ELECTIONS / REDONDO BEACH : City Hall Campaigns Center on Budget Cuts and Services : Government: Mayor Brad Parton and two council incumbents emphasize experience, but their challengers say they offer a fresh look at fiscal problems.

Four years ago, candidates for the Redondo Beach City Council were squabbling over how to control runaway growth.

Today, as the city struggles to slash its budget in the midst of a deep economic slump, such questions seem almost surreal.

The main issue facing the city these days, and the one that has framed nearly all of the debates leading up to next Tuesday’s election, is how the city can survive a loss of 20% of its revenues and still maintain services.

Over the last year and a half, city officials have tried to cope with the loss by consolidating departments, reducing the staff by more than 50 positions and withholding raises. But that has not been enough. Next year’s budget is projected to have a $1.5-million shortfall, which could grow to $3.5 million if the governor’s proposed budget is approved.

Not surprisingly, government austerity has been a key issue in the race for mayor and three council seats. The incumbents, Mayor Brad Parton and council members Barbara J. Doerr and Terry Ward, all maintain they have been done a good job of coping with the economic downturn. They say their experience gives them a running start in attempts to improve the city’s business climate.

Many of their challengers, however, contend the incumbents have wasted time bickering during council meetings. They argue that the city needs fresh faces to meet the financial challenges ahead.

Voters will also be asked to cast ballots on five measures, including one that would raise the utility users tax by 1%. And they will decide which of four candidates for the city attorney’s post--which is being vacated by retiring City Atty. Gordon Phillips--is most qualified for the position.

Because the field of candidates is so large and candidates need 50% of the vote plus one to win office, runoffs are possible in the mayor’s race, the city attorney’s race and at least one of the council contests.

Mayoral Candidates

Even though Parton enjoys greater name recognition than his opponents, he has been outspending his four opponents by thousands of dollars. Some challengers contend he is running scared, especially in the wake of his defeat in last year’s state Assembly race in which he was criticized for his ties to Christian activists.

But Parton points out that his $8,500 in campaign expenditures have paid for just two mailers, which he says were necessary to balance the view that has appeared in local newspapers.

“The other opponents don’t necessarily have the name recognition, but they don’t have the negative publicity that sometimes comes along with that,” Parton said.

Throughout the campaign, Parton has taken credit for streamlining city government, adopting a new General Plan and starting up curbside recycling and a visitor’s bureau. If reelected, he promises to continue restructuring the city budget while finding ways to improve police and fire services and to expand programs for senior citizens and teen-agers.

Parton’s strongest opponent is former City Councilman Ron Cawdrey, a labor representative who served the city between 1982 and 1991.

Cawdrey is at odds with Parton on several points. While Cawdrey promises to try to retain jobs at City Hall, Parton says he would consider contracting with private companies for park maintenance and street sweeping services to cut costs. Cawdrey favors raising the utility users tax to raise money for city services, but Parton believes the city can meet next year’s projected shortfall without it.

Cawdrey also has come under attack for engaging the city in a costly court battle over its two-term limit on officeholders.

So far, the lawsuit has cost the city more than $100,000. But Cawdrey, who sued the city after being told he could not run for a third council term in 1991, said it is a worthwhile battle.

“If you believe in something strong enough, you should go after it,” he said. “I believe in fighting for what I think is right.”

The other three candidates for mayor are marketing administrator and city youth commissioner Robe Richester, broadcast news analyst and traffic and transportation commissioner Dean Francois and political newcomer Christopher Boyle, a certified public accountant.

Richester, who placed last four years ago in a bid for a seat on the City Council, criticizes Parton for having ambitions for higher office. If elected, Richester promises to place public safety and the development of a youth center among his top priorities.

Francois says he would devote time to environmental concerns, such as the problem of polluted storm drain runoff reaching the ocean. To help attract new businesses to the city, he would propose waiving their license fees for the first year of operation.

Boyle, who says he is running for mayor to take a stand against the city’s franchise with Century Cable, is generally dismissed by his opponents as a fringe candidate.

But the self-described “cable TV candidate” nevertheless has gone to unusual lengths to make his positions heard. Unable to attend a mayoral debate at Temple Menorah in Redondo Beach earlier this week, Boyle spoke to the audience through a speaker phone from a table where the other four candidates were seated.

During his opening comments, he described Parton, Cawdrey and Richester as “a horror story waiting to be unleashed once again on Redondo Beach.” He said Francois “seems like a nice man, but then again, I don’t know him.”

Council Candidates

Three seats on the five-member City Council, two of which are held by incumbents, are at stake in the election. The race for the seat held by Councilwoman Kay Horrell, who has already served two terms and cannot seek reelection, is open.

