Colin Faces Mona in Redondo Council Runoff : Third Time May Be Charm in Race

“Vote early and vote often” is a familiar joke on election day, but in central Redondo Beach, voting often is becoming routine.

For the third time in 14 months, District 3 residents are being asked to choose a City Council representative. Attorney Steve Colin, 31, and union business representative William R. (Bill) Mona, 54--survivors of a March primary that narrowed the field of candidates from three--are vying in the runoff election on Tuesday.

Each claims that he has the experience and commitment to see that the district gets its share of city money and attention, which, they say, has been lacking during the past five years.

Vacant Seat

District 3 is bordered by Marshallfield Lane, 190th Street, Paulina Avenue and the Torrance and Hermosa Beach city limits.

The council seat has been vacant since November, when Marcia Martin resigned to pursue a career as an Orange County sheriff’s deputy. Her resignation came just eight months after she was reelected to a second four-year term.

Colin was Martin’s only opponent in the 1987 race, and he lost by just five votes.

Mona said he did not run then because he and Martin are friends. In the March primary, Martin endorsed Brad Parton, the candidate who came in third and was eliminated.

Mona and Colin agree that traffic should be reduced, density lowered and Dominguez Park improved--problems identified by candidates in past elections. Both oppose redevelopment projects, which have long been controversial in Redondo Beach.

Expand Drug Programs

Mona, who has been a volunteer reserve officer with the Redondo Beach Police Department for 13 years, said his top priority as a councilman would be to get rid of the gangs that he said visit the city and suggested hiring more police officers toward that goal.

He also wants to expand the department’s drug awareness programs in the schools, he said.

Mona said that while he and supporters go door-to-door campaigning, they also are collecting signatures on an informal petition to the City Council asking that 50-by-150-foot lots in District 3 be restricted to no more than two dwelling units. Some areas in the district allow three units to be built on such lots.

He said he also wants to work on improving parks and recreational facilities citywide and expand the dial-a-ride service for senior citizens.

The city should provide financial assistance to King Harbor businesses damaged by January and April storms, Mona said. City officials should consider placing a bond issue before the voters to help upgrade other private businesses “in whatever way they might need help,” he said.

“The whole United States was built on small businesses, and I believe in helping the small businessman,” he said. “. . . Keeping him in business brings people to Redondo Beach. Bringing people to Redondo Beach brings in revenue and it helps keep taxes down for the residents.”

Opponent Disagrees

Colin laughed at the suggestion of having taxpayers support private businesses, saying: “I don’t think anybody’s going to agree to that.”

Nor should the city give financial assistance to the storm-damaged harbor businesses, he said. The storm caused $4 million in damage to public property and the city must pay for part of those repairs, he said. The state and federal governments have agreed to help pay for some of the repair costs.

“I just can’t see the city having any extra money to give to businesses. We aren’t the Bank of Redondo and we aren’t the Great American Insurance Co. with unlimited funds,” he said.

On this issue, Colin has changed his position since the March campaign. He previously said that the city should help those businesses since they generate taxes to the city.

He said he changed his mind because 15 businesses have filed claims against the city--a legal prerequisite to filing a lawsuit--and have potentially made the city liable for the storm damage and may require the city to spend a lot of money to defend itself.

Colin said the most important issue facing the city is the claims filed against the city and the threat of lawsuits from businesses damaged by the storms and from the collapse of a ventilation grating in a city parking garage, which killed one person and injured nine others.

Colin said that since he is an attorney, he would be the best candidate to help the city through its legal troubles. Colin specializes in business law.

The city sends out too much of its legal work because the council often refuses to accept the advice of the elected city attorney, Gordon Phillips, Colin said, adding that he believes Phillips is a capable attorney. If he is elected, the council will benefit from a second legal opinion, he said.

Win or lose, Colin said he will draft an ordinance to protect ocean views and push for its adoption.

He said his political ambition is “to be president--that’s the American Dream.”

Colin’s opponents portray him as a negative force, criticizing actions but not offering solutions. Colin said he takes it as a compliment when he is decribed as “too critical” and says he takes a logical, analytical, fiscally conservative approach to city issues.

Civic Involvement

He points to his involvement in city and district issues as evidence of his working toward solutions. He said he has regularly attended council meetings for years and fought to get them televised.

He successfully campaigned against the proposed widening of Flagler Lane and tried unsuccessfully to get a campaign contribution limitation initiative on the ballot.

Colin serves on a committee revising the city’s noise ordinance and until recently spent four years on the Public Improvement Commission, including one year as chairman.

He is a lifelong district resident, is single, has no children and graduated from USC with a bachelor’s degree in public administration and from the UC Davis School of Law. He is endorsed by Mayor Barbara J. Doerr, who currently has no allies on the City Council, and City Treasurer Alice DeLong.

Mona served on the temporary Charter Review and Vandalism committees and was involved with Little League teams, the Cub Scouts and local parent-teacher associations.

‘I Want to Be a Healer’

He said he successfully helped campaign against the proposed elimination of the library in Veteran’s Park in the mid-1970s. He is married, has two children, is a high school graduate and has lived in the district for 17 years.

Referring to the continual bickering between the mayor and City Council members, Mona said, “I want to be a healer, a counselor and an amender.”

Mona is supported by Councilmen Archie Snow and Ronald Cawdrey. Mona said he never asked for any endorsements of elected officials and is running an independent campaign.

“I have a campaign manager, that’s what I pay him for,” he added.

Colin charged that Snow and Cawdrey are running Mona’s campaign. “Bill Mona’s a follower; he’s not a leader,” Colin asserted. “He’s going to follow Archie Snow and Ron Cawdrey. . . . Each one is the alter ego of the other.”

Mona also is endorsed by former opponent Parton.

Allegation Denied

Colin asserts that Mona promised Parton a seat on the Planning Commission in exchange for his endorsement. Both Mona and Parton deny the allegation. Mona said after he got Parton’s endorsement, he promised him only “a homemade lasagna dinner.”

Mona--who raised about $12,000, according to the most recent campaign statements--said he has no idea how much he will spend on the campaign. He has estimated that he spent about $7,500 on the primary election.

Colin labels his opponent a “special-interest candidate” because unions and their representatives contributed to Mona’s campaign. Contributors to Mona, a business representative for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 770, include officials of the union and the Los Angeles County District Council of Carpenters.

“I’m not a special-interest candidate,” Mona said, adding that the donors are friends with no connections to the city.

Colin--who raised about $6,700, according to campaign statements--said he planned to spend about $10,000 on the campaign, including $5,000 on the runoff.

Both candidates predict a close race. City Clerk John Oliver said he is expecting a 20% voter turnout. In the March election, voter turnout was 24.1%--the highest ever for a special election and 2% more than citywide mayoral races generally attract.

The new councilman will be seated May 24.

Steve Colin

Age: 31

Occupation: attorney

Resident: 31 years

Civic experience: four years on Public Improvements Commission, one year as chairman; worked on local political issues.

William R. Mona

Age: 54

Occupation: business representative for the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 770

Resident: 17 years

Civic experience: volunteer police reserve; member of temporary Charter Review and Vandalism committees; previously worked with Little League teams, the Cub Scouts and local PTA’s.