Voting Open in PPCC Area, At-Large Representative Election

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Voting remains open in the Pacific Palisades Community Council area and at-large representative election, which will close on September 2 at 9 p.m.

“Ballots for the election of area representatives and the at-large representative to the Pacific Palisades Community Council are made available to all community members (including residents, business operators and property owners in Pacific Palisades),” according to information shared by PPCC. Those elected will serve a two-year term on the board.

The Palisades is split into eight neighborhoods in a map created by PPCC, each represented by one board member. There is also one position for an at-large representative.

“Area and at-large representatives will be the voice of their constituents, bring issues to the PPCC, learn first-hand about policy and land-use topics affecting the Palisades, and vote on matters of communitywide interest,” according to a statement shared by PPCC.

Incumbents are running in Area 2 (Steve Cron), 3 (Haldis Toppel), 4 (Karen Ridgley) and 8 (Reza Akef). New candidates running include Murray Levy in Area 1, Reza Ronaghi in Area 4, Kimberly Bloom for Area 5, Cindy Simon in Area 6, Julie Silliman in Area 7 and Chris Spitz for at-large representative. One seat will have a contested election, which is Area 4.

In Area 4, which includes north and south of Sunset Boulevard from Bienveneda Avenue to Temescal Canyon Road, the Palisades Bowl and Tahitian Terrace mobile home parks at PCH, Palisades Charter High School, and the westerly portion of Temescal Gateway Park, Ronaghi and incumbent Ridgley, who has served for two years, are both on the ballot.

“I’m an effective advocate for my constituents, and a responsive and informed representative in securing the information and CD11 services required to resolve individual and community problems and to maintain our community’s quality of life,” Ridgley wrote in her candidate statement.

Ronaghi, a lung and critical care specialist with UCLA who moved to the Palisades about a year and a half ago, wrote that he wants to serve as the area representative in order to work with the city to help improve safety, and to increase access to healthcare, as well as help elderly residents with access to things like groceries and medication.

Voting will be done through online ballots available by clicking the red “vote” button on the PPCC website: pacpalicc.org. There will be no paper ballots this election.

“All individuals at least 18 years old as of September 2, 2022, who reside in Pacific Palisades are eligible to vote for an area representative in the area in which they reside and for the at-large representative,” according to PPCC. “Individuals at least 18 years old as of September 2, 2022, who do not reside in, but who own real property in or operate a business located in Pacific Palisades, are eligible to vote only for the at-large representative.”

For more information, including the ballot and full candidates’ statements, visit pacpalicc.org.