Forum 1 of 2: Hear From La Verne's District 1 and 3 Council Candidates in Their Own Words

Thomas Allison

Rick is right, we have a structural budget deficit, and that's a problem. Year over year, we're spending more than we're taking in. Quite frankly, I don't see a lot of creativity coming in where we are headed with regard to solving that problem.

I would take a three-point approach at least to this immediate issue first. I want to review existing programs to ensure they are actually returning the value to residents that they should be. That's where my Six Sigma certification and my experience in operations will come in.

Second, I think we need long-term financial planning—not looking at things year over year and bailing ourselves out annually, but we need an actual structured approach to the budget. That's where my background in public finance will come in.

Third, we need an economic development system that is going to drive revenue. Again, that is creativity that have lacking currently, and without this we are going to continue to drive the budget deficit. What I am hearing talking to people is that they cannot afford any more taxes. Going up from Measure LV is a problem for our residents. We need to be creative about how we are generating revenue and attracting new businesses which is why I am proposing a stronger and more strategic development model.

Steve Johnson

As a business owner I know how important it is to track our spending now and into the future. My experience on the Hillcrest board taught me just how vital careful planning is, especially during tough times. For our community in La Verne I would advocate for realistic revenue estimates and ensure we have enough savings set aside and it’s crucial to regularly looking over ongoing expenses, including long-term commitments and maintenance.

Before we agree to any new recurring expenses, we should first figure out how we can support them in the years to come. We also need to explore ways to work efficiently, shop competitively, seek grants and form partnerships, all while supporting our local businesses that strengthen our economy.

Richard Bowen

I agree with many of the comments, but personally, to fund our core responsibilities—police, fire, water, sewer and all essential services—I propose a line-item review of our budget every year. I will ask for an in-depth audit to see where our money is and how it has been spent.

I will also request a total review of all contracts over $75,000, which is the City policy. I’ll look for bids. We have two contracts with two companies that are 30-plus years no-bid, and we spend hundreds, if not millions, of dollars with both of those companies, but there's no bid. That doesn't make any sense to me. Even the state says contracts should be put out every five years at the maximum. The current City Council fights hard to keep these no-bid agreements, and I wonder why.

Raising fees and taxes on our citizens should not be our first response. Cutting our budget and looking at every dollar we spend should be.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

Financial stability starts with living within our means and understanding not just what something costs today, but what it will cost five, 10 and 15 years down the line.

I believe we should continue using conservative revenue projections, maintaining appropriate reserves, managing long-term liabilities and carefully evaluating ongoing expenses before creating new programs or positions.

At the same time, fiscal responsibility doesn’t simply mean cutting services. We should continue looking for efficiencies, grants, partnerships, economic development opportunities and outside funding before asking residents to shoulder additional costs.

Every major expenditure should answer three questions: Is it necessary? Is it sustainable, and does it provide measurable value for you the residents of this great City of La Verne? A structurally balanced budget gives us the ability to provide quality services today without creating financial problems for future councils and future residents.

Thomas Allison

The City has to improve its communication. I think what we just experienced is not exemplary by any means. IIn fact, I think it's, as I mentioned last night, a warning for the City's lack of preparedness. This year, we've had more than 11, 7.0 earthquakes. This city is not prepared for that. And we don't have an emergency operation plan that's updated, even though the general plan has required such an emergency plan to exist. I think that we need to do more to make sure our residents are better prepared.

I just did the CERT training. I was not prepared before CERT. I'm a little bit more prepared now—not completely, but I’m getting there. But that is a free program that I would enhance as a city council member.

My Neighbor Helping Neighbor initiative would help make sure that everybody is connected with a social network and does not get left behind. We have five officers working in the City at any given moment. The residents have to be empowered to step up, and a neighbor has to be empowered to help a neighbor. And that's where I would employ more direct leadership as your council person. Have a social media presence. I would require that the City has an ability to test via analog. I would also urge the city to be able to communicate via email.

You need a multifaceted, multilevel approach to resident communication because we are not all equally situated, but we all deserve to be better informed.

Steve Johnson

My experience has shown me how important it is to understand risks before they become problems. I bring that mindset to our community's emergency preparedness. I believe in regularly checking our evacuation routes, sharing emergency access, working closely with our police, fire department, public works, utilities, and nearby agencies.

It’s also vital for residents to have clear, practical information. We need to guide residents on how to receive alerts, to find updates, what to prepare, how to get help. I suggest we share this information through various channels like printed materials and community outreach so everyone can stay informed.

We should also plan for residents who may have mobility issues or challenges, and or may have medical equipment and or need help with transportation after an emergency or practice drill. I would love to see us hold a community meeting to discuss what went well, and what we can improve. Being prepared requires clear communication, providing roles, and ongoing attention to all those we serve.

Richard Bowen

One thing we should do is have a website, a City website, that people can actually utilize. We heard from many people last night saying they got mixed signals. And many people say, “It works great,” until a layperson like me goes on to try to use them, and can’t find the information. ANd while I may not be all that tech-savvy, I am not the only one. So we have a lot of citizens that don’t have it, that should be out first priority in my case.

I also think we need to look at, for 10 years, I've talked about no cell service in northern La Verne, and it's a safety issue. We saw it two years ago, we saw it yesterday, we saw it over the weekend. If cell service doesn't work in a large area of our city, that is a danger to our city and we are asking for a disaster. So I would hope we would address the issues we have. And I hear people talk about what we should do. A lot of people have been here for a long time, and it’s, what have they done?

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

We have seen it, unfortunately, recently, the event that happened here in our good city, we've seen the response from our firefighters, police officers, outside agencies, community volunteers and all City employees, and you saw what right looks like. But we can always do better, I understand that. And that is why I always champion to listen to our community.

But preparedness begins before an emergency. La Verne needs strong coordination among our fire department, police department, Public Works, neighboring agencies and regional emergency management partners. And again, you saw that.

We should continue revealing evacuation routes, wildfire mitigation, emergency access, backup communications, and the needs of the residents who may require additional assistance during evacuation or power outage.

