Joined
·
5,451 Posts
Arcadia election turnout high
By Gretchen Hoffman Staff Writer
ARCADIA - Voters in Arcadia packed the polls in higher-than-average numbers on Tuesday, reflecting what officials say were several hot-button issues in the campaign and a surprisingly popular bond measure on the ballot.
With the addition of Bob Harbicht and Peter Amundson to the five-member City Council, and the return of current Mayor John Wuo, any proposal to use eminent domain proceedings to enable the expansion of the Rusnak Mercedes Benz dealership is likely to fail. Council members Gail Marshall and Gary Kovacic did not seek re-election due to term limits.
Overall voter turnout was 8,776, or 34 percent of the electorate, according to the City Clerk's office. In comparison, about 24 percent of registered voters turned out in 2004, and 23 percent in 2002.
Harbicht was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's election, with 4,447 votes, followed by Amundson, with 4,240, and Wuo, with 3,665. Fewer than 600 votes separated Wuo from the next highest challenger, former councilman Sheng Chang.
But the real surprise in the election was Measure A, which calls for the city to build a train bridge over Santa Anita Avenue to mitigate the effects of the proposed Gold Line extension on safety and traffic.
A Westfield poll released days before the election found that 50 percent of Arcadians supported the bond measure, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass.
The measure, however, passed with 72 percent approval. Marshall was among those surprised
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by the support.
"They must have really got the message that this could be very problematic for our emergency vehicles, first of all," Marshall said. "This was a one-time shot - we do it now, or you'll never have it."
Councilman Mickey Segal said opposition to Measure A probably helped its proponents by giving it a higher profile in the election.
"Deep down, I believed it would pass," Segal said. "None of us want to vote to have our children and grandchildren at risk."
Segal said he had some concerns that voters in the south portion of Arcadia, who would be less affected by the Gold Line congestion, would support Measure A in lesser numbers. But in some southern precincts, it passed by a 3-to-1 margin, Segal said.
Wuo said the issues that dominated the campaign aren't likely to go away anytime soon. Developer Rick Caruso, who plans to build an open air mall next to the Santa Anita Park racetrack, still must bring back a revised Environmental Impact Report.
By Gretchen Hoffman Staff Writer
ARCADIA - Voters in Arcadia packed the polls in higher-than-average numbers on Tuesday, reflecting what officials say were several hot-button issues in the campaign and a surprisingly popular bond measure on the ballot.
With the addition of Bob Harbicht and Peter Amundson to the five-member City Council, and the return of current Mayor John Wuo, any proposal to use eminent domain proceedings to enable the expansion of the Rusnak Mercedes Benz dealership is likely to fail. Council members Gail Marshall and Gary Kovacic did not seek re-election due to term limits.
Overall voter turnout was 8,776, or 34 percent of the electorate, according to the City Clerk's office. In comparison, about 24 percent of registered voters turned out in 2004, and 23 percent in 2002.
Harbicht was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's election, with 4,447 votes, followed by Amundson, with 4,240, and Wuo, with 3,665. Fewer than 600 votes separated Wuo from the next highest challenger, former councilman Sheng Chang.
But the real surprise in the election was Measure A, which calls for the city to build a train bridge over Santa Anita Avenue to mitigate the effects of the proposed Gold Line extension on safety and traffic.
A Westfield poll released days before the election found that 50 percent of Arcadians supported the bond measure, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass.
The measure, however, passed with 72 percent approval. Marshall was among those surprised
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by the support.
"They must have really got the message that this could be very problematic for our emergency vehicles, first of all," Marshall said. "This was a one-time shot - we do it now, or you'll never have it."
Councilman Mickey Segal said opposition to Measure A probably helped its proponents by giving it a higher profile in the election.
"Deep down, I believed it would pass," Segal said. "None of us want to vote to have our children and grandchildren at risk."
Segal said he had some concerns that voters in the south portion of Arcadia, who would be less affected by the Gold Line congestion, would support Measure A in lesser numbers. But in some southern precincts, it passed by a 3-to-1 margin, Segal said.
Wuo said the issues that dominated the campaign aren't likely to go away anytime soon. Developer Rick Caruso, who plans to build an open air mall next to the Santa Anita Park racetrack, still must bring back a revised Environmental Impact Report.
