individuals experiencing homelessness with a dedicated field team who have the proper resources and training to offer medical and mental healthcare to vulnerable homeless people. This program will free up our Police and Fire Department so they can focus on addressing emergency calls in our community. Secondly, we must continue to improve our infrastructure, and I am pleased to have worked on securing additional funding to increase the “Paving the Way” project that has re-paved and renewed many of our roads, sidewalks and curbs in our city. Lastly, we must expand our current community programs such as Extended Childcare, Seasonal Camps, Senior Center Programs, Youth Sports, and Adult Sports.
[Candidate did not specifically respond to this question, but instead provided a single statement. It is included under the final question below.]
Question: If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
Responses in order of when received.
My first step would be to carry out a participatory process that would highlight the improvements that residents would like to see in the City. (This is discussed in more detail in Question 3 below).
Amongst the many issues facing this City today, I believe that four of the main concerns are: 1) Public Safety 2) Infrastructures) Economic Development and 4) Environmental Justice.
Public Safety -
Montebello is in a unique position in that we have our own Police and Fire departments. Currently, both of our Police and Fire departments are understaffed. My understanding is that the Police department is down about 40% - 50%. This is huge. Resources need to be focused on expanding our Police department. The Fire department also remains understaffed. I have spoken to the Fire Chief, and he would like to carry out a plan that helps retain current Firefighters and hire new ones in an expeditious manner. The efforts would involve a partnership between the Fire Department and the City. Working to improve both the Police and Fire departments would be an overall benefit to the residents in this City.
Infrastructure -
Infrastructure is a critical component to our City and many times overseen. With our City being 102 years old, we have an aging infrastructure. In addition, with the construction of the Metro Heights, it is of utmost importance that the infrastructure is improved in order to be able to sustain new development. This includes, at minimum, roads, water supplies, sewers, lighting, electricity and telecommunication measures.
Economic Development -
In speaking to residents, as I have canvassed District 1, one of the wants that has come up continually is better shopping options. Montebello is ideal in that it has easy freeway access. I would work toward attracting new business to Montebello. One main focus would be the old Costco site. Turning under-utilized or vacant sites into thriving businesses will increase the tax base for Montebello.
Environmental Justice -
Improve the public health and well-being of our community. A healthy environment includes access to clean air and water, adequate carbon reduction transportation options as well as safe homes and neighborhoods. Specific ideas for this include expanding and improving bike lanes, installing charging stations for electric vehicles in our shopping centers, upkeep of landscape and brush of the hills, maintenance of our trees and working with code enforcement to not let vacant homes become a nuisance.
I believe keeping our green space updated is important for all our residents and one of the most used assets in our community. That being said, I would work with city staff in identifying parks that require refurbishing (such as playgrounds, restrooms, etc.) and work on improving those public spaces so that our community can enjoy them even more. Ideally seeing where a dog park might fit in any of our parks. Additionally, I would work on identifying non-profits that can match dollar for dollar in order to increase the funding.
[Candidate did not specifically respond to this question, but instead provided a single statement. It is included under the final question below.]
Question: How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our city?
Responses in order of when received.
The first thing that needs to take place is to reactivate all city commissions. Currently, some of our commissions are inactive due to a variety of reasons. The appointment of city commissioners from District 1 would be a high priority for me. District 1 residents need a voice at the table.
I would also like to have small neighborhood meetings to listen to concerns. An example would be “Coffee with a Councilmember.” I have held small meetings during my campaign and the results of these meetings have been fruitful. Our residents in District 1 really care about our city and once elected I look forward to helping facilitate their ideas and address their concerns. Together we can work toward a better Montebello.
An email distribution list is another way to communicate with residents. Ongoing dialogue is important. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter allow users to communicate and disseminate information in a quick manner.
Another useful tool is to survey the community. This would allow the residents of District 1 to prioritize their needs. Everyone's opinion and voice are important to me.
This is an issue I want to improve on, although I believe our city website and city mobile application have all the information needed keep our residents engaged and informed, I do want to work on enhancing our outreach. I want to work with our city staff to develop a Citizens Advisory Committee, where residents can participate and advise the Council on issues before the City Council.
[Candidate did not specifically respond to this question, but instead provided a single statement. It is included under the final question below.]
Question: What is your most compelling argument for why voters should select you for this seat?
Responses in order of when received.
