City of Compton voters will go to the polls on April 20 to cast votes for mayor, clerk, treasurer and council districts 2 and 3. Incumbents face an uphill battle to address the city’s deficit, which has tripled in size since Mayor Aja Brown took office in 2013, reduction of city services due in part to mismanagement of city funds and the COVID-19 global pandemic and the public breakdown of the relationship between the city and the Sheriff’s department, who provides contracted law enforcement services to the city’s nearly 100,000 residents.
There is no shortage of candidates vying for the above elected positions, however, the common theme of their messaging centers around non-controversial campaign rhetoric of “accountability, transparency, and unity”. What no one is willing to discuss is how to address the deficit and restoring a relationship with Sheriff Alex Villanueva after Brown publicly accused his officers of “terrorizing” the residents. The inconvenient truth is the residents are terrorizing the community with the uptick in shootings and murders that have taken place since the start of the year.
Residents pondered on social media about whether the mayor will address the uptick in murders.
Prayer circles and media coverage doesn’t solve the problem. A solid relationship between the community and law enforcement does. The city has taken the first steps by creating a Law Enforcement Review Board which quite frankly works when the members are genuinely concerned with addressing the issues and not posturing for political favor with those who appointed them. There are no links to the review boards members, agendas, minutes, or meeting schedule on the city’s website.
The only member of the current council, with a working relationship with Sheriff Villanueva, is District 2 Councilman Isaac Galvan.
In comparison, the city of Inglewood had a Citizen Police Oversight Commission which was led by Councilman Alex Padilla (an ally of Mayor James T. Butts Jr.) and included the mayor’s former girlfriend, Melanie McDade, who is now suing him for sexual harassment and stalking her. The commission didn’t meet for upwards of three years and got nothing accomplished. Then the commission mysteriously disappeared and all reference to it was scrubbed from the city’s website. That can’t continue to be the norm.
2UrbanGirls has reviewed the list of candidates and have selected our top 3, if you will, for each office. Our selections are based on our familiarity with their contributions to the city of Compton, over the last decade, and their being long-time VERIFIED residents of the city. Accomplishments are not narrow in focus to serving in office, but the projects they’ve worked on, with other elected officials and community organizations that they have volunteered their time and efforts to make Compton a better city to invest in and either raise your family or start a business.
Candidates will need to answer the “tough questions” that are the most significant issue for ANY city: its financial solvency and their ability to keep residents safe. 2UrbanGirls believes that with new leadership, in the mayor’s seat, that the council can actually get work done for the betterment of the community and not for the benefit of one person.
MAYOR
Emma Shariff
James Hayes
Christian Reynaga
District 2
Isaac Galvan
Andre Spicer
Skyy Fisher
District 3
Tana McCoy
Tomas Carlos
Renard Smith
City Treasurer
Satra Zurita
Brandon Mims
City Clerk
Alita Godwin
Lynn Boone
21 Comments
A know it all is just what we need in Compton. There are so many problems to solve only someone educated, prepared and mature can deal with them. In the past twenty years we have selected people who do not possess the acumen, mentality or cerebral capacities to lead a multimillion dollar corporation. So I say no to all the dummy candidates who are running on personal acquaintances, union affiliations or outside influenced motivations. No more dummies no matter what color their dress, or official title downtown. WE MUST HAVE a smart, articulate, compassionate Mayor. Only a dummy would want a dummy!
And who would you suggest? There’s two important qualities you didn’t mention which we have lacked for years and that’s honesty snd integrity!
Voting for Zurita for TREASURER and definitely Andre Spicer for 2nd District, This brother open up businesses in Compton and always give back and help his Community
Voting Zurita for treasurer is like taking two steps forward and going three steps back. No doubt if she was the only one running against the present treasurer, I would have no choice, but voters, we have a better choice. Why do we insist on continuing to go backwards? For this office we do need a more educated, person who has extensive experience in dealing with issues which are part of this job. Its like putting a person who only knows basic math against one who knows basic math, algebra, geometry and calculus. Ask yourselves, and be very honest, the true reason why you are voting for this person, why are we going down that same old road?
James Hays is the best candidate for Mayor. His Forum messages far exceed those of his competitors. It is amazing how many residents will vote for a less qualified candidate because they have a personal issue with Hays. Get over your issues, hate, jealousy or whatever your issue is and save our city by voting for the strongest candidate. Grown ups should be able to work together. Stop the drama and let’s work together. Change in Compton starts with us. Some of the comments in this post are simply stupid and immature.
Everyone seems to be focusing on the mayoral campaign lets talk about the treasury position. I didn’t think the treasurer’s job is as important as it is. I thought it was just an empty chair with a name plate in front of it for the past 28 years. After I saw the introduction of the candidates i was totally surprised to learn from Mr. Brandon Mims, that it is really a very important part of the function of the city. I was very impressed by the knowledge, professionalism, and poise of this young man. What we do need is that kind of youth, intelligence, and educated experience in that position.
What we don’t need is the same old tired, business as usual, people in that seat. Think about it.
Dear haters of Mr. Hayes: I think you had better wake up and take a long serious look at the state of the affairs of our city. You call him bougie, well give me bougie. I want a person who looks the part and acts with intelligence. Someone who can hold his own in a room full of other intelligent people and represent our city with dignity. One who can talk for us to get the things our city deserves without compromising his or our cities’ integrity. Stop thinking on such a small scale. And furthermore, haters, where would a good man be without a good woman pushing him along? Keep up the good work Charmaine,
I love James Hays and his wife. They are a couple that works together and you see how much they love one another when they are together.. Compton needs a united loving family to represent us. James Hays is in my opinion the best candidate for Mayor and this is why folks keep throwing dirt at his campaign. Let’s face it he has had the strongest messages and he lead last night’s forum. He is the top candidate of the three. There was a lot of dirt throwing even from the mayor and husband but none from the Hays people.
Emma Shariff can’t lead herself!
Experience, knowledge and a plan is crucial to Compton’s recovery from a 113 million dollar deficit. I listen for the answer to this insurmountable issue more than any other. Candidates promising everything without addressing the ills of the Mayor Perrodin administration. (42 million) and now the added peril of the Mayor Aja Brown