Two La Palma City Council seats are on the ballot this November, with one incumbent seeking reelection and three challengers looking to bring fresh representation to the dais.
Councilmember Nitesh Patel faces off against former La Palma police officer Andrew Kim for the District 2 seat, while small business owner Jonathan Dinwiddie and community volunteer Mary Paningsoro are vying for the District 4 post.
The city is holding its first by-district elections in the two districts this year, after adopting the new voting system in 2024.
We asked the candidates questions about housing, city finances, transparency, and more, which you can read in our voter guide.
The race for District 2 pits Patel, the current mayor, against Kim, a public safety administrative manager.
Kim said La Palma’s biggest need is stronger oversight, citing litigation, pension liabilities, infrastructure left to age and transparency concerns.
He said he would advocate for greater access to recorded City Council meetings, as well as “clear and understandable information” about expenditures, pension liabilities, Measure JJ sales tax revenues and progress on significant financial commitments.
Calling new taxes an “absolute last resort,” Kim said he’d support a comprehensive budget review to identify excess spending and improve efficiency while protecting essential services.
“For too long, the status quo has been accepted while significant problems have continued to grow,” Kim said. “La Palma needs leaders who are willing to ask difficult questions, challenge the way things have always been done, and hold both themselves and city management accountable for results.”
For Patel, strengthening the local economy, attracting quality businesses, investing in infrastructure and ensuring public safety are top priorities, he said.
“We regularly evaluate city operations to identify opportunities to deliver services more efficiently,” he added.
At the same time, he said the city should consider pursuing a combination of responsible economic development, long-term financial planning and new revenue opportunities. Every department and program, he added, should be regularly reviewed.
“La Palma is a small community with limited resources, so every decision matters,” Patel said. “By planning ahead, growing and maintaining healthy reserves, and directing resources to core community services, we can protect the quality of life residents value and position the city for a strong, sustainable future.”
District 4 is guaranteed a new face in either Dinwiddie or Paningsoro.
Dinwiddie, who ran for the council in 2022, said he’d build fiscal responsibility plans and focus on maintaining municipal services. Though the city is in relatively good financial health, he said the council may need to consider reviewing pension liabilities while hiring a new police chief.
“As a city, we should always be looking for new revenue sources, such as bringing in new business to our city,” Dinwiddie said.
He said he values connecting with community members “and seeing what I can do for them, from simply answering questions to getting the city involved with issues and finding solutions with a proactive approach.”
Paningsoro said in her campaign statement for the ballot that she’d work to maintain infrastructure, safeguard the city’s fiscal health and fight to keep schools safe. She declined to participate in the newspaper’s voter guide.
A 32-year La Palma resident, Paningsoro has served on the board of the John F. Kennedy High School Scholarship Foundation for the past eight years, as well as the city’s Community Activities & Beautification Committee for the past four.
“I’ve supported community traditions such as the La Palma Parade, the Festival of Nations, Concerts in the Park and many others,” she said. “These experiences have strengthened my commitment to want to give back and help future generations thrive.”
Read more from the candidates at ocregister.com/voter-guide.
Ballots may be returned by mail (must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received within a week of Election Day) or to the OC Registrar of Voters’ drop boxes around town now, and the first vote centers will open for casting ballots in person on Oct. 24.