3 Council Incumbents Challenged by 4 Foes

Three incumbents are defending their City Council seats against four vocal challengers in the Nov. 3 election.

Mayor Susan Withrow and council members Sherri M. Butterfield and Lawrence H. Smith put their opposition to the proposed El Toro commercial airport at the top of their agenda. But that issue hasn’t been the focus of their opponents’ challenges.

The five-member City Council has approved redevelopment funding for two projects that the challengers say they would have opposed: about $1.2 million in stadium improvements for the Vigilantes minor league baseball team; and about $2 million for the development of the Kaleidoscope entertainment center.

The challengers also oppose a $35-million bond proposal for parking improvements at Mission Viejo Mall, an issue that will come before the council shortly after the election.

“The redevelopment agency is a truck going down the hill with no brakes,” said candidate Joe R. Chavez, who would rather see access improvements to the Eastern toll road.

Butterfield said that while redevelopment is an important issue, it need not be a contentious one.

Because the city depends heavily on sales tax revenue, the city’s assistance in revitalizing the mall only makes sense, Butterfield said.

“It’s not like we’re handing a check” to the mall owners, she said.

“We’ve been very conservative in our use of [redevelopment funds] to the benefit of the residents.”

Challengers John Paul Ledesma and Elisia Tabatzky are both members of the Committee for Integrity in Government, a City Council watchdog group.

They and challenger Dale A. Sandore all say they would like to see approval by two-thirds of the city’s voters for any large city projects or bond issues.

“I see no need for redevelopment assistance to the private sector in Mission Viejo,” Sandore said.

“The council doesn’t understand how business works; they start thinking it’s their money.”

Tabatzky said the redevelopment agency is a noble idea, but she would prefer to see funds go to infrastructure improvements across the city.

“It’s more important to build more parks and maintain our streets than to give wealthy corporations millions of dollars,” Tabatzky said.

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Mission Viejo Council Candidates

There are seven candidates seeking three Mission Viejo City Council seats on Nov. 3:

Sherri M. Butterfield

Age: 58

Occupation: Businesswoman

Background: Bachelor’s degree in English, University of Oklahoma; City Council mayor pro tem, former mayor; former planning commissioner; founding president of the Mission Viejo Library Foundation; board member and former chair, Orange County Fire Authority

Issues: Opposes commercial airport at El Toro; development and traffic issues related to eastern communities; continuing to enhance city revenue without raising taxes

Joe R. Chavez

Age: 61

Occupation: Senior programmer analyst

Background: Associate degree, East Los Angeles College; attended Cal State Los Angeles; president, Melrose Homeowners Assn.; former candidate for state office; swim coach

Issues: Opposes city support of the Vigilantes, mall redevelopment and the Kaleidoscope Entertainment Center; seeks stronger term limits; supports improvement of access to eastern communities to ease traffic

John Paul Ledesma

Age: 30

Occupation: Industry analyst, market research

Background: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Devry Institute; member, Committee for Integrity in Government; board member, California Republican Assembly and Saddleback Republican Assembly; volunteer for homeless in Santa Ana

Issues: Opposes airport at El Toro; opposes council’s use of redevelopment funds; supports voter approval of any major city projects or bonds

Dale A. Sandore

Age: 56

Occupation: Retail businessman

Background: Associate degree from Santa Monica College; attended UCLA; Republican Party volunteer; PAC liaison for California Assn. of Nurserymen

Issues: Opposes airport at El Toro; opposes any public money being spent for private development; improvement of access to eastern communities to ease traffic

Lawrence H. Smith

Age: 56

Occupation: Mortgage banker

Background: Bachelor’s degree in political science, UCLA; city councilman; member, Visiting Nurses Assn; esident of Allison Co.

Issues: Opposes airport at El Toro; development and traffic issues relating to eastern communities; rebuilding trust and empowering city as it relates to dwindling state funding

Elisia Tabatzky

Age: 34

Occupation: Computer network engineer

Background: Bachelor’s degree in biology, Cal State Fullerton; master’s degree in international relations, Boston University; treasurer, Committee for Integrity in Government

Issues: More support for fire and police services; infrastructure maintenance, especially roads; opposes council’s use of redevelopment funds

Susan Withrow

Age: 43

Occupation: Mayor

Background: Master’s degree in public administration, Cal State Long Beach; member, El Toro Reuse Planning Authority; former urban planner; board member, Orange County Traffic Authority; board member, Foothill Eastern Transportation Agency

Issues: Opposes airport at El Toro; continue to enhance city reserves without raising taxes; address state funding problems

Source: Individual candidates; Researched by CHRIS CEBALLOS / For The Times