Communication is especially important. Residents need to know where reliable information will come from before an emergency occurs. Not while they're trying to figure it out during the complete chaos. That means encouraging enrollment in emergency notification systems, conducting community preparedness, education, and exercises. And communicating through multiple channels.

Our fire department already coordinates community emergency preparedness that you've seen, and the City provides emergency alert resources. We should build upon these systems and continually evaluate them.

Thomas Allison

I personally will not come in with my own list of preferred projects. I think, first of all, resident input is critical in this particular scenario. So first, I would want to democratize the capital improvement process so that the residents are part of that process and better educated on the capital improvements that the City has strategically planning.

Second, I think we should prioritize infrastructure using objective criteria, such as public safety, condition, failure, number of residents, economic impact and cost of delaying repairs.

Ultimately, I think we should shift away from reactive maintenance to planned asset management. And what that would look like would be engaging not only a city staff, but also the residents, and mapping out the City, the sidewalks, the streets, the parks, the roadways, sewer, electrical, communications, et cetera. So that we can better comprehensively plan our service provision.

Ultimately, I think coordination not only starts with where we are now, but it starts with strategically planning for the future, Meaning we don't put more people in an area without the infrastructure to support those people the way I fear we are doing with our housing element.

And so, these are certain things that I will, again, democratize, because I think there's a lot of wisdom we can glean from our residents.

Steve Johnson

It's important to focus on our community’s infrastructure, pay special attention to things like current conditions, how many people could be impacted, the costs of waiting for repairs, our water and storm sewer systems are crucial. Since failures in these areas can affect our homes, businesses, and overall safety streets, sidewalks, public facilities, parks, also, which are regular here in the paint.

Streets, sidewalks, public facilities and parks also deserve regular maintenance. As we plan for future development, we need to assess our service capacity.

Richard Bowen

I believe repairs should be an ongoing issue, with the Public Works Department identifying them on a routine basis. You never know when it's gonna pop up, and if it was a routine, examination and when identified, the city should react immediately, reduced for damage.

The City has an annual budget as well as a CIP (capital improvement), reserved for street repair or routine maintenance and additional reviewing, all state granted. They need to stick to that versus delay spending or other uses.

And I will say, I was on the water committee. We have a five year plan. And I asked to see what we've spent over the last five years, because it was a five year plan then. And the City would not produce that information. They had taken, borrowed from one fund to put into the to cover overhead, and we kept up with our infrastructure, repair, and replacement.

So that is a priority. Do it, you bid for it, or you plan for it, and you have to do it.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

Infrastructure should be prioritized based on public safety, I always repeat that condition, service, liability, and the financial consequences of delaying such maintenance.

Water and sewer infrastructure are especially important because failures can be extremely expensive and disruptive to you, as great citizens of La Verne.

Streets, stormwater systems, sidewalks, parks and public facilities also require consistent investment rather than waiting for something to fail.

The City has already been examining the long term financial requirements of its water and sewer systems, including ensuring that new development pays its appropriate share infrastructure impacts.

We also need better coordination whenever possible. If we're going to open up a street for water, sewer, or utility work, we should coordinate projects to work on repeatedly tearing up the same road.

I support long-range capital planning that identifies infrastructure needs years and years ahead, establishes priorities and gives residents greater visibility into when projects will occur. Preventive maintenance always costs less than an emergency replacement.

Thomas Allison

The City is unfortunately subordinate to state law. We cannot ignore state law. One of the things that actually happened in this City is we actually passed a housing element that puts all of our affordable housing in one section of the City. I objected to this plan because there were challenges that were mentioned in the housing element, with taking such an approach. That housing element passed the council unanimously. That’s a problem.

We not only need to look critically at the infrastructure of those areas, we need to get resident input and the impacts of both all the various sexual housing on that area's neighborhood and community.

Without taking a strategic approach, listening to residents actually engaging in public hearings, and listening to the experts, I think we can do a lot of good in maintaining our character.

I am also proposing a district improvement plan that would bring residents to the forest, and that we can get and put directly on the residence, not only on beautifying the city, but how we can maintain the small town character that it has.The beautiful stories that these people have about this city should be reflected in the city's aesthetic.

And I don't think we do a great job of doing that, and that would be one of my priorities.

Steve Johnson

I appreciate why our neighbors cherish this community and its neighborhoods. I know people that live in different stages of life, need different housing options, fit their budget.

I would like to work with city staff, and legal advisors, understand state requirements, while exploring what we can do here in Overland.

My focus would be on creating quality designs, insurance, same access, improvements, infrastructure, and making sure redevelopments fit well within their surroundings.

Everyone in our community needs clear, kindly information, so we can get involved in the planning process.

We need to explain choices.

We have limitations we might face as a city. I'm also committed to considering the older residents who want to stay in America, and families who hope to make this place forever. My goal is to plan, thoughtfully, addressing housing needs, 12 honoring, what makes you earn such a special place for us.

Richard Bowen

La Verne has to comply with state laws,that’s what we said, But we should understand it’s a small residential community for the most part, and that is how the vast majority of people want to keep it. We have very limited space for development and need to carefully examine the impact on surrounding neighborhoods.

Amherst being a great example. The people in that area will tell you it has really had a negative effect on their living conditions. The original plans were small community, ended up being much later whenit was all done. Existing zoning should matter. Allowing outside developers to get rezoning approval from the City should not happen.

Only developments that fit current zoning and neighborhoods should be considered.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

So California City is operated within state house laws, and La Verne has adopted its 2021-29 housing element. Our responsibility is to comply with the law while using the local authority. We retain to protect quality design, infrastructure capacity, safety and neighborhood compatibility.

I believe residents deserve meaningful opportunities to understand proposed development and provide your input. Growth should also be planned, rather than simply a current project by project. Our general plan was adopted and updated in 2025, after a lengthy, lengthy, planning and public engagement process.

We can recognize the need for housing while still asking important questions about traffic, parking, water, sewer capacity, public safety, and neighborhood impacts. La Verne can evolve without losing the hometown character you good citizens love and value.