I have called Montebello my home since my parents moved my family to this city at the age of 15. After graduating high school, I went off to college; and upon graduating, I returned to Montebello and purchased a home with my husband. We have had the pleasure of raising two beautiful children in this city. Our children attended Montebello public schools and they participated in sports programs throughout their childhood. My husband and I have enjoyed our children growing up in this city. Our children are currently away attending college. This city and our public school system have assisted us in raising and shaping our children into the outstanding citizens that they are becoming. I want to continue to give back to our wonderful community. In the past I have held leadership positions in the sports programs that my children participated in. I was involved at my children’s schools through the PTA. I usually held the treasurer position since I have a background in finance. I have over 20 years of experience working in local government entities. This has given me a great insight into how a government should operate efficiently. Thus, I will put this experience toward my job at the city council.
My long history of belonging to this community, my education, my volunteer work, and work history make me the ideal candidate for this position. I hope to receive your vote this election. I look forward to working with you so that we all may work together to get Montebello to reach its full potential.
Montebello has been my home my entire life. I grew up here, went to school here, bought my home here and for the past 10 years I have dedicated my life to serving this community that I love so much. I ran for office because I wanted to be part of the solution and I was honored that you entrusted me with that task when you elected me for my first term. In just 4 years and despite a global pandemic and economic shutdown we have been able to turn around the city’s finances and made improvements to our roads, our infrastructure and services for our residents. As mayor, I worked hard to make the city financially stable and for the 3rd year in a row the city has passed a balanced /surplus budget. and although we have taken many great strides there is still much work to be done. I will make it a priority to continue to make our business community thrive and will support economic development projects that will bring good paying jobs to our city. We need a strong local economy to make Montebello a great place to live, work and play.
[Candidate did not specifically respond to this question, but instead provided a single statement. Her statement follows.]
More than ever, our community needs great leadership. We're at a serious crossroads in Montebello. Never have we experienced the unprecedented crisis that is negatively impacting our community and our country. Public safety, homelessness, street improvements, business development, local transportation, parks and recreation, senior and youth programs are all at risk and requires some serious decision-making. To do so, we need the right leadership on the City Council. With the right guidance, Montebello can ultimately withstand the negative results of the Covid pandemic and sluggish economy, emerging stronger than ever.
The overall quality of life in Montebello is in jeopardy and we need to elect experienced leaders. As former Mayor, I have the experience and a proven track record of community service and will work tirelessly to be a great public servant who is fair, transparent, and accessible. My credentials and background make me uniquely qualified to serve. As a successful businesswoman and former city administrator, I can immediately provide the leadership and experience Montebello desperately needs.
Montebello has been my home for nearly 50 years and I'm proud to be your neighbor. Together we can bring hope and unity back to our community.
Like almost everything else in life, political campaigns cost money. Candidates have to pay for campaign mailers, yard signs, and voter phone lists. They often donate or loan money to their own campaign and family, friends, and colleagues also kick in, usually in smaller amounts. Then there are "big donors," usually with significant commercial interests in the city. These donations are not really for the sake of voters. They are made in hopes of winning friends in City Hall.
Candidates are required by law to report specifically who donates and how much, even in small amounts. These reports are filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission and are public record. I dove into these (available for download at the City of Montebello website - look for Forms 460 & 497) and listed individual donations below, by each District 1 candidate. Candidate donations to their own campaign and by identifiable family members are not listed. Only donations of $1,000 or more are listed. Wherever possible, I provided a little donor background and what interests they might have in Montebello.
Do keep in mind that big donors tend to gravitate to incumbent candidates. That doesn't necessarily make an incumbent a worse candidate or a newcomer without big donors a better one. Even if a newcomer were elected to office, they too would soon be swarmed by the same big donors. That's just what happens. The best elected officials are those who work at being accountable to voters, regardless of donors. It takes informed voters to help make that happen. After this election, I think I'll try to help with that by keeping this page ongoing and updated.
The maximum amount allowed per donor per candidate per election in Montebello is $5,000. Dates are for 2022. New big donations may be reported through election day. They will be added below.
Total donations and loans, including those in table below, 7/1 through 10/18: $48,297.
