2 VIE FOR SEAT ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD RETIRED DEPUTY SEEKS UPSET.Byline: SUSAN ABRAM Staff Writer While the race for two seats on the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. has garnered more publicity, voters also will be asked to decide May 15 if an incumbent or a newcomer will win a spot on the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Community College Board. Incumbent Georgia Mercer, a trustee since 1989, was forced into a runoff with retired sheriff's Deputy Roy Burns of Reseda, who was the top vote-getter of three challengers she faced in the March primary. Mercer received 46 percent of the vote and Burns got 32 percent. Challengers Mike Rives Language Rive (plural : rives) is a French word meaning "bank" (of a river). Geography Rives is the name of several places: France Rives is the name of 2 communes in France:
Mercer and Burns each said they are disappointed they didn't capture more than 50 percent of the vote, which would have averted a runoff. Los Angeles Unified and the LACCD LACCD Los Angeles Community College District must pay a total of $8 million for the upcoming election, which is expected to have very low turnout. "My greatest opponent, of course, is voter apathy," said Mercer, who is now president of the board. "But this time, voters have a choice between someone with experience and someone with no experience." Finance campaign disclosures filed Thursday show that Mercer raised a total of $92,606, while Burns has $4,339. Burns has been endorsed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San and the Los Angeles County Republican Party. Mercer has been endorsed by Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. members Dennis Zine and Greig
Smith Greig Smith is a Los Angeles City Councilman, representing the 12th District, which includes Granada Hills, Northridge and other parts of the Western San Fernando Valley. Smith is also a reserve officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. , and by former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. .
"It's a real frustrating campaign, because we're expecting 4 percent voter turnout," Burns said. "It's sad this election will be decided by 30,000 voters." Burns was one of four Republican challengers who ran against what they called the board's mishandling of bond measures that voters passed in 2001 and 2003. The $2 billion in bond money is for construction and upgrading costs at the district's nine campuses, but critics said trustees have wasted both time and money. Board members blame delays on high construction costs and bureaucratic red tape at the state level. Community colleges are state facilities. Also up for grabs on the May ballot are two Los Angeles Unified school board seats. Jon Lauritzen and Tamar Galatzan are vying for the District 3 seat. And Richard Vladovic, who won 46 percent of the vote in District 7, will face a runoff with Neal Kleiner, who received 32 percent. susan.abram(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3664 |
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