Thomas Allison

First, I think there’s a technical thing. We have to make sure the City is easy to do business with. We've got to be sure we’re looking at timelines, communication, responsiveness, flexibility, etc.

Secondly, I think we need a gap analysis that will analyze the businesses we currently have, the businesses that are missing and how we should strategically recruit those particular businesses

Third, I think we have to support the businesses that are currently here. I think a strategic partnership between the Chamber, business association, City and [the University of La Verne's business college] could do a whole lot of good for providing such things as pro bono legal clinics to business owners, business audits, free policy and procedure manuals, et cetera.

I think that we need to consider third places and placemaking,in our economic development, so that we are including our residents and their quality of life, in our planning.

And then, I think we should showcase our diversity. Businesses love markets, and markets are people and the more we celebrate our people and the brilliance of the diversity we have in this city, the greater chance we have of recruiting, and maintaining diverse businesses.

Steve Johnson

After my 42 years of running my own insurance business, I've learned a lot about what it takes to keep a business going, and to serve customers well.

We need clear, simple permitting requirements and open lines of communication. We should help applicants understand what they need to do.

We should listen to existing businesses about the challenges they face and find reasonable ways to make improvements.

Clean, safe, inviting, commercial areas matter to everyone, B keeping our public spaces well maintained, coordinating, construction work, we can help businesses serve customers with newer interruptions.

I would love to see continued cooperation among the City, local businesses, business groups, property owners and schools to support investment and encourage local commerce.

When considering a new proposal, we should look at how they fit into our community, a healthy business community, community benefits all of us by providing valuable services and creating jobs, generating revenue that helps support our city.

Richard Bowen

I think this is going to be a major issue in the next few years. Our City has a limited tax base.

Our city has limited tax space, and we don't have a car company, we don't have major box movers other than maybe Target, and a few small others, a few, some of them have left in the last couple years.

Gyms are great. They don't produce tax. And restaurants do produce, and we have a lot of those of quality, but others do not.

So I would look at every tax opportunity, every company, how do we bring companies here that bring taxes to our city and serve our residents?

Partner source, whatever.

And who in the city is responsible? Who is the city salesperson? That goes to those companies, to try to entice them to come to the city. I don't really know if we have somebody with that focus.

So, I would propose that we look at tax-generating companies, and also, look at the company, or look at facilities that don't pay taxes here, because we have quite a few of them, and see what services they get from the City, but don't pay taxes to support those services.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

Local businesses are an important part of both our economy and our community identity. City government should make it easier, not necessarily harder, for responsible businesses to invest here. And we have done that every step of the way. Our great city and employees, our planning commission, those that are sitting right outside, providing businesses a great opportunity, and welcome each and every single one to La Verne. Now, again, that means, permitting processes, providing clear expectations, communicating with applicants, supporting our commercial districts, and working collaboratively with organizations such as our local business community and education institutions.

Economic development also matters to fiscal stability. A stronger commercial base generates revenue that helps support police, fire, infrastructure, parks, and other great City services.

I don't believe economic development means accepting every single proposal. We should pursue businesses that strengthen the tax base, provide services to residents want and fit the greater character of this City.

Thomas Allison

My nonprofit was based on a theory called collaborative government, where we put on more than 500 pro bono community programs, all free using our relationships, our resources, and the community. I believe in it. I have the experience. That's exactly how CASI was formed.

Second, transparency. The current council actually just voted to allow the City manager and the finance director to make decisions on whether or not major projects should be rebid. That is lack of transparency.

We need more transparency, more information given out to residents and more engagement directly with residents.

Most of the people I talk to say it's futile to go to a City Council meeting because it doesn't make a difference. That is why, as your council member, I will commit to quarterly town hall meetings where I am out in the public.

I walked this entire district, once this election, I plan to do it again. I will also commit to walking this district at least once every year, door to door, to make sure that we’re collecting data, oour residents are kept informed and democracy is meeting them at their front door.

Steve Johnson

Listening is at the core of how I service our community. I've had the privilege of meeting many residents in different settings, and I understand that that council meeting is not the only way for people to get involved.

It is important to offer clear, friendly summaries of big proposals. These summaries should explain the issues, costs, options, availability, and residents can share their thoughts.

My goal is to make sure everyone can understand what's being decided without getting lost in complicated terms. Being transparent means that we share our decisions openly, we make sure that you can see how public resources are being used. Your trust is important to me, and I'm here to help.

My time in Rotary has really taught me the importance of truth, fairness, goodwill, and thinking about how decisions affect everyone involved. These values guide me in my approach, when residents strongly oppose a big proposal. I take the time to listen, understand your biggest concerns. We should consider whether any important facts are missing, whether there might be unintended effects, or whether there are better terms that we can explore.

On the council, I talk about issues with respect. I am committed to productive conversations with my fellow council members.

Richard Bowen

I love this question. Stakeholders—who are they? They're citizens. Every citizen of this City.

Eight years ago tomorrow, I formed with a small group of people, a group called the La Verne Coalition of Concerned Citizens for this exact reason. People would go to council meetings, they would be sitting there for hours on end. They would never get to their ability to speak to the council, and if they did, they got three minutes, and no response, no comment.

I love the fact that I hear people say they communicate with the residents, but when we try to communicate, there is no communication. And if you've been to a council meeting in person, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

La Verne Coalition has 1,800 members. Those people get to hear what's going on. And people that go to council meetings myself, publish that information, and that's how we keep how a lot of people inform. And I will commit to continuing to do that at least every 90 days, and I believe the City should do that on a routine basis. They said they would, they have never done it.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

Transparency requires more than posting an agenda online. Residents should be able to understand what their city government is considering, why it's being considered, what it costs, and how the decision may affect each and every one of you.

La Verne’s own strategic values emphasizes openness, accessibility, community participation, responsiveness, and transparency.

We should communicate through multiple methods: City Council meetings, the City's website and the City’s app, email and emergency notifications, social media, community meetings, and, my personal favorite, direct engagement with you. The city's strategic planning process has also incorporated community surveys and public participation.

