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VICA PAC Makes Council Endorsements

The Valley Industry & Commerce Association PAC has endorsed three incumbents from the San Fernando Valley running for re-election to the City Council in the March 3 primary. The Sherman Oaks business advocacy group’s political action committee gave its backing to Councilmembers Mitchell Englander, Paul Krekorian and Nury Martinez. It also endorsed Valley resident Tamar Galatzan for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Trustees and Councilmember Herb Wesson, also running for re-election, for District 10 between downtown and the West Side. “They have all demonstrated the ability to work with the community on oftentimes polarizing issues that nonetheless must be addressed in order to better the city’s business climate,” VICA President Stuart Waldman said in a prepared statement. VICA did not make an endorsement among the 14 candidates on the ballot for District 4, which stretches from the Miracle Mile to Sherman Oaks. It is an open seat being vacated by Tom LaBonge, who is termed out. Krekorian is in a re-election bid in District 2, which includes Studio City, North Hollywood, Valley Glen and part of Sun Valley. He is up against a political novice, Eric Preven, a writer and producer from Studio City. The group is backing Krekorian for his support of bringing more transportation dollars and VICA’s proposal to bring light rail to the Valley. “Councilmember Krekorian has been a huge part in getting the Valley’s transportation deficiencies on the city’s radar,” said VICA Chair Coby King in a prepared statement. Martinez represents District 6, which includes the northeast and north central parts of the Valley. She faces challenger Cindy Montanez, a former state lawmaker. VICA lauded her stance on reducing the business tax and eliminating bureaucratic delays on the development of single-family homes in multifamily zones. Englander, who represents District 12 in the west Valley, is running unopposed. He has been a close ally to the business community on issues such as its opposition last year to a minimum wage hike for the city’s hotel workers, VICA said. Englander, Krekorian and Martinez and also have been endorsed by BizFedPAC, affiliated with the Los Angeles County Business Federation, a Los Angeles business advocacy group, also known as BizFed.

Mark Madler
Mark Madler
Mark R. Madler covers aviation & aerospace, manufacturing, technology, automotive & transportation, media & entertainment and the Antelope Valley. He joined the company in February 2006. Madler previously worked as a reporter for the Burbank Leader. Before that, he was a reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago and several daily newspapers in the suburban Chicago area. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

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