Of all the races, the one for Doerr’s seat has been the least expensive. As of Feb. 13, Doerr, who works in Orange County’s planning department, had spent $144 on her campaign. Her opponent, Joseph C. Dawidziak, a small business owner, did not itemize his contributions and expenditures.

Dawidziak refers to himself as “the stealth candidate” because, he says, no one seems to know who he is. He opposes a “tax and spend government” and a council that “drives up costs through its procrastination.”

“Our present City Council is constantly posturing and bickering,” Dawidziak said recently. “We need new blood . . . to change the way we do business.”

Doerr contends she is the candidate who opposes a “politics-as-usual attitude,” and notes that she has sponsored initiatives to limit campaign contributions. She also takes credit for supporting economic development projects such as the Galleria at South Bay, which has enhanced city revenues and the local economy.

In Ward’s race, the computer consultant is being challenged by two candidates: marketing consultant Robert Pinzler, who has been endorsed by Doerr and Councilman Stevan Colin, and city activist Eva Snow, wife of former councilman Archie Snow.

As of last week, Ward had spent $10,900 on the campaign. Pinzler had spent about $1,300, while Snow had expenditures of about $700.

Ward said he fulfilled all of his campaign promises from the last election and that he will bring experienced leadership to his second term on the council.

“The most important issue facing us and every city in California is the budget,” Ward said. “It’s not getting better. . . . The other candidates are saying they’ll bring new blood and yes, they will. But we need experience right now.”

Pinzler says he has the kind of background that would best serve the city. As a small-business owner, he says he is used to “making the most of limited budgets.” He said he would support economic incentives to encourage former aerospace workers to develop high technology companies within the city.

Snow has waged a more low-key campaign. Saying she hates to sell herself to voters, Snow is instead banking on the hope that voters are already aware of her contributions to the community. She cites her service as a member of the South Bay Hospital District’s board of directors from 1984 to 1992 and currently as president of the American Legion Auxiliary, Post 184.

The race most likely to end in a runoff is that for the second district. Seven candidates, none of them with previous council experience, are running for the seat.

They include Rick Abelson, a city planner who chairs the Redondo Beach Harbor Commission; Bob DeLoyd, a security guard; Harold S. (Hal) Hawkins, a retired minister and former chair of the Redondo Beach Harbor Commission; Greg Hill, a gas company manager and member of the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission; Bill MacAlpin, a businessman; Vanessa Poster, director of development at the South Bay Free Clinic; and Sal Princiotta, an entrepreneur, artist and part-time massage therapist.

Although Stephen R. Garfield withdrew from the race earlier this year, his name will appear on the ballot.

Hawkins and Abelson, the campaign’s biggest fund raisers, both say they would pay close attention to the needs of the pier and harbor. Poster and MacAlpin say their business backgrounds have given them the skills the city needs to make the most of tight budgets.

Princiotta and Hill promise to try to make City Hall more responsive and accessible to residents. DeLoyd, who served on the city’s boaters rights committee in 1986, says he would fight to allow small boats to once again rent space from the city’s moorings.

City Attorney Candidates

Redondo Beach is one of the few California cities that ask voters to choose a city attorney. While supporters say elected city attorneys are more responsive to the public, critics say voters generally do not have enough information or expertise to choose the most qualified candidate.

But what counts as qualifications?

All of the candidates agree the city attorney has an obligation to keep a lid on costly lawsuits. But only three of the contenders--Stuart Scudder, Larry Peterson and Marilyn Wicznyski--have previous municipal law experience.

Scudder, a college law professor, served as Garden Grove’s city attorney before retiring last August. Peterson is currently Inglewood’s deputy city attorney. And Wicznyski has worked as a prosecutor and municipal attorney for the cities of Torrance, Hawthorne and Garden Grove.

Candidate Jerry Goddard has never worked in a city’s legal department, but he currently serves as assistant superintendent of personnel and legal counsel for the South Bay Union High School District.

District 1 Candidates

Joseph C. Dawidziak, business owner

Barbara Doerr, incumbent

City Attorney Candidates

Jerry Goddard, school district official

Larry W. Peterson, attorney

Stuart Scudder, college professor

Marilyn Wiczynski, attorney

District 4 Candidates

Robert Pinzler, marketing consultant

Eva Snow, community activist

Terry Ward, computer consultant

District 2 Candidates Rick Abelson, city planner

Bob DeLoyd, security guard

Harold S. (Hal) Hawkins, retired clergyman

Greg Hill, utility manager

Bill MacAlpin, business owner

Vanessa Poster, director at health clinic

Sal Princiotta, entrepreneur

Mayoral Candidates Brad Parton, incumbent Chris Boyle, accountant Ron Cawdrey, representative Dean T. Francois, broadcast news analyst Robe Richester, marketing administrator