As a council member, I believe you also have to be accessible outside City Hall. Not everyone can attend a Monday night meeting. We have to go where residents are, listen to them, respond to their concerns and explain our decisions, even when they disagree with us.

And it's okay. I have thick skin. I've been out there. I've talked to each and every single one of you. I always tell you, I ask you the same thing, the good Army is always asking, “What can we do better?” And I stand by that, because we're La Verne strong.

Thomas Allison

I would bring my 16 years as a litigator to the dais. In court, very rarely are you seeing things the same way. However, on almost every case, the parties are better off when we come to a resolution. I have that experience. I also have the experience advocating in situations where agreements just cannot be made, and maintaining respectability and respect for each other, is at the heart of that. My best friends are people that I've sparred most with in the courtroom.

But second, what I'd say is, my dissertation was completely about this. It was about working in networks of people who are completely different. I have the 5E model and the truth model, both of which came from interdealing dozens of professionals, including several of which, who come from LV3C. So they're strong La Verne voices in that approach to community governance, and it has a lot to do with how we pre-establish relationships in the first place.

Finally, all establish trust and exude trust with our residents. I think it's okay to disagree. We're all here, I believe, motivated to build the best City that we can, and that requires us to all have faith and trust in the fact that we're all here to do good by the City, even if we disagree.

Starting with that baseline of goodwill, that's what I was bringing to the council, so that we don't take things personally.

Steve Johnson

My time at Rotary has really taught me the importance of the truth, fairness, goodwill, and thinking about how decisions affect everyone involved. These values guide me in my approach when it comes to residents strongly opposing a proposal. I will take time to listen and understand their biggest concerns. We should consider whether any important facts are missing, whether there are any unintended effects, where there are better alternatives that we can explore. On the council, I talk about issues with respect, and I am committed to productive conversations with my fellow councilmembers. I ask questions to seek common ground where we can agree; if we can address concerns by making changes, then we should definitely consider those options.

Richard Bowen

When elected, I’ll work hand-in-hand with the four other council members, but also keep in mind, the citizens are at the top of the food chain. You have to listen to the citizens. Again, I’ve gone to City Council meetings for 10 years. By the time it gets to Council, it has already been decided. They will probably say that’s not true, but all have to do is be there and watch the vote.

So, I would absolutely work with those, and actually have dialogue with them, the way it's set up, is when it gets to the council, they vote on it. Well, some of the packets are eight or three, four hundred pages long.There's no way they read the details on some of the things they vote on.

I would recommend immediately that things that are brought to a vote are not voted on that evening, but discussed, and have citizen input, and be brought back to the next Council meeting for an actual vote after people have found out what it is, what's in it and how it affects every citizen in the City. That would be one of the first things I would do is ask for them to not look at aiding and vote the next stating has been discussed.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

What you have seen in the last four years is a dynamic that most cities do not experience, And that is a good working relationship with my fellow colleagues. An outstanding educator, two outstanding businessmen, an amazing attorney, and a public safety professional is what you have that has that dynamic, a great city.

But disagreements is part of democracy. I love democracy. I fight for it. As a veteran in the United States Army, and I still serve. Five council members aren't always going to agree, and residents aren't always going to agree with us or with each other.

My responsibility has always been and will continue to be, to listen ask questions, examine the facts, and treat everyone respectfully. When there’s strong opposition, I want to understand what everybody else does, the why. Sometimes residents identify consequences, all alternatives to government they haven’t fully considered. That’s okay.

But leadership always requires, what? Decisions. That's what we dom make tough decisions.

Once everyone has had the opportunity to be heard, we have to evaluate the facts, the financial implications and long-term interests of the community and make a decision based on that information alone. What afterwards, whether the vote is 5-0 or 3-2, we still have to work together for the best interests, not for just us, but for you, in the great city of La Verne.

Thomas Allison

My first priority would be a financial sustainability and performance plan. First, we've got to make common sense of our budget. I would want a scorecard for our residents to see things in picture form—red, yellow, green. This is where we’re doing well. This is where we need improvement. This is where we’re failing.

Second, I will implement a district improvement plan, and that includes beautification, safety and preparedness, enhancing community life and asset mapping, and supporting our local businesses and nonprofits.

Finally, I will enhance resident engagement and my own accountability, again, quarterly town hall meetings and annual walking of the districts. But finally, a scorecard, where things that are being put forth by the residents are actually being recorded. There is a list, there is a scorecard that is telling you the progress that we are making for each of these initiatives. And updates are being made directly, every single City Council meeting, and every single town hall. This is what accountability, I believe looks like. This is the voice that residents want, and this is what I'm prepared to give.

Steve Johnson

The three departments that are most important to me within the City are police, fire and public works. Those are definitely the three that are major concerns that I have with the City of La Verne.

Richard Bowen

When elected, I have five, actually. Support the citizens first. You'll hear that theme from me. It's the citizens first. They're at the top of the food chain, and we do that with direct and open communication.

I would maintain and strengthen our police and fire to make sure the City is the safest place to live. I would rebuild and repair aging infrastructure on a timely basis while passing a balanced City budget. I would focus efforts to keep a small, beautiful, safe, and vibrant City, that we all moved here and love.

Lastly, I would return your right to vote to at-large voting. I believe district voting disenfranchises most citizens. You only get to vote once every four years. That, in my opinion, is wrong. At the very minimum, we go back to mayor at-large and then investigate how we can go back to City at-large.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

My three priorities would be public safety, fiscal stability and infrastructure.

First, public safety. I want La Verne to remain a community where families feel safe in their homes, children can travel safe to school, and police and fire have the resources necessary to respond to each and every emergency, effectively.

Second, fiscal stability. We must maintain a structurally balanced budget and responsibly address long-term obligations and make sure today’s decisions come back and become tomorrow’s financial problems.

Third, infrastructure. That means streets, water and sewer systems, parks and public facilities, and the infrastructure residents depend on each and every single day.

