Election 2001: 
Residents Organizations' Endorsements

There are eleven candidates running for three seats on the Beverly Hills City Council. The election will be held on March 6.

BeverlyHillsCitizen.org does not endorse candidates. However, we have received endorsement statements from the boards of three Beverly Hills residents organizations:

Each of them endorsed Mary Levin Cutler and Mitch Waldow. Although all three groups have stated that they oppose more than two terms for councilmembers, one organization nevertheless also endorsed incumbent, two-term councilmember, Tom Levyn.

1) The board of the Municipal League of Beverly Hills convened, right after the Feb. 13th candidates forum of the B.H. North Homeowners Assn. At this session, they endorsed Mary Levin Cutler and Mitch Waldow.

"The anti-incumbent sentiment is stronger among voters now than in previous elections," said Thomas A. White, chairman of the Muni League's board of governors. "People associate the voting records of both the city council and the planning commission candidates with the inescapable effects of over-development which residents, merchants and shoppers alike must confront daily," White noted.

"These impacts include increasing traffic gridlock, parking problems, drive time delays, accidents, tourist overpopulation, privacy intrusion, litter, etc.," he added.

"Voters want their elected representatives to be residentially oriented and seek a reversal of the gross imbalance which has caused city priorities to be dedicated almost exclusively to commercial interests," White emphasized.

"The Muni League is endorsing Mary Levin Cutler and Mitch Waldow, because of their strong commitment to being true representatives of the people and because they have publically proven their residential orientation time and time again," White stated.

2) At a 2/17/01 meeting of the Beverly Hills North Homeowners Assn. board of directors, endorsements were given to Mary Levin Cutler, Mitch Waldow and Tom Levyn.

The group says it has received a commitment from incumbent Tom Levyn to, "spearhead a change of attitude which will place the interests of the residents at the forefront of the council's concerns," according to BHNHOA president, Victor Bardack.

Speaking of Cutler and Waldow, Bardack said that these two have "demonstrated in this campaign and in their civic life that they place the interests of the residents first and foremost."

"We need to put a stop to over-development. We need fresh thoughts and new approaches. We need to place control of our city council, our city government and our welfare in the hands of those who care about us," Bardack declared.

3) The Beverly Hills South Homeowners Assn. also endorsed Mary Levin Cutler and Mitch Waldow, because "They are best suited to serve the residents' needs, and have established records of speaking out on issues that affect residents," according to Artie Stone, president of the BHSHOA.

"Also," according to Stone, "Cutler and Waldow are candidates who have consistently supported term limits and an ethics ordinance." Both of these proposed measures are high among the priorities of the BHSHOA as well as the Muni League.