My Beverly Hills City Council 2024 Election Endorsements

The polls close on March 5th and that means those who have not already voted have less than two weeks to mark our ballots. And arguably the most consequential contest on this primary ballot is our municipal election. Ten candidates are running for Beverly Hills city council. It can be a challenge to make an informed choice so I want to offer my personal endorsements.

Frequently I am asked for my opinion because I am active in the city on the subject of tenants’ rights. Here I reluctantly offer my own personal endorsements because I know that we want our concerns are represented in city hall and it can be difficult to decide for whom to vote.

It matters. Do you feel that you are the last to know when construction is going to disrupt your day? Are you worried about car break-ins because you feel like our alleys are not sufficiently patrolled? These are concerns that are unique to tenants. We need city hall to hear them. And we need new councilmembers who will talk about them.

I feel that two candidates are the best all-around choices for city council: Craig Corman and Alissa Roston. Now, they may not necessarily be the most ardent tenants’ rights champions so I want to share my reasons for choosing them. Read on to learn why I support them for city council in 2024.

I Endorse Craig Corman for Beverly Hills City Council

Craig Corman is a retired attorney and long-serving city commissioner who, in my view, is the best-qualified to serve on city council. For one thing, he knows the city and understands the political dynamics of city hall. And he knows the nuts and bolts of policymaking. Corman has served on both the Planning Commission and the Cultural Heritage Commission. Read more about the candidate on the campaign website.

Corman’s analytical ability also recommends him for this job which requires the review of policy documents, vendor contracts, development agreements and much more for each council meeting every other week. Contrast that with candidates who are less substantial, or who ingratiate themselves with city leadership, or who show no particular knowledge about the city. And Corman’s good humor also suggests that he will work well with other councilmembers on the dais.

Lastly, I find Corman to be independent-minded. He is the only candidate endorsed by John Mirisch, our reliably independent and pro-resident voice on council. Moreover Corman won’t accept a contribution greater than $125 or accept an endorsement from a city employee union. The candidate has largely self-funded his campaign.

For those reasons Corman has my personal endorsement. That is different than a Renters Alliance endorsement. I highlight that difference because Corman is not reflexively pro-tenant. Tenants’ rights has not been a pillar of his campaign platform. But he understands the issues and I believe he will have an ear open to tenant concerns.

My bottom line: Corman is the best-prepared candidate in the race and he brings an analytical perspective to the job. He knows how to legislate and he is inclined toward action. That is especially important now because city council has dropped the ball on rent stabilization. Corman will be a positive addition to city council.

I Also Endorse Alissa Roston for Beverly Hills City Council

Alissa Roston is another candidate who brings substantial city experience as she has served on two city commissions: Recreation & Parks and Charitable Solicitations. That is in addition to past service on the school board. Now, three other candidates have BHUSD school board experience too. But in my view that is not sufficient because the district and the city are two separate entities. The issues are quite different too.

So I view commission service as important preparation. On Recreation & Parks, Roston was not only a constructive contributor to discussions; I recall that in her time as chair she demonstrated the kind of leadership that one might expect from the candidate’s past service on several college and nonprofit boards of directors. She was able to drill down on the key points and achieve commission objectives despite the efforts of city staff to control the commission’s agenda.

As for Charitable Solicitations, the fact that Roston even volunteered is a mark in her favor. Service on that commission is not glamorous; it entails review of financial statements as filed by nonprofits that raise money in our city. No commissioner earns public recognition for that job. But Roston’s experience in finance and management likely well-qualified her to serve. Learn more about the candidate at the Roston for City Council website.

I support Roston because she would bring expertise and substance to her council service. Specifically our city has been missing finance and management expertise on the council dais since Bob Wunderlich completed his term in 2022. As for substance, Roston has called for bringing-back the city’s independent auditor to review city management practices. That function was championed by Wunderlich during his time on council, but subsequently councilmembers Gold and Bosse led the charge to disable it. Perhaps the auditor was too successful in calling-out opportunities for improvement!

Roston has also called for a review of outside vendor and consultant agreements. I couldn’t agree more. We need that long-overdue check on contracting practices so that city hall doesn’t reflexively reach for a consultant every time despite having the necessary expertise in-house. On these issues I know that Roston, when elected, will be a good complement to Corman on the council dais.