Residents shouldn't simply have to take our word for it that we’re making progress. I support measurable goals, timelines, regular public reporting and accountability through the budget process. At the end of the year, residents should be able to ask, “What did you say you were going to do?” “What did you accomplish?” and “What still needs to be done?” That's how I believe local government will earn your trust.

Thomas Allison

I think it's positive. The City itself has a very strong emphasis with our youth. We have representation on our white side committee because we believe the relationship between the City and the district is critically important.I think this last incident that we experienced this last week shows how critical, and inexplicably linked, the City is with these local schools.

And, so based, at least what I've seen from my vantage point, the relationship appears to be pretty sound. I do think there are opportunities for better collaboration.

I do think the communication that took place this last week needs to be enhanced and improved quite significantly. I didn't know what to do with my kids on Thursday, and you can say that I should have been following whoever … No, there was an information blackout from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m., and we did not know what to do with our children.

So I do think that we need to better strategically include our schools and our cities, emergency operations planning, and the way that we are notifying parents, particularly those who may be coming out of district.

Steve Johnson

I believe the City and Bonita have a really good working relationship. We, as the City, rely on fields provided by the school district for youth sports. The City of La Verne put in the artificial turf as the football field, that was my first

We share Las Flores Park and the pool, and also with the University of La Verne. These different groups work together. We couldn't do it all by ourselves. We don't have the field space. We don't have all of that, and to have the pool, with the three different entities, makes a lot of sense for our community.

The tennis courts are utilized, private city, and in high school, I think it's a great relationship.

Richard Bowen

I will admit, as the old saying goes, I don’t have a dog in the hunt anymore. My kids graduated from Bonita schools 30 years ago. They got great educations and they certainly enjoyed their time there. I believe Bonita Unified has many of the same problems the City has: infrastructure, aging infrastructure and a large budget, but where do you spend the money? Do you spend at the right place?

I was against the bond, and I met with the superintendent and his assistant, and I asked him to attend a LV3C forum, we had specifically for that. None of them came to that forum. They all said that they would not come. And that was their opportunity to talk about the bond fund.

So, as far as that's concerned, that tells me that the relationship with the council might be really good, but I think the citizens should have a little more input, and, again, be listened to. So, I hope that we have a very good relationship, and I would love to see that get better, and as a council person, I will work on that.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

There’s always a learning opportunity in each and every conversation we have with people. There's always what can we do better. But the Bonita Unified School District has their own board, and I, personally, cannot like to step on other people's skills and tell them what to do. What I would like to do is what I've always done, and that is have great communication with each and every one of them. It's clearly evident in what Dr. Allison just mentioned, again, what happened recently, as far as their leadership responding to keep those children, our children, here in La Verne safe.

We will continue to foster a great opportunity for us to communicate with them. And my phone is always available, I gave it to thousands of people in our good city of La Verne. Each and every single one of us has great communication with the board members, and always available to them. I love to collaborate.

I recently, several times, had an opportunity, and really blessed, to see, CIF champions and Bonita High School, the water polo team. We recognized them, made sure that they come to city council. Hasn’t been done before. Or we recognized continuously the great efforts and achievements of our students here in our schools. And then I get one close to my heart, to also see those amazing students that graduate from high school, and carry on the legacy of serving the United States military.

We continuously recognize the great efforts and achievements of students here in our schools.

Thomas Allison

First of all, where is the emergency operations plan? Did it work? How did we perform in relation to it? Is it updated? Again, the general plan requires the City to have one. We did not hear about it.

Second, I talked about my Neighbors Helping Neighbors initiative. We need to increase our network. You know, I actually am quite surprised by how organized some of our mobile home parks are. And when I think about how not organized some of our neighborhoods are, I think, some neighborhoods can gain a lot from just learning from other neighborhoods. So, we need to get people together talking about the best practices of what some neighborhoods are doing, so that we can diffuse that innovation to other neighborhoods, standardize that, so to speak.

Third, the multilevel response. It doesn’t just need to be text. There should be text, a chat feature, there should be one-way directional communication, there should be email and there should be social media—all things providing a consistent message.

I think this should all be outlined in our emergency operations plan. If it's not, then it should be. We all need to be educated on it.

Steve Johnson

I do believe the text-to-phone emergency alerts can be improved greatly. I never did receive anything on my phone starting that there was any type of a problem.

Our public works does an excellent job, clearing storms. I have no qualms about what they do. There are floods that occur in certain areas, on a regular basis, when we have major planning, they're out there clearing that those streets, right away. I have no problem with the way public works takes care of that.

Richard Bowen

I think the City is great at response. We saw that just recently with the fire. The fire department and the police immediately got out there and set up information. I get Amber Alerts on my TV. But when there’s an emergency here, nothing. Luckily, I live far enough away form it, it wasn’t an immediate situation for me, but it could have been, I don’t know.

So, I think, again, a website that works and that people can respond to, and especially taking into consideration that many people aren't that tech-savvy. How do we communicate with those, that protect them? It’s one thing to say, oh great, “go on the site, go do this, go do that, on your cell phone or whatever. But a lot of people, especially in our elder population, they aren't that savvy. I’m not that savvy, unfortunately.

Communication, again, and the cell issue in northern La Verne is a critical issue in my opinion. I brought this up for eight or nine years. It has never been addressed, and I don't know why. It's been addressed all over town, other than up in our area, and it will be a huge, huge safety issue if people cannot communicate during an emergency.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

The systems that we have, the systems that we have in place are designed through the CAL OES systems that we have. Here throughout our own time agencies that we respond to other disasters that, unfortunately, some that you have seen recently and others throughout the city.

I believe there's an opportunity for growth, and this opportunity, I believe, is utilizing text message system. I understand not everybody has social media or can access the internet.But one thing I do believe in, and I've seen that recently, some of these elections, is the opportunity to text people. I'd like to talk to the City manager, and obviously employees, to see if we can financially afford an opportunity, a way, to engage in our community.They provide us with their cell phone numbers, and we can get out there, so we'll give them that information immediately by text so, that we don’t utilize other OES systems to get it, depending on what information they're going to send. We can control that, and we can send that out to the community. But that's only as good as the engagement between the community members and us.

