What Do Elections Have In Store for Loma Linda Council?

Two Loma Linda City Council members have now confirmed they will run for re-election.

Mayor Rhodes Rigsby confirmed last week he plans to run for his seat, which will be up in June.

Three seats are up for election, those belonging to Rigsby, Mayor Pro Tem Ovidiu Popescu and Councilman Stan Brauer.

Brauer, who assumed his seat in 1992 and has been on the council the longest, has yet to announce his intentions. Rigsby assumed his seat in 2006, Popescu in 2008, according to the Registrar of Voters.

This year has been a trying one for the council. It began with residents frustrated that the city was not cleaning mud that flowed into yards thanks to the Dec. 2010 flood.

In June, a handful of residents opposed the extension of approval for plans for a seven story parking structure on the corner of Campus and Prospect avenues. The project had not gotten the green light from the LLUMC officials as of late December.

By far the most controversial issue has been a proposed McDonald’s at the intersection of Mountain View Avenue and Barton Road. About 50 people, most of them medical professionals, packed the council chambers to oppose the eatery because of its unhealthy “junk” food, residents said. The plan, however, was approved in late December.

Protesters hinted at one council meeting there could be repercussions during the election as a result of the council’s approval. One protester warned city officials the country would soon know about their decision.

“This will be your legacy,” one protester told the council during one meeting.

There was weight behind the warning.

The issue has garnered national attention, with coverage from ABC News’ “Nightline” to The New York Times and LA Times, and a variety of web sites. The City Council maintains they approved the plans for a commercial center. The McDonald’s negotiated for a location in the center with developer, not the city.

Nightline featured the issue in its “Faith Matters” segment, attributing the opposition to religion and the town’s strong Seventh-day Adventist population since most Adventists are vegetarian. More than a dozen news publications and blogs followed Nightline's lead.

The group of protesters is reportedly considering a ballot measure to require the city to monitor the number of fast food restaurants. Dr. Wayne Dysinger, head of preventive medicine at the medical school, told the Los Angeles Times they want the council to “ensure that the number of eating establishments that offer healthful food will always outnumber fast-food restaurants.”

"Plus, every city councilman is an elected official," Dysinger told The Times.

It’s not clear yet if the issue will have an impact on the council, which draws few people to its meetings and has had to coerce people in the past to stay and take part.

Anyone interested in running for City Council can click here for information.