5) Ontario City Elections
There are several crowded fields for just a few positions in Ontario. Ten people are vying for two seats on the city council. The field includes the two incumbents (including one with a combative style), a sheriff who has skirted the law in a previous attempt, and a former mayor from the early 90’s. The ballot will also feature a father, daughter and son running for three separate roles. The current Mayor’s son is running for School Board against a field that features a rival’s nephew.
The Candidates:
City Council:
Paul Vincent Avila, Ontario City Councilmember
Debra Dorst-Porada, Ontario City Councilmember
Sam Crowe, Ontario School board member
Josie Estrada, retired Verizon representative
Richard Galvez
Aaron Mathieson
Elvia Rivas, Ontario School Board member
Richard Roybal
Gus Skropos, former Mayor of Ontario
Ruben Valencia, deputy Sheriff
City Clerk:
Sheila Mautz, City Clerk (appointed)
Sarah Galvez, substitute teacher
Marisela, Garcia, city commissioner
The Numbers:
Total Voters: 56,912 (48% Dem., 24% Rep., 26% Indep.)
Racial Make-Up: 53% Latino, 5% Asian
What and Who Are We Watching?
Ontario is the Inland Empire’s fourth largest city and sits just 35 miles east of Los Angeles. Other than its natural proximity to the state’s southern Megalopolis, Ontario is strategically important to the state’s economy due to the Ontario International Airport, the 15th busiest airport in the nation, which handles the bulk of the traffic from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the rest of the country. In other words, the City of Ontario, and how its affairs are managed, should be of interest to all residents of the Golden State. It is no wonder then why the field of candidates on this November’s ballot-even for positions on the local Elementary School Board-is so crowded. As a recent Daily Bulletin article said, “Everyone and her brother is running for office in Ontario — and that’s almost a literal statement.” For example, three members of the Galvez family will be on the ballot-Sarah for City Clerk and School Board, brother Richard T.W.R. Galvez for City Council, and father Richard R. Galvez for the Inland Empire Utilities Agency.
City Council Race
Let’s start our review off with the City Council race where incumbents Paul Vincent Avila and Debra Dorst-Porada will try to hold off a field of eight other candidates of varying distinction. Mr. Avila joined the council in 2012 after 16 years on the Ontario-Montclair School Board. Earlier this year, Mr. Avila attempted to run for State Assembly in District 52 (his third attempt at the Assembly) but was unable to unseat incumbent Freddie Rodriguez. (Ballotpedia) Mr. Avila will attempt to hold on to his seat after exhibiting some highly questionable behavior that got him into hot water with the rest of the city council. In 2014, his city council colleagues voted unanimously to place sanctions on him-including removing him from all committees, banning him from public functions, and taking away all travel privileges-after he insulted council colleagues, called councilwoman Porada “unattractive,” and threatened to disbar the City Attorney. In one session, Mr. Avila caused such a ruckus that the police were called in to maintain order. (DB) Needless to say, Avila took the sanctions personally, calling the other councilmembers “liars” and threatened to “make each of them liable to me.” (DB) Avila sought revenge by attempting to take out Mayor Paul Leon in 2014. His campaign, no doubt due to his lack of adherence to the basic rules of decorum, was unsuccessful.
Unlike her combustible and divisive council colleague, Debra Dorst-Porada is known as someone who brings the community together. First elected to the council in 2008, she is the current Mayor Pro Tem and has a particular affinity to developing the community through development of the historic district and her advocacy of the arts. Ms. Porada was instrumental in developing the Chaffey Community Museum of Art and the creation of the Ontario Town Square Park. (Ontario)
Looking to unseat one of the two incumbents is a list of eight candidates. Ruben Valencia currently serves as a Sheriff’s Deputy and has been awarded multiple commendations for his service including the Medal of Bravery, the Life Saving Award, and the Legendary Lawman Award. He is focusing his campaign (unsurprisingly) on public safety and has promised to boost the number of officers on the street to lower response times. Mr. Valencia ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2014 and ran into issues regarding campaign finance. Valencia and his campaign treasurer were ordered to pay a $4,500 penalty for failing to include disclaimer information on 6,000 telephone calls made to voters by the campaign in violation of the Political Reform Act. (PE)
After many years outside the public limelight, Gus Skropos will once again appear on the ballot; this time for City Council. Mr. Skropos served as a city councilman and Ontario Mayor during the 1980s and 1990s and has been a prosecutor and a judge for over 25 years. Mr. Skropos hopes that his past experience of community leadership-in a time that was arguably the height of economic development in the area-will entice voters to return him to City Hall.
Other candidates running for the council are School Board members Sam Crowe and Elvia Rivas, retired businesswoman Josie Estrada, and political novices Aaron Matthiesen, Richard Roybal and Richard Galvez.
City Clerk’s Race
The City Clerk’s race features Sheila Mautz, the currently appointed city clerk, who was a council member for seven years and a planning commissioner for 12 years, including several years as chairwoman. The other candidates are Sarah Galvez, who is also running for Ontario-Montclair School District Board, and Marisela Garcia, a city commissioner involved in the library system.