We also have to plan because you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. There could be, God forbid, another fire, it would be another earthquake, another national disaster. And with El Nino coming, just like the storms that we had three years ago, they predict that this storm is coming, and the governor has already issued a state of emergency. So that tells me something's gonna happen. So that tells me something's gonna happen. I have full faith and confidence in our fire and police services.

Thomas Allison

Obviously, state law is state law, and you have got to follow state law. But where there is discretion, I do think the City has to take a far more heavy-handed approach.

One thing that I think that we really need to be considering is housing and its affordability. Right now, most people couldn't afford to be by their homes if they were up for sale today. And so what that does is, it creates an economic incentive for people to sell off and leave. And when that happens, that's where you get the developers. That's where you get the turnover and property.

We have to make sure we are not forcing our residents out of the community because we need them to stay, as our residents and their narratives are part of the small-town character.

Second, I think we need to increase and maintain social connectedness. That, again, becomes a motivation for people to stay and do not want to leave. That, I think, is the biggest issue.

Aside from zoning, I think that's going to be a resident-driven decision. As a planning commissioner, I put my votes largely into the hands of data and the residents, and I will continue to do that as a council member. I see these huge gargantuan, uh, housing developments popping up. Quite frankly, they're scary. I don't necessarily want to see them here, but we do need to be responsible about housing and how we are developing the infrastructure to be consistent with that.

Steve Johnson

It's difficult for the City to say you cannot build in this location unless we're going to buy the property from the property owner and create a park, which we don't have the money to do. To say, to a developer, you can't build here because we don't want any more houses. It doesn’t fly with the state. So there's not a lot of things that we can do to prevent that. If it's a private property, and a person wants to sell, and a developer wants to buy it, we have some restrictions, but there's not a lot we can do to prevent that.

Richard Bowen

I’ll quote Nancy Regan, “Just say no.” I disagree with Mr. Johnson on this. The City has the power. If a developer wants to come in and develop an area that is not zoned for housing, the people can stop that building from taking place, regardless of the state, is the city council.

Just don't do it. Years ago, there was a swap discussion about Sierra La Verne and Marshall Canyon Golft Course. And I spoke to those people, I went to see them. And quite frankly, they said after we looked at the property, it is unbuildable. Nothing has changed. That area is a national waterway, it is protected. It has to be rezoned to build. Just say no.

I will not, when elected, vote to rezone either that property or the Lutheran site. There are other places to build. Don't rezone.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

Editor's note: Candidate Kash was not asked the question during that round but spoke on development while answering the question about data centers. We moved his transcribed answer to this section.

When it comes to zoning, I wanted to make everybody clear, it is resident-driven. It is not city council driven, and best believe that I always listen to our community. And especially when it comes to Sierra La Verne.

Thomas Allison

I know the answer to your second question was "hell no." And so I don't know if I need to hear the first part, but no, I would not support data centers in La Verne.

Steve Johnson

I can definitely say there will not be a data center in the City of La Verne.

Richard Bowen

No. I don't think we have the property. We don't have the land for it number one. And if we did have that kind of land, I would hope we could get a business that brings tax revenue to the City. So, I think it’s absolutely impossible that we can possibly build a data center. So I would say absolutely not. Could Pomona do it? Maybe and that would have a big effect.

I'm certainly not an expert on data centers. I would love to know more. I hear varying stories … Do they use the grid? Do they not use the grid? Do they produce their own electricity? Do they not produce their own electricity? They can’t develop their own water, the last time I checked. So they have to use massive amounts of water, from what I understand, and that is certainly not feasible here, so I don't see how we could possibly consider it in our town.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

In regard to a data center, absolutely not. There's no place in this great City to put a data center. And if you understand data centers like I do, there's the amount of noise pollution that it causes in a community, is very disruptive. That is the last thing I'm going to do, is put that in our great City of La Verne.

Thomas Allison

Right now, economic development is a part of our Community Development Department. I think Eric is a phenomenal member of the staff. However, I would be interested in pursuing the cost of having a director take on economic development and have that as their sole focus. A lot of cities do this, a lot don’t. Cities in our scenario, where we really need the economic driver now, should consider it. I would look at least at a part-time position or increasing resources to having a focus on economic development rather than having it part of that community development.

Steve Johnson

We have just a few big box locations available. What I would really like to see is a good hardware store, we’re definitely missing that in La Verne. As far as initiatives, I rely on our director, Eric Scherer, to look for those types of businesses. I know that on a regular basis, they're floating those indie stores out, to see if there's some interest in getting those indie stores filled.

Richard Bowen

For 40 years, I started out as a local salesperson. Turned out, I was pretty good at it. What you realize is salespeople don't sit by the phone and wait for a customer to call. You have to sell them. You have to show them the benefits. You have to show them the economic value you bring to the party.

It’s not a part-time job. If we're going to bring in millions of dollars in sales revenue, somebody has to be responsible for that. If it’s our director, great. But is he a sales guy? I don’t know.

I would support that we have sort of sales list. Have somebody actually involved on a routine basis. See who they're contacting. See what the follow-up is. That doesn't just drop out of the sky. It takes a concerted effort to bring good customers to this City. And I think we can do it, but we have to look at it differently than we have in the past.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

I would like to see a diverse mix. We should continue attracting restaurants, retail and entertainment options so our residents will spend their time and money right here in La Verne. We often hear it from our great Mayor Tim Hepburn, what I will always tell you, “Shop and dine and live right here in La Verne.”

I would also welcome professional services, health care-related businesses, technology and other areas that create quality jobs and strengthen our economic base. Old Town La Verne should remain a unique destination. On Foothill Boulevard and our other commercial areas, have opportunities for additional investment. The A line may be developing economic opportunities, but development around it should be thoroughly and thoughtfully integrated into our community. Let's not forget, LA 28 is around the corner. Why not us? Why no the great City of La Verne?

