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| Leilani Kimmel-Dagostino |
Budget analyst and Commissioner on Seniors and against Leilani-Kimmel-Dagostino also answered questions about her campaign and candidacy.
city council this year? Did you ever plan on running for office
before?
With 16 candidates running for City
Council, this is the biggest change in council membership in city history. We
have to elect people with experience and vision. I felt I had the experience in
four key areas: Finance, Business, Government, and Community Service.
I had never planned on running for
elected office before. I had planned to be selected as a City Commissioner
which I was 6 years ago.
Republican. Why?
Constitution, small government, and a balanced budget which are the tenets of
the Republican Party.
3. Tell us about your prior
professional/political experience and how they can help the City of
Torrance.
Republican Party while living in Houston, Texas when Congressman Bill Archer
from Harris County asked for volunteers to become poll watchers in elections to
combat voter fraud in certain districts. Because of what I observed in Texas,
when we moved to California I became an Election Inspector to ensure a fair and
honest voting experience in the precincts that I was assigned to.
have been a Registered Financial Consultant for 10 years serving the needs of
senior citizens. Prior to that I worked as a Budget Analyst for the Western
Division of American Airlines Aircraft Maintenance. I hold an MBA in
Quantitative Analysis from Pepperdine University which means that I can analyze
large quantities of data and make sense of it.
work with senior citizens.
to bring forth items that the City Council can take action on. I was Chair of
the Commission on Aging for 4 years and have been the Vice Chair for 2 years.
Under my watch we saved the Commission from elimination at the Ad Hoc Review
Board, negotiated the dial-a-ride taxi program rates, and saved the funding for
the Senior Tour program. Since I attend all the City Council meetings I am able
to speak for the Commission on any items that affect the senior community. I am
out in the community attending meetings and events at the Bartlett Senior
Center, the YMCA senior center, and various residential care facilities. In
order to find out what is on the minds of senior citizens you have to hang out
with them at a multitude of venues in order to tap their brains. I use the
knowledge that I have gained to bring back to the Commission various concerns
that we can address. Seniors can call me at any time with questions and I
address them all on a timely basis.
What plans do you have to assist
seniors while also making Torrance a vibrant city for young people and future families
moving it?
affordable senior housing as that is the number one request that the Focal
Point on Aging receives. I am especially monitoring a project by the Mehta
Housing Company on Cabrillo Avenue that was to have been funded by the now
defunct Redevelopment Agency. It is a workforce housing development and may yet
come to fruition if grant money can be found to complete it.
a month space rental subsidy for low income senior citizens living in mobile
home parks reinstated. That was discontinued because of the demise of the
Redevelopment Agency.
live in. The only way young families can afford to live here is if they inherit
a house from their parents or if they have a good job. We must develop and keep
good jobs in Torrance. We can do this by fostering vocational education through
SCROC, El Camino College, or vocational education offered through our high
schools. Many of these vocational skills lead to high paying jobs. For example,
Robinson Helicopters in Torrance hires most of its employees from SCROC.
4. What measures,
reforms, and policies would you implement on a city level
to bring in more business and increase economic activity in the City
of Torrance?
We need to get the word out about
the South Bay Entrepreneurial Center in Torrance that helps nurture
entrepreneurs and small businesses. Large businesses can come and go but small
businesses are the lifeblood of the city. The Chamber of Commerce and the
Office of Economic Development are all working together to attract new
businesses to Torrance.
Last year my Leadership Torrance
group developed a free mobile application called “Discover Torrance” which
lists all the hotels, restaurants, and attractions in Torrance for use in
developing tourism in the City. The Discover Torrance Office is currently
working on programs to encourage more people to visit Torrance for pleasure and
for meetings and conventions.
5. What concerns do you have about
crime and public safety in Torrance?
increase in burglaries since the passage of AB108. As a CERT DSV volunteer I
have been a part of 3 “Operation Outlook” operations with the Torrance Police
Department where we target various neighborhoods and educate the public on
burglary prevention and neighborhood watch programs. If at all possible in the
next budget I would like to see at least two more police officers hired to help
the task force. We still are the 10th safest city in the nation and
the citizens of Torrance demand a safe and secure city.
about the city's massive pension liabilities — $400 million, an
online reports confirm that at least 600 city employees out of 200 are
earning at least $100,000 a year in total compensation (per 2012 data). What
reforms or steps do you support to deal with these massive pension
liabilities?
on February 25, 2014 with the presentation by the Actuary as to the pension
liabilities. Two things have come to light from the presentation. The first
thing is that that Governor Brown has signed a law that states that all
unfunded pension liabilities must be shown on the balance sheet of all city
budgets. The second thing is that GASB68 which was approved on June 25, 2012
and effective 2014/2015 changes the unfunded pension liabilities from an
actuarial asset value to a market asset value. That means that we have
$116,200,000. more in unfunded liabilities rather than the $44,200,000.00 that
we thought we had or $392.1 total. This is still significant. However, the City
of Torrance took measures on June 30, 2011 to implement cost sharing and
raising the retirement age for new employees hired after January 1, 2013. This
should result in savings (in millions) of $.5 for miscellaneous employees, $.4
for Police, and $.3 for Fire Safety. Savings materialize gradually over 20 to
30 years due to the PEPRA impact assuming a 7% expected return on the discount
rate on bonds. This will need to be monitored closely because if the return is
not sufficient to pay benefits then further changes will need to be made.
Employees on these plans are not eligible for social security benefits when
they retire unless they choose to work in private industry and pay into the
plan.
7. How have residents and
prospective voters responded to your campaign?
response to my campaign especially from senior citizens. Most of my
contributions have come from individual donors and I have received no union
money or PAC money even though I have been endorsed by both the Torrance Police
Department and Torrance Fire Department. People know me through my volunteer
efforts and my Commission work. I have always been accessible and my record
speaks for itself.
Private interest plus public investment in city commissions, Leilani's background and vision would suit the city of Torrance very well on the City Council, too.
On June 3, vote for Leilani for City Council.