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Final list of candidates for Lancaster Mayor, Council

by M. Dilworth • January 13, 2012

LANCASTER – Four people have qualified to run for Mayor and five people have qualified to run for Council in the next General Municipal Election for the City of Lancaster, according to a list released by the City Clerk Friday evening. The filing period ended at 5 p.m., Jan 13.

The following is the list of qualified candidates (alphabetical by last name), along with a brief description of each candidate. The AV Times will bring you in-depth interviews and coverage of each candidate in the coming weeks.

Mayoral candidates 

David Abber

David Abber ran for Lancaster Mayor in 2004 and ran for City Council in 2010. Abber is a frequent speaker at City Council meetings and is outspoken in his criticism of both the Council and the Mayor.

Since 2010, Abber has doggedly pursued a complaint against Mayor R. Rex Parris, claiming Parris physically assaulted him at a 24-hour fitness gym.

 

 

David Grajeda

David Grajeda, a frequent speaker at Lancaster City Council meetings, announced his bid for Mayor in a courtroom Thursday where he is being charged with interfering with or disturbing a public meeting.

Grajeda said as mayor he would reduce term limits to two years, open the books to see where the money is going, impose salary caps on the City Manager’s and Deputy City Manager’s salaries, and closely evaluate code ordinances to “get rid of the ones that are unconstitutional and unfairly tax the population.”

 

R. Rex Parris

On April 22, 2008, Lancaster native R. Rex Parris* became the third directly-elected Mayor of Lancaster. He was re-elected Mayor in April 2010.

According to the City website, immediately upon taking office, Parris embarked on a mission to dramatically reduce Lancaster’s crime rate, and as a result of his steadfast resolve, the City’s crime rate plummeted almost 40% in just three years.

 

 

David Paul

David Paul is a member of the Human Relations Tapestry Commission, which was formed at the request of Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris with the goal of bringing together various groups, cultures and individuals throughout the City of Lancaster.

Paul has been attending Lancaster City Council meetings for a number of years and prides himself on speaking on items of great importance to the community at large, such as sensible development, traffic, energy and water policy, disability issues, prayer at public meetings and basic human rights, according to a press release by the City.

**

Council Candidates

Isaac Grajeda

Nine-year Lancaster resident, Isaac Grajeda, 29, is a music teacher, writer and musician. Grajeda describes himself as an advocate for reformed felons, minorities, and the working class and says that he is running to give a voice to the younger generation and to bridge the disconnect with the current administration.

He says he is living proof of how people can grow from bad experiences and transform negative circumstances into positive experiences.

 

 

Sandra Johnson

Sandra Johnson* was appointed to the Lancaster City Council in September 2011.

Johnson, CEO and co-founder of the University of Antelope Valley, has overseen her company’s transformation, from a small CPR startup company in 1997, into a nationally accredited educational institution that graduates more than 1,000 students a year.

 

 

John Kiramis

John T. Kiramis** is the former Mayor of Foster City, CA and a retired Police Lieutenant. Kiramis reportedly relocated to the Antelope Valley a short time ago to care for his mother-in-law.

View video of Kiramis as Foster City Mayor in 2009, talking about the City’s ongoing budget crisis here.

 

 

 

Ken Mann

Ken Mann* was elected to the Lancaster City Council in April 2008. Mann was appointed to the Planning Commission in 1992, and served until 1996 when his 4-year term expired.

He was re-appointed in 1997 and served five consecutive 2-year terms as the Mayor’s appointment. He was re-appointed in April of 2006 to fill a 2-year vacancy on the commission.

Mann and his wife own Camille’s Sidewalk Café in Lancaster.

 

Michael Rives

Michael Rives is retired as Cancer Program Administrator for the VA, where he worked for 13 years.

He also served as a Technical LAPD Reserve Officer for 10 years and is a former volunteer for Lancaster Animal Care and Control Facility.

Currently, Rives is president of the Antelope Valley Optimist Club. Rives ran for Lancaster City Council in 2010.

 

 

The next General Municipal Election for the City of Lancaster will be held on April 10, 2012. There will be two Council seats open for four year terms; and the Mayor’s seat open for a four year term.

The Mayor’s four-year term (Measure M) was approved by the voters of Lancaster on April 13, 2010 and ratified by the City Council on April 27, 2010.

To hold an elective office within the City of Lancaster, a person:

  • Must be a United States citizen.
  • Reside within the city limits of Lancaster.
  • Must be 18 years of age or older at the time nomination papers are issued.
  • Must be a registered voter of the City at the time nomination papers are issued.
  • Not on parole for the conviction of a felony.

* denotes incumbent
**an earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Lancaster City Council Candidate John T. Kiramis. The spelling has been corrected.

 

Filed Under: Lancaster, Politics

23 comments for "Final list of candidates for Lancaster Mayor, Council"

  1. Nemisispain says

    March 8, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    Is there no other qualified candidates???? I guess Lancaster will continue to be the “Armpit of America”…..