The objective isn't simply filling vacant storefronts. And if you've seen and looked around, we really don't have that many vacant storefronts. However, it's attracting businesses that residents will actually use and that can remain successful right here in La Verne. I’m looking forward to many years of success for the great Grocery Outlet that’s here in La Verne, brought to you by our current residents.

Thomas Allison

I believe very strongly in supporting our veterans. My stepfather, his father, was a Navy veteran. And quite frankly, if I hadn't broken my wrist, I probably would have been alongside Kash, joining the military after 9/11.

I think it's a travesty what we do to our veterans. We do great things symbolically to recognize them, however, veterans are not a monolithic group. There are some of them who are hurting because of a lack of mental health resources. There are some who are hurting because they have a lack of resources navigating the legal system. There are various reasons that they're in support, and while it may not be a council function, I certainly believe, in line with collaborative governance, there is collaboration that could be done to support our VFW. Including, like I mentioned, the University has a law school that puts on pro bono legal clinics. That is a natural collaboration between the VFW and the law school that can go to help undergird some of the resources our veterans need. The City just presented the VFW with a contract, I will make sure that the VFW has the ability to maintain his place in the City for generations to come.

Steve Johnson

We regularly honor our veterans here in La Verne in our City Council meetings. Typically, we had a veteran for the Pledge of Allegiance every council meeting. Veterans’ Hall, that’s another facility that we open up for veterans.

As far as supporting veterans, I think we should be doing everything we can to support the veterans.

Richard Bowen

My brother served in the Army in Vietnam. My father served in World War II. I did not serve, it was in the early 70s when we were in Vietnam and it was winding down, and we had a lottery. But I absolutely 100% support veterans. I would hope that when you see veterans centers like we have the VFW, and I would like to see more activities there. We go there on Memorial Day, we go there on Veterans’ Day… I see other VFWs across the country, quite frankly, they're very active, and I'd love to see more activity at our center, so people understand that rather than just going there twice a year and flying their flag, they understand what the veterans mean to this country, because without them, we wouldn't be a country. So absolutely, anything we can possibly do, I would support 1,000%.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

I have continued, and I will continue for as long as there's air in these lungs, to support our great warfighters here in America. God is good. Today marks the day we are taking our troops out of Iraq. And if you have been to Iraq, like I have, and many others, you’ll understand what was still there, the blood of American service members. God bless each and every single one of you.

I have continued to fight, I will always fight, for those who prevent suicide prevention. There's three veterans, every minute, minute committing suicide here in America. That is one too many.

I will continue to support our VFW Post 12034. God bless you. I know you're out here, and I know you're listening out there, as veterans, stay united. And the one last thing I will leave you with this, we will never forget our POWs, our MIAs and those we will welcome to come home here in the United States of America.

Thomas Allison

Of course diversity matters. And diversity looks different city to city. I have to disagree, I think districts actually did help, because when I knocked on all the doors in my district, I have seen the diversity of the City. I see people with physical and mental disabilities who are being left out of city programs and access.I see people who are afraid to step into public spaces because they don’t feel like their neurodiversity is welcomed.

I think it's tone-deaf to say, "If you want representation, come to the Council meeting." Again, diversity. Some people can't come to the Council meeting. Some people work multiple jobs just to live here. Some people don't have the resources or luxury to make public government a commonplace in their everyday life.

That does not mean they do not deserve to be heard. They do deserve to be heard, and that's where the representation comes in. Because when we have direct experience, with what what our residents are experiencing, you bring those narratives to the dias, and that's part of your arristic as you're making decisions. We don't have that access when we see people who are lacking access now. Diversity matters. Representation matters.

Steve Johnson

I have very little control, as far as the actual diversity within the City. I do support all residents who wish to live in the City to move to La Verne.

I encourage everybody to come to Council meetings and let the Council know what you feel. If we're making any kind of a decision that interests you, please show up at the Council meeting so we can know what it is that you want. We value resident input.

Richard Bowen

I think La Verne is a very diverse City. All you have to do is go into Von’s or Stater Brotherrs. You see every race—the variety of people in the City is amazing. I live in an HOA. We have 141 homes. We kind of jokingly say at times, it's like the UN. We have everyone, and everyone gets along, and we all appreciate our neighbors, regardless of where they came from, what their religion is, what their race is. It doesn't matter to us.

Again, I go into stores, and I think we’re a very diverse city. I think that everybody does have a voice. And I do appreciate Mr. Johnson saying, people need to go to council.

Also I think district voting was supposed to help with more diversity in our elections, and I think it's done just the opposite. Now we're seeing people not running at all. So, I think that maybe that was not the greatest thing for the diversity of the City, and I would like to say we returned to at-large as I said before.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

I don't see people as opponents, I see people as a good opportunity to go in and just run against others that give the opportunity for people to hear your voice as a council member. I had the great opportunity to go out in the entire district knocking on doors, and just as a kid who grew up here since 1982, it is an extremely diverse community.

I'm an immigrant, like many others in this room, whether you're first generation, second generation or third generation. We all came from somewhere to this great country. And what have we done moving forward? I represent the City, its entirety, although it is districts, and it is unfortunate. It is what it is, 'cause we got to move forward, past that.

I've talked to a lot of people, whether it's political affiliations, or whatever your race or your religion. I don't care. I just don’t care. I don’t care where you’re from, I don’t care what you call political affiliation is. I don’t care about your religion. This is about you, and your salvation to your Lord. I'm here to serve God, country and family. I'm here to serve you as a community, so you gave me that opportunity. And then I was given an opportunity to continuously talk to so many great citizens in our city, and it is a diverse council. Take a look. Next time you come up to City council meeting, you're highly encouraged. I understand some of you can't make it. I understand some of you don't have the opportunity to use social media. I understand, some of you do have opportunities on social media.

Thomas Allison

On April 14, 2026, I had somebody try to get into my front door. He tried to get into my window, and for hours, actually, he made these attempts. A neighbor saw him. We received text messages, but not a phone call.

