First Candidate Qualifies for Open District 5 Seat

Michael Warner became the first applicant to qualify for the City Council’s District 5 seat left vacant with the election of its former occupant, Victor Gordo, to the mayor’s position.

According to the City Clerk’s website, Warner turned in the requisite signatures and paperwork on Tuesday.

So far he is unopposed.

Warner, an appointment of Gordo’s to the city’s code enforcement commission, is listed as a former La Cañada Flintridge Public Works employee.

Genevieve Clavreul, Charlotte Lai, Jessica Rivas, Gloria G. Medel, Martha Shenkenberg and Rosanna Del Rio have all pulled nominating papers but have not yet returned them to the City Clerk’s Office.

Gordo resigned from the seat after he defeated Mayor Terry Tornek in the Nov. 3 election.

“I think the City Council is moving in the right direction,” Warner said. “I thought numerous times in the past about running for the position, but I never wanted to run against Victor Gordo because I always supported him. And I am his code commissioner. My son is his disability access commissioner. So I’ve known Mayor Gordo for as long as he’s been in office. So when he announced that he was going to run for mayor I made up my mind that if he was successful I was going to apply for his seat.”

Warner worked for the city of Los Angeles for over 30 years and retired from the La Cañada Public Works Department.

According to the city’s notice of intent, candidates must live in District 5, hand-deliver 25 signatures from registered voters living in the district to City Clerk Mark Jomsky by 5:30 p.m. Jan. 14, and pay a $25 filing fee.

Postmarked, email or faxed submissions will not be accepted.

Appointments are required to personally obtain materials. And, due to COVID-19 protocols, all individuals coming to City Hall must wear facial coverings and observe social distancing.

To be considered for the position, those applicants invited to participate must also attend a special meeting of the City Council in February for the purposes of a public interview by the full council.

“The date and time of the meeting has yet to be determined and further information will be provided after all applications are received,” states the notice

Presentations by applicants at the special meeting will be limited to six minutes, followed by a question and answer period conducted by the council on each applicant’s qualifications.

The council will then vote to fill the position. The appointee will not be restricted from running for office in 2022.

The new District 5 councilmember will be sworn in immediately after the council votes.