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arturo Sneider (Investor, Primestor) | Individual | Culver City | $2,000 | 9/11 | Unable to identify specific interest in Montebello. Developer of large projects in underserved and minority areas. Vanessa Delgado, former member of the Montebello City Council and mayor and former State Senator, was a Primestor manager. Also donated to incumbent candidates Salvador Melendez (District 3) and Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| Athens Services | Business | Industry | $4,900 | 9/14 | Waste disposal contractor in city. Athens clearly values its contracts with the city and past contracts had been embroiled in controversy. Also donated to incumbent candidate David Torres (District 4). |
| Brad Perrin (Hospitality, Maverick Hospitality) | Business | Tustin | $1,100 | 7/29 | The Perrin family, doing business under Orange County-based Maverick Hospitality, has operated the Quiet Cannon for decades and also operates the Hilton Home2 Suites and Hilton Garden Inn hotels at the golf course. Nick Reischl and Logan Frick (see below) also work for this company. Also donated to incumbent candidates Scarlett Peralta (District 2) and Salvador Melendez (District 3), and newcomer Rafael Gutierrez (District 4). |
| Brad Perrin (Hospitality, Maverick Hospitality) | Business | Tustin | $1,100 | 8/8 | See note above. |
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
| C&C Management, Inc | Business | Montebello | $2,500 | 10/3 | Christine Leu, CEO, founded 2019. Possibly a cannabis merchant and possibly assoiated with Luna Caregivers LLC. Also donated to incumbent candidate Salvador Melendez (District 3). |
| California Water Service State & Local PAC | Political | Sacramento | $1,000 | 9/23 | Water utility political organization. Also donated to incumbent candidate Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| Consulting Solutions Group Inc. | Business | Whittier | $1,000 | 9/9 | Unable to determine type of business or specific interest in Montebello. CEO is Salvador Franco of Downey (presumed no relationship with Edward Franco). Franco was a one-time Downey Council candidate. He was reported to have been convicted in 2019 of involvement in a felony fraud scheme and sentenced to probation, fines, and a few months in jail. Also donated to incumbent candidates Salvador Melendez (District 3) and Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| Damian A. Martin (Attorney) | Individual | Long Beach | $1,000 | 10/18 | Martin is an attorney in private practice. He is also co-founder of co-founder of Catalyst Cannabis Co. We suspect that his interest in Montebello is related to the cannabis business. |
| Fiesta Taxi Co-Op, Inc. | Business | Gardena | $2,000 | 9/20 | Taxi service that operates in Montebello. Also donated to incumbent candidates Salvador Melendez (District 3) and Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
| Ibe Digital | Business | Garden Grove | $4,900 | 9/6 | Office equipment supplier with a $319,965 contract with the city in 2022. Also donated to incumbent candidates Scarlett Peralta (District 2), Salvador Melendez (District 3), and Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| iSponsor LLC | Business | Huntington Beach | $1,999 | 9/13 | See Logan Frick. |
| Kirk Wilcox (Retired) | Individual | Mesa, AZ | $1,000 | 10/3 | Max donor. Possibly a retired pharmacist. Unable to identify relationship to candidate and specific interest in Montebello. Was a big donor to former council member Vanessa Delgado's 2018 state senate campaign. Also donated to incumbent candidates Salvador Melendez (District 3) and Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| Kirk Wilcox (Retired) | Individual | Mesa, AZ | $2,000 | 10/5 | See note above. |
| Kirk Wilcox (Retired) | Individual | Mesa, AZ | $2,000 | 10/7 | See note above. |
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
| Logan Frick (Principal, iSponsor) | Individual | Huntington Beach | $1,575 | 7/30 | Max donor. Closely associated with Brad Perrin above. Director of Development for Brad Perrin's company. In the past, made significant contributions to previous Montebello City Council mayors Jack Hadjinian and Vanessa Delgado. Also donated to incumbent candidates Scarlett Peralta (District 2) and Salvador Melendez (District 3), and newcomer Rafael Gutierrez (District 4). |
| Logan Frick (Principal, iSponsor) | Individual | Huntington Beach | $1,425 | 8/2 | See note above. |
| MediWaste Disposal | Business | Corona | $1,000 | 8/31 | Medical waste disposal for hospitals and medical facilities. Unable to identify specific interest in Montebello. Also donated to incumbent candidates Salvador Melendez (District 3), David Torres (District 4), and Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| Mike Zink (Sr. Product Manager, Roofstock) | Individual | Marina del Rey | $2,500 | 10/5 | Max donor. Roofstock is a real estate investment company. Unable to identify specific interest in Montebello. Also donated to incumbent candidates Salvador Melendez (District 3) and Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| Mike Zink (Sr. Product Manager, Roofstock) | Individual | Marina del Rey | $1,000 | 10/6 | See note above. |
