Three Santa Clarita City Council candidates discussed the future of the city at an Oct. 8 forum at College of the Canyons’ Intercultural Center, sharing their thoughts around topics like public safety, economic development and the quality of life for local residents.
In the first-ever election for the city’s 1st District — an area largely comprised of Newhall and a portion of western Canyon Country — there are three candidates: Patsy Ayala and Tim Burkhart, who sit on the city’s Planning Commission; and Bryce Jepsen, president of the recently merged Queer SCV and the SCV LGBTQ Center.
The discussion began with each candidate being asked to give their priorities for the city in a single sentence, which Burkhart answered first:
“That one sentence says a City Council member is responsible for setting a strategic vision and holding accountable the administration of the city vision and making sure that it fits within the guidelines that were authorized to operate in as a city,” he said.
“And for me,” Ayala said, “for City Council members, this is representatives of the primary legislative body of the city, it is the responsibility for a City Council member to make laws, city laws, ordinances and policies, and also represent the citizens of Santa Clarita.”
“For me personally, what I believe is the most important responsibility for a City Council person, or member, is just, at the end of the day, to ensure the safety and well-being of all the city’s citizens, and that’s it, period,” Jepsen said.
The candidates also once again took the opportunity to share their bios and why they are running: Ayala is former legislative aide to a pair of former state legislators in the Assembly and the Senate; Burkhart is a retired Six Flags Magic Mountain executive who worked his way up to its corporate office; and Jepsen works in the nonprofit sector with a background in history.