We woke up to me facing this person face to face in the window with him trying to get into my window. My kids saw this; they were terrified. They were barricaded in the room. We waited 15 minutes for a response from the La Verne Police Department.

I'm grateful I had our own protective system, but my kids were forever changed by that scenario. Every single night, they make sure I check every single door before they go to sleep. It's shocking to me that that is the experience of my children in this City.

This election is about difference. It's about change. We have different approaches to governance. I've spoken to the residents, and it's clear the residents need someone who is closer to them, listening to them, and then bringing their ideas back to the dais.

I met a senior citizen couple, that was walking down Bonita. They walk Bonita because Bonita is the flattest part of the City. Why isn't it a pristine walking district? Why isn't the speed limit dropped around Kuns Park, way that is in San Dimas, knowing so many senior citizens visit that park and use it as a walking place?

That's common-sense public policy. That's the public policy you get when you're out with the residents, listening, reporting back.

This is not an election about what we should do. This is an election about what we have done. In 2023, I led a beautification committee as a planning commissioner because it was important. I led a community-oriented policing program in this City because public safety matters.

I got out. I held programs that brought the community out for fun, family programs because social connectedness is the key to overcoming mental and physical disabilities.

Finally, I have experience mapping the district, mapping the businesses, understanding the nonprofits. Having served for more than 15 years on local boards, I understand the needs of lots of nonprofits in this area with low-hanging fruit, and that's exactly what I'm about: the low-hanging fruit.

My District 1 Improvement Plan is a plan that will start on day one, a resident-driven plan where we will begin to pick the low-hanging fruit because democracy does not belong in the City Council chambers. Democracy belongs at your front door.

You have the ability to participate at a level of Democracy that you probably have not in the past, and I'm offering that to you this election.

That is why I'm running. Please give me your vote. I should have had a firmer closing. You can call me anything, just don't call me collect.

Steve Johnson

I love the Lord. This is my home. This is my community, and being of service to my community is very important to me.

I'm asking District 1 residents to support my reelection by supporting my priorities: dependable essential services, smart financial decisions.

Quick story: My wife and I purchased our first house. That house was built by my great-great-grandfather, David Blickenstaff.

We have a lot of roots here in the City. I'm blessed that I have served as long as I have on City Council, and I'm asking for another four years. Thank you.

Richard Bowen

Hopefully, we've heard a lot of discussion this evening, and I hope this addresses many of the issues that are important to all of our residents. Focused issues that I will address are as follows:

In the first 30 days, I'm going to review all communications regarding Sierra La Verne Country Club. I will again demand cellular service in northern La Verne based on major safety issues — not just convenience, not just so you can answer the phone, but in an emergency, you need to be able to communicate. This Metro hazmat issue brings that back into focus tremendously.

As I said, I will review no-bid contracts with the City over $75,000. I'll request that citizen public comments be moved to the beginning of future Council meetings. Citizens should not have to wait two to four hours to have their voices heard. They should be the first people to have their voices heard.

Again, citizens are on the top of the organizational chart for this City. They need to be heard and not wait forever to be heard.

I will review district voting and bring back an at-large mayor for voting for mayor at least, and look at the opportunity to bring back at-large voting in general.

The first year I plan to focus on five initial points. Support citizens first with open communications. We have done that through LV3C. The City should be able to do that. If we can do it as private citizens, the City should do a better job.

Especially maintain and strengthen our fire and our police. This is critical to keep our City safe. We recently saw when the Council decided not to take up the dispute between the Fire Department over EMT pay. Why didn't the Council say yes? Pay our fire based on the MOU. I don't understand why they had to go to arbitration.

Repair and rebuild our aging infrastructure and balance our budget. I talked about at-large voting. Review all tax-free businesses in La Verne.

As a retired businessman, I have the experience, the time and the desire to bring these issues to our great citizens. Please visit my table to sign up to support me and talk to me directly.

I thank you for being here, and I respectfully ask for your vote. Thank you.

Meshal “Kash” Kashifalghita

Thank you to the organizers, my fellow colleagues and candidates here, and everyone who joined us tonight.

Four years ago, the residents of District 3 entrusted me with the responsibility of serving on your City Council. That trust means a great deal to me, and I'm asking for your support to continue serving you.

Public safety is my highest priority. As a husband, a father, a neighbor, and a council member, I understand how much it matters to know that your family is safe, that help will arrive when you need it, and that your concerns will be taken seriously.

My career in public safety and military service has shaped how I approach this responsibility. They have taught me to prepare for difficult situations, ask tough questions, evaluate risks and remain accountable to the people I serve. That is you.

On the Council, I have brought that experience to the work of keeping our community safe. I approach decisions with a practical question: How will this affect the safety and the well-being of any resident anywhere in the City of La Verne?

That responsibility includes supporting our police officers and our firefighters and emergency personnel, examining the resources they need, and listening when residents identify problems in their neighborhood throughout the City of La Verne.

It also means recognizing that public safety extends beyond responding to a crime. It includes safe streets, emergency preparedness, fire prevention, and protecting residents when an unexpected incident threatens their health and their peace of mind.

The recent battery fire has brought that responsibility into sharp focus. I have heard the residents' concerns about their family's health, the remaining batteries and what happens next. Those concerns deserve clear answers and continued attention.

As your council member, I will keep pressing for those answers and that follow-through.

I also want to recognize our City staff, our outstanding City staff, first responders — God bless you and your families — our employees — God bless you and your families — and our outstanding and amazing volunteers of CERT and those other volunteers that supported our great community.

If reelected, I will continue to make public safety the first consideration of my work. I will advocate strong emergency services, responsible prevention and timely communications with residents.

I will also insist that we use taxpayer dollars carefully to sustain those services.

You deserve a representative who listens, remains accessible and stays engaged after that meeting ends.

I'm proud to serve La Verne I want every resident — our children, our beloved seniors, our families and our business owners — to feel safe and supported in the community we call home.

I am Meshal Kashifalghita; you can call me "Kash." Call me whatever you want, just don't call me collect.

I respectfully ask for your vote for reelection to La Verne City Council.