  2. miffed american says

    January 16, 2012 at 8:40 am

    I don’t get why Ms. Johnson would accept a position and then run for Mayor. If she had plans to do that she should not have accepted the position she was appointed to. Time will be lost in replacing that position and somebody who might have really desired that position might have focused on it more.

    • Stinger says

      January 16, 2012 at 12:17 pm

      Actually, she is running for the council position that Parris unilaterally appointed her to, not for mayor.

      • miffed american says

        January 16, 2012 at 4:21 pm

        Thanks for the correction.

  3. miffed american says

    January 15, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    I have no words for somebody who wants to support felons as his platform for reform.

  4. Stinger says

    January 14, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    Kiramus looks interesting…

    • miffed american says

      January 15, 2012 at 3:34 pm

      I would say he’s the only competition.

      • Stinger says

        January 16, 2012 at 12:18 pm

        Wish he was running for mayor. There doesn’t seem to be any viable competition on that front.

      • CKAY says

        January 23, 2012 at 3:03 pm

        Kiramus looks very interesting. Hope he has a dutch uncle like Rex giving him $100,000. But that probably won’t happen.

  5. Marie says

    January 14, 2012 at 11:03 am

    Interesting that deputies were instructed by sheriff;s headquarters in Los Angeles that they must wait for another deputy and preferably more than one before entering certain neighborhoods, even on a 911 call! That’s how crime infested and dangerous some of the city’s neighoborhoods were. Nothing was done about the crime until Mayor Parris and the current council starting taking action to bring the crime down. Sorry, for those who hate the mayor and council, law abiding citizens say thank you to the mayor and the council and applaud their courage to stand up and do what was needed to make this city safe, no matter what those who hate them say or do!

    • William says

      January 14, 2012 at 12:25 pm

      Why, then, don’t you go to a city council meeting and share your opinion so that TV viewers at home can enjoy them. Oh, wait. The public comment section of the televised council meetings is blocked. Yeah. That’s your mayor and council.

      If all the crime in Lancaster was eliminated, it still wouldn’t be that desirable a place to live in with the current leadership.

      • Stinger says

        January 14, 2012 at 2:51 pm

        If all the crime in Lancaster was eliminated, we’d have the mayor and half of the council in prison along with the rest of the criminals.

        Remember, it’s election season and Parris will be setting loose his paid bloggers… Like “Marie” and “T”…

        • William says

          January 14, 2012 at 11:22 pm

          Parris has acted like a complete jerk since he was first elected and his fans whine because we are pointing it out.

          We have to since they can’t see it.

  6. Stinger says

    January 14, 2012 at 5:38 am

    “According to the City website, immediately upon taking office, Parris embarked on a mission to dramatically reduce Lancaster’s crime rate, and as a result of his steadfast resolve, the City’s crime rate plummeted almost 40% in just three years.” – This is a lie. The crime rate was already going down, dramatically, prior to Parris even running. Therefore, it is NOT as a RESULT of anything Parris has done.

    R. Rex Parris is a criminal.

    • T. says

      January 14, 2012 at 10:50 am

      Another obsessive attack on Rex Parris? you need to get some help buddy!

      • Stinger says

        January 14, 2012 at 2:48 pm

        Another true believer of all of Parris’ lies, aren’t you, “T”? How’s the kool aid?

        I’ll happily stop with my posts on telling the truth about Parris when he’s in prison with Bubba.

        • T says

          January 14, 2012 at 5:38 pm

          you should know a lot about “bubba”, being that youve spent some time in the pen and all ! Right? Wasn’t your nickname “BBb” ? ya know….”big bubbas b—-” ?

          • Stinger says

            January 14, 2012 at 6:29 pm

            Now who’s obsessing, Rex-I mean, “T”?

            Getting worried?

          • Stinger says

            January 14, 2012 at 6:36 pm

            I also noticed the usual Parrisite tactics of immediately accusing anybody who disagrees with them of being a felon, criminal, anti-law enforcement, or somesuch.

            Pathetic, really.

          • T says

            January 14, 2012 at 8:37 pm

            You’ve done well for yourself! thanks for confirming what I already knew, mr. Ex Felon! Being that you’ve confirmed your Ex Felon status now, tell everyone here how “well” you know Big Bubba! I heard you both looked like Sumo Wrestlers going at it!

          • Stinger says

            January 15, 2012 at 12:47 am

            LOL! See what I mean?

            Pathetic.

            Enjoy the kool aid, “T”…

          • Matt S says

            January 23, 2012 at 4:57 pm

            Stinger says “Rex lies, here’s the proof.”
            T says “you’re ugly!”

            Sounds like a Rex Zombie response to me.

            Just another RZ. Is it true he pays kids to go on different sites to say nice things about him? I could use a 2nd job. Where do I sign up?

  7. Matt Keltner says

    January 13, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    How many City Council seats are open?

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