COUNCIL CANDIDATE HOPES TO LURE DISSATISFIED VOTERS BACK TO POLLS.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer

LANCASTER - In his formal campaign opening, City Council candidate William Parris criticized recent city tax increases and said officials should look for money within city spending.

An aerospace engineer who grew up in the Antelope Valley, Parris said city officials are too focused on a narrow agenda and on serving special interests, including car dealers and developers.

``I believe that too many citizens have stopped voting because there has not been a viable alternative to the handpicked candidates of the past,'' said Parris, 56. ``I believe that my candidacy will bring many disenfranchised voters back to the polls to show their dissatisfaction with the city's current direction.''

Parris said he is running as a political outsider, though his brothers are well-known Lancaster attorneys R. Rex Parris and Rob Parris. William Parris is a Democrat and his brothers are Republicans. When Arnold Schwarzenegger came to Lancaster last summer, Rob and Rex were inside the fund-raiser dinner, while William was outside with picketing Democrats.

Parris criticized the city's increase last year for street lighting fees to $70 a year per home and its new fee on landlords who own more than one rental unit. He said he will vote against the April 13 municipal ballot measure that would add a $25-a-year tax on every property to pay for 10 more sheriff's deputies.

Parris said the city should dig into its financial reserves to pay for more deputies, and said it should study whether local crime could be affected by gang members moving in from Los Angeles, an increase in parolees, the presence of the state prison or ``runaway'' development.

``Is the city spending public safety money on other priorities?'' Parris asked, singling out a $68,400 annual lobbying contract to former Assemblyman George Runner and saying he wants to review all city contracts.

Parris said he thought of running for political office after he was able to stop commuting to his job, which he had done for more than 25 years. His employer Northrop Grumman transferred him about 18 months ago to its Palmdale plant.

``I had about four hours a day left over,'' Parris said.

At his opening news conference at the Lancaster Holiday Inn Express, Parris was accompanied by several local citizens, including his mother, Jeanne Powers, who lives at a senior apartment complex in Lancaster; Lancaster teacher Robert Alvarado, president of the Latin American Club of Antelope Valley; former Los Angeles County Commission on Alcoholism member Ray Chavira; and California Highway Patrol senior volunteer J.P. Pouliot.

``This is a man that will change the City Council for the better,'' Alvarado said.

Parris is one of six candidates challenging incumbents Andy Visokey and Jim Jeffra for two seats in the April 13 municipal election. The others are Ted A.J. Kalnas, a fire captain; Charles Hansen, a business consultant; Tim Rosen, an estate planner; Glenn Morris Sr., an auditor; and Andrew Banks, a corrections officer.

Jeffra, contacted after Parris' conference, called the challenger's statements ``grandstanding.''

``There really are no sweet deals out there and we don't cater to special interests,'' said Jeffra, a retired sheriff's deputy who runs a golf shop.

Jeffra said the city asked property owners to approve the street light fee increase, imposed the rental fee and proposed the law enforcement tax because the state budget crisis has already tightened the city budget.

The city is using other sources of revenue to cover some of the law enforcement increases, he said.

``It's like buying a brand new car ... if you want extras, you pay extra for it,'' Jeffra said of the law enforcement tax. ``Asking the voters if you want 10 new deputies at $25 a parcel is one of the best ways of getting the community more involved.''

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Photo:

(color) City Council candidate William Parris, second from right, speaks at his news conference at the Lancaster Holiday Inn Express on Friday, flanked by teacher Robert Alvarado, left; his mother, Jeanne Powers; and CHP volunteer J.P. Pouliot.

Charles F. Bostwick/Daily News