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Contact the COURIER:
1420 N. Claremont Blvd.
Suite 205B
Claremont, CA 91711
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COURIER photo/Nicole Padilla
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| Corey Calaycay speaks to Wendy and Steven Hampton, 30 year Claremont residents, at Claremont Place during his campaign kickoff on Sunday, January 11. |
Council candidates have long history of public service
Election season has officially begun. City council candidates hosted their kickoff events over the weekend, with crowds of supporters whooping and hollering for their favorite candidate.
Three candidates will fight for 2 available seats on the council. Former Assistant City Manager Bridget Healy and Community Services Commissioner Larry Schroeder will challenge incumbent Corey Calaycay. The election takes place on March 3.
The COURIER provides a brief bio including a list of key issues for each candidate.
Corey Calaycay
From a very early age, Corey Calaycay, 38, wanted to serve on the city council. Back in the late 1980s, the city council was pushing for the Landscape and Lighting Assessment District that would not benefit his neighborhood in northwest Claremont, which had recently been annexed into the city.
“I felt like the city wasn't very customer-oriented,” he said. “In my dealings with the mayor at the time, I felt like I was being given the run-around and was being blown off. I knew if I were in that role, I could do better.”
After dedicating himself to a campaign to fight the LLD, he was urged to run for city council, despite only being a teenager.
In 1990, at the age of 19, he ran and earned 2382 votes, but came up short. Two years later, he ran again unsuccessfully. Over the next decade, Mr. Calaycay went off and began volunteering and working for state legislatures and senators. Most recently, he worked for Senator Bob Margett, whose term limit ended in November.
Mr. Calaycay decided to run for city council again in 2005. In this run, he broke the threshold of votes needed with 2513, beating out the third place finisher by 164 votes.
Some have called Mr. Calaycay a voice of opposition on the council. More than any other of the current council members, he has voted 'no' on upcoming projects and proposals.
He has opposed such city endeavors as the affordable housing project on Baseline Road, lighted sports fields at Padua Park, a medical marijuana facility and city manager pay raises.
His 'yes' votes include purchasing Johnson's Pasture through a general obligation bond, supporting completion of Village West, redevelopment of the Old School House and Double Tree Hotel and reviving Padua Hills Theater.
On Sunday, Mr. Calaycay kicked off his re-election campaign in the main dining hall of Claremont Place. About 100 supporters, including familiar Claremont names like Brian Bowcock, Opanyi Nasiali, Sue Keith, Michael Keenan, Dick Newton and Jackie McHenry, joined him.
After thanking his volunteers, Mr. Calaycay began his address by showing an organization of government with citizens at the top. “[In 2005,] my promises to you were honesty and integrity in government, transparency in government, fiscal accountability and citizen driven policy,” Mr. Calaycay said.
“This is the time that you as the citizens of Claremont are going to judge my job performance because I work for you,” he added. (story continues below)
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COURIER photo/Nicole Padilla
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| Bridget Healy chats with Mary Jane Merrill, honorary co-chair, and Hilary LaConte at her campaign kickoff party at The Claremont Forum in the Packing House on Sunday, January 11. |
Bridget Healy
After 31 years in civil service, Bridget Healy, 59, was ready to retire and come back to Claremont. Since 2005, she has worked as assistant city manager for the city of Indio and would commute back and forth from her Claremont home every weekend.
“I just wanted to come home,” Ms. Healy said. “I wanted to come home to stay and not get back on the 10 Freeway.”
Before her move to Indio, Ms. Healy worked for the city of Pomona for nearly 10 years and became Claremont’s assistant city manager in 1987, a position she held for 18 years.
During her time in Claremont, Ms. Healy secured a paramedic squad at Fire Station 101 through negotiations with the LA County Fire Department. Before 1989, Claremont received its paramedic services from the city of San Dimas.
“If that paramedic squad was tied up, we were getting response times up to 20 minutes with paramedics coming from Glendora, Azusa or Irwindale.”
Ms. Healy worked on several budget preparations, dozens of labor agreements and was a staff liaison for the Police Commission.
In her private life, the Claremont resident of 31 years was very active in the community. She served on the Mt. San Antonio Gardens Board of Directors, was a founding treasurer of the Claremont High School Theater Booster and served on the CUSD District Advisory Committee, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Karousel Kids and Inland Valley Repertory Theater.
As a council member, Ms. Healy said the city’s top priority would be tackling the economic hardships that face the city. She suggested the possibility of forming a committee similar to the Sustainability Task Force to explore ideas on how Claremont can tackle economic development.
“Let’s tap into some of the enormous talent we have here because there isn’t going to be a single solution and the solution is not going to be easy,” Ms. Healy said.
She wants to focus on implementing the Sustainability Task Force’s proposals, secure a new police station, continue supporting Human Services programs and preserve open space, parks and trees.
“We have a long history of excellent government and that is why I want to run for city council, to continue that tradition,” Ms. Healy said.
“I'm passionate about Claremont and I'm passionate about community service so running for city council is a very nice blend for me of 2 passions,” she added.
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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| Claremont City Council candidate Larry Schroeder speaks to supportings during his campaign kickoff at Captain KJ Restaurant in Claremont. |
Like Ms. Healy, Mr. Schroeder, 59, spent his career as a civil servant in municipal governments. He has over 25 years of experience as a finance director for the cities of Lakewood and Glendora, before retiring in 2007.
Compared to his competitors, Mr. Schroeder is relatively new in town, moving from Glendora to Claremont 7 years ago.
“[My wife and I] are here to stay,” Mr. Schroeder said in his first public address on Friday, speaking at the Democratic Club of Claremont's monthly luncheon. “We're living here now and we will be here the rest of our lives ... We just love it.”
Currently, he teaches a course on public budgeting at the University of La Verne, after completing his PhD in Public Administration in 2008.
He serves on Claremont's Community Services Commission, a position he has held for nearly 2 years.” I’ve made some tough decisions that I believe are in the best interest of the residents,” he said.
With his experience in government and educational background, Mr. Schroeder hopes to bring an insiders perspective to the city council on effective budget management and economic development.
“Some of my accomplishments have been producing budgets of over $55 million, drafting capital improvement plans, managing an investment portfolio of over $150 million, negotiating redevelopment transactions and recovering hundreds of thousands of dollars for cities.”
He wants to attract a diverse supply of businesses to fill up the empty locations in Village West. “I have 17 years of experience throughout my career in economic development. I've seen the stuff that doesn't work and I've seen the stuff that works and I think we can be more effective.”
Some other goals are promoting sustainable living in the community, taking over local control of the water company and purchasing a new police station.
Referring to his interest in running for city council, Mr. Schroeder said, “It's my feeling that we have to give back to the community where they live with whatever talents that they have. My knowledge and experience in the public sector puts me in a unique position to give back to Claremont as an effective member of the city council and assist Claremont in keeping it the wonderful place it's been.”
—Tony Krickl
