If re-elected to represent Whittier Council District 3, Cathy Warner says she will continue to support the Whittier community by prioritizing issues such as public safety.
On Tuesday, April 9, Whittier residents will be deciding whether to re-elect or change leadership on the City Council.
Voters will choose a mayor for a term of two years, and members for two city council districts for a full term of four years to represent the city of Whittier.
Incumbent Warner is being challenged by Monica Sena, a retired educator, for the City Council’s District 3 seat.
Warner has served on the City Council since 2004, and was re-elected in 2020. She is also a registered dental hygienist and adjunct professor.
Her priorities include public safety, addressing homelessness and enforcing anti-camping laws, implementing green initiatives and supporting education and youth programs.
In her candidate statement, Warner said that she has worked to help increase the number of police officers in the Whittier Police Department. In District 3, a paramedic firefighter engine from L.A. County Fire was secured for Station 59. A new Station 17 in West Whittier is also in the works, she said.
Warner is also in favor of improvements to Uptown Whittier and to parks, as well as encourages more support for local schools.
With the election near, them theWhittier Daily News asked candidates about their platforms and what they would do if they were voted into office.
Q: How do you plan to continue improving public safety in Whittier?
A: The City Council has authorized the police chief to over hire officers, and has provided all the equipment and technology requested by Whittier Police Department’s Chief Aviv Bar. The Council has also filed an action against the “No Bail” implemented by the County. The police chief and his officers continue to arrest all offenders regardless of the fact that the L.A. County district attorney refuses to prosecute.
I plan to continue supporting the Whittier Police Department as they implement regional efforts as well as targeted efforts for specific types of crimes.
Q: How will you work with city staff to ensure affordable housing is integrated into new developments in the city?
A: We plan to continue to do what we are already doing, which is to negotiate with developers to include affordable units as we put together Difficult Development Areas (DDAs) prior to their projects being submitted. The city has negotiated with a DDA with a private developer to build affordable units in Uptown Whittier on the former Alpha Beta site.
Q: How do you plan to improve the city’s relationship with school districts and colleges in the area?
A: Having served on local school boards for 14 years prior to being elected to the council has given me the background and knowledge to have effective relationships with our districts and colleges during my time on the council.
I continue as a board member of the Whittier Union High School Educational Foundation, the president and founder of the Tri-Cities ROP Educational Foundation and as the chair of the East Whittier City School District Bond Oversight Committee. Additionally, mayoral incumbent Joe Vinatieri and I are the council’s “Town & Gown” Ad Hoc Committee, created to enhance relationships between Whittier College and the city of Whittier.
I have excellent relationships with all the local governing board members as well as the superintendents and other staff members in our local districts, which allows me to advocate with them and facilitate their needs within the city.
Q: How do you plan to promote more civic engagement?
A: To promote more civic engagement, I plan to continue to do what I have done during all my years of elected service by being a mentor to local students and creating internship programs for them, by supporting the student chamber of commerce, and by supporting the students in government programs.
The council has authorized additional staff to create outreach to members of our community to facilitate their participation in local government. We also continue to allow public comments via Zoom, email and phone calls, especially for those individuals who are not able to attend council meetings. We have also authorized our city clerk to create extensive outreach for our election procedures.
Q: What is your top priority if elected to office?
A: My priority is to continue to facilitate the highest degree of public safety, including both fire protection and police protection, by providing ongoing financial support to our police department and by building a new Fire Station 17 for the Los Angeles County Fire Department in West Whittier.
In addition to advocating for additional paramedics at L.A. County Fire Stations 59 and 28, the city has been promised additional paramedics at the new Fire Station 17, which will house two units instead of one. The city has committed $1 million to this effort and has commissioned schematic drawings for the new station. No city in Los Angeles County has done this before.
Whittier’s general municipal election will be held on Tuesday, April 9. Voting in-person will begin on Saturday, April 6. For more information, visit cityofwhittier.org/election.