It means something to me that Wunderlich has endorsed Roston. Also endorsing her is longtime Traffic & Parking commissioner Sharon Ignarro who has championed street safety. From my discussions with Roston I believe that she will bring that street-safety perspective to city council. If Roston is good enough for Wunderlich and Ignarro, two of the city leaders whom I most respect, then Roston is good enough for me.

Again, my personal endorsement here is different from a Renters Alliance endorsement. Roston and I have met on two occasions to discuss rent stabilization in detail. She herself is an owner of a duplex in Los Angeles so she is familiar with rent control. And while Roston may not be the reflexive tenants’ champion that I am (who is?), she does understand the issues better than any member of our current city council.

For example, Roston has called for a systematic rental housing inspection program for Beverly Hills. Her positive experience with inspections in Los Angeles informs that position, she says. I believe that she will help us realize such a program here rather than simply talk more about it as our current council has done for the past five years.

My bottom line is that Roston has my endorsement because she is well-qualified, is knowledgeable about city issues, and has shown herself to be an independent voice as a commissioner. It doesn’t bother me that she is a landlord or that she’s even a member of the Apartment Association. I have always said that our problem is not with landlords, per se, but with bad landlords and a city hall that won’t hold them accountable.

I Do NOT Endorse Mary Wells

Ordinarily I would keep this positive and conclude with those two endorsements. But the Mary Wells campaign last week sent out an email that improbably, and suspiciously, would position Wells as the tenants’ champion.

“Dear Beverly Hills Renters,” began the February 9th email. “I will be your advocate and fight for renters’ rights to have fair and just rental rate controls and protect your interests to allow you to enjoy your deserved quality of life here in Beverly Hills.”

The email then goes on to make some promises.

I will create a dedicated renters advocate at City Hall where your complaints and concerns can be addressed. I will advocate for an Emergency Renters Assistance Program to offer short-term rental subsidies, housing conflict resolutions and mediation services for renters to partner better with property owners. I will protect renters’ rights with respect to constant rent increases. Landlords who do not perform timely repairs or remediation for life safety, mold, rodent infested buildings will be brought to the city code enforcement for possible citation.

Now, I welcome any candidate who recognizes our concerns and who stands-up to represent our interests in city hall. But I perceived this email to be a cynical and self-serving gesture instead of an earnest representation of her position.

For one thing, I didn’t recall that Wells had showed any specific concern for those who rent housing. Wells began her campaign in June of 2023. Excepting a single bullet point (among many) in her campaign literature, our specific concerns were simply not acknowledged.

However that changed the week after the February 1st candidate forum. At that forum’s Q&A I said that more than half of city households live in rent-stabilized housing. Then I asked whether the candidates could name one problem that a tenant faces. Watch the video for the candidates’ responses.

One week later the Wells pro-tenant email was in my inbox. And from the opening salutation it rubbed me wrong. “Dear Beverly Hills Renters” it began. Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being labeled a “renter.” I have resided on my block for two decades which is a time longer than Wells has lived in the city. In my mind that qualifies me as a resident and not merely a ‘renter’ with a vote.

The email would be more believable if Wells had involved herself substantively in city business over the years. Even as a resident. Many of us have stood up at the council microphone for a three-minute comment about rent stabilization or a local development project or whatever. Has Wells done so? Maybe it slips my mind.

Also Wells was on the school board for three years. Did she advocate for any policy that would assist a school district family that can’t any longer afford to rent here? If so we haven’t heard about it.

I know that is a problem because I get calls about the family that was displaced from rental housing for whatever reason and then they struggle to find something else in the city at a time when rents have skyrocketed and the supply of larger apartments is low.

There may be a good reason to vote for Wells. Here I am grousing about the candidate because I really resent that ‘renter’ email. But you decide for yourself. Please visit the Wells campaign website to learn more about the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Please Vote!

The choice(s) that we make at the polls by March 5th will determine which candidates will replace outgoing councilmembers Julian Gold and Lili Bosse and your vote matters. I choose to support Corman and Roston because they are capable, knowledgeable and they listen. With that kind of representation on the council dais we who rent housing will at least find an ear open to our concerns. And that is more than I can say for today’s city council.

But you must decide for yourself. Please find links to the websites for all candidates on the city clerk’s 2024 Candidates webpage. Do you disagree with my picks? If so, please drop me a line to tell me how I got it all wrong!