| Mike Zink (Sr. Product Manager, Roofstock) | Individual | Marina del Rey | $1,500 | 10/7 | See note above. |
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
| Montebello Downtown Plaza | Business | Manhattan Beach | $5,000 | 9/23 | Max donor. TELACU. Operates the Montebello Senior Villas. | Nationwide Environmental Services | Business | Norwalk | $2,500 | 9/6 | Max donor. Street sweeping contractor in city. Also donated to incumbent candidates Salvador Melendez (District 3) and Angie Jimenez (District 5). |
| Nationwide Environmental Services | Business | Norwalk | $2,500 | 9/23 | See note above. |
| Nicholas Reischl (Dir. of Operations, The Maverick Team) | Individual | Tustin | $1,125 | 8/8 | Max donor. Closely associated with Brad Perrin above. Director of Operations for Perrin's company. Also donated to incumbent candidates Salvador Melendez (District 3) and Angie Jimenez (District 5) and newcomer Rafael Gutierrez (District 4). |
| Nick Reischl (Investor) | Individual | San Clemente | $1,125 | 7/30 | See note above. |
| Nick Reischl (Investor) | Individual | San Clemente | $2,749 | 9/13 | See note above. |
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
| San Gabriel Valley Water Company | Business | El Monte | $1,000 | 9/6 | Local water utility. Also donated to incumbent candidates Scarlett Peralta (District 2) and David Torres (District x). |
| San Gabriel Valley Water Company | Business | El Monte | $1,000 | 10/18 | See entry above. |
Total donations and loans, including those in table below, 7/1 through 10/26: $8,500.
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon Arreola (Public Relations Consultant) | Individual | Montebello | $1,000 | 10/26 | Arreola is Montebello resident and PR consultant with DAPR LLC (actually DAPR Consulting LLC of Montebello). He served on the city Golf Commission from 2019-2021, appointed by then Mayor Pro-Tem Cobos. He was a campaign manager of past city council campaigns for David Torres, Scarlet Peralta, and even Kimberly Cobos. His firm, DAPR Consulting LLC, does government relations, social media marketing, and brand PR work. It is possible that Arreola's firm may have already done consulting work for the city. |
| James Dame (Supervisor) | Individual | Corona | $1,500 | 10/25 | Donor is a supervisor with ENC (El Dorado National), a manufacturer of tranport buses. We don't know if the company has an interest in city contracts. His interest in Montebello is undetermined. |
| Lula Holdings LLC (Christina Tellez) | Business | Alhambra | $3,000 | 9/13 | Unable to identify type of business, its relationship to candidate, and specific interest in Montebello. Its principals may perhaps have significant ties to the city. No record of the business entity was found in the California Biz File or L.A. County DBA database. A Google search turned up almost nothing. |
| Scarlett Peralta for Montebello City Council 2022 | Political | Long Beach | $2,521 | 10/7 | Scarlett Peralta is the incumbent candidate in District 2. This is the only donation to a District 1 candidate from another candidate simultaneously running in a different district. It seems reasonable to presumed that Peralta's donation reflects her opposition to the District 1 candidacy of fellow incumbent Kimberly Cobos-Peralta. Interestingly, on the same day, Tamayo subsequently donated the exact same amount back to Peralta, as if returning the donation. Not sure what this was about. |
| Zellet Investments LLC (Joseph Gagliano) | Business | San Marino | $3,000 | 9/13 | Like Lula Holdings above, unable to identify this company's type of business, relationship to candidate, and specific interest in Montebello. May be related to terminated "Zellet LLC" of Victorville, listing a Grace Tellez (Tellez family member?) as registered agent. |
Total donations and loans, including those in table below, 7/1 through 11/3: $8,500 (donation listed here was reported after 9/24).
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA Real Estate PAC - CA Assoc. of Realtors | Political | Los Angeles | $1,000 | 10/14 | Real estate industry political organization. Candidate is in the real estate industry, so this donation may be support from one of his professional associations. |
| Edward Franco (Candidate/ Realtor) | Individual | Los Angeles | $3,000 (Loan) | 11/3 | Candidate is a realtor with Keller Williams/ ET Realty Group. |
Total donations and loans, including those in table below, 7/1 through 9/24: $3,515.
| Donor | Donor Type | Address | Amount | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Cabunoc (Retired) | Individual | Torrance | $1,000 | 9/6 | Unable to identify any relationship with candidate or specific interest in Montebello. |
This project is funded solely by Gary Thornton, P.O. Box 165, Montebello, CA 90640 | Contact me.