Anonymous Flyers Warm Up Council Race in La Canada

Aggressive campaigning by two first-time office seekers and the last-minute distribution of anonymous literature attacking current officeholders have marked the usually quiet La Canada Flintridge City Council race.

In Tuesday’s election for two council seats, Mayor J. Bixby Smith and Mayor Pro Tem Jack Hastings will face challengers Ed Phelps, a lawyer, and Chris Valente, executive director of the La Canada Youth House-Community Center. The top two finishers will win four-year terms on the five-member council.

Smith, 62, and Hastings, 59, have devoted much of their effort to defending themselves against broad criticisms by Phelps and Valente, who contend that the council is unresponsive, pro-growth and fiscally wasteful.

At the same time, the mysterious appearance of a series of anonymous flyers in residents’ mailboxes has brought all four candidates together in denouncing what one called “mudslinging” tactics.

One of the flyers accuses an unnamed council member, referred to only as the “silver fox,” of favoritism and illegal use of city funds. At a press conference Tuesday, Councilman O. Warren Hillgren criticized the material, which he said he believes refers to him. He is the only council member with silver-gray hair.

“The material is totally fallacious,” said Hillgren, who is not up for reelection. “It said I misused city funds and I decided I’m not going to sit mute. These accusations are without fact and foundation.”

Hastings, a builder-contractor, and Smith, a retired Lockheed executive, called their own news conference last week to denounce the flyers, which seemed to include the entire council in their attack. But the press conference itself became an issue when Phelps showed up but not Valente.

Phelps said he was under the impression that Valente was notified but was unable to attend the conference. During the conference, Phelps said later, Smith accused Valente of being responsible for the flyers.

“As it worked out, we probably should have had Mr. Valente,” Smith conceded later. “Although, if you read the stuff, you can tell what camp it came from.”

Valente denied any connection with the literature and said he does not condone it.

Still, Valente, 45, has been the most aggressive campaigner, alleging that the City Council has spent $500,000 on unnecessary consultant fees and lawsuits. Valente said he came up with that figure by tabulating bills paid by the city.

Smith said Valente’s conclusions are based on an unfair view of the council’s record of money management.

“Some of our friends don’t have the facts or choose not too use them,” Smith said. “They forget to look at the fact that we have had a balanced budget each of the past four years.”

Valente, whose slogan is “The People’s Choice,” said he wants to make city government more responsive.

“Return the government to the public,” said Valente, a former high school government teacher. “I think its a little clique of about 30 people who run the community.”

Valente said he has returned more than $10,000 in campaign contributions because he believes it is unnecessary to spend a lot for elections in a small community.

Phelps, a 38-year-old neighborhood activist, said the City Council needs to improve communication with the community, a goal he said could be attained with the installation of a “hot line” in City Hall to give information on city business.

‘Charming Community’

Phelps said he wants to retain the atmosphere of the “charming community” and said the existing council favors building regional shopping centers.

Smith denied the council supports growth.

“In the past four years not a single property has been converted to commercial,” Smith said. “They try to portray us as growers, and if you look at the record we are probably as anti-growth as you can find.”

Phelps also focused on the city’s lack of a modern sewer system, which he said he would build with redevelopment agency funds. He also criticized the council’s replanting of trees on the Foothill Boulevard median as wasteful.

Hastings dismissed as inaccurate the challengers’ accusations of unresponsiveness and overspending.

“I look and see a balanced budget and $10.5-million surplus,” said Hastings. “The issue of fiscal responsibility is a non-issue.”

Hastings said he, too, wants a new sewer system, but intends to determine whether county or state money could be used. Hastings would also like to improve the council’s response to residents through better use of the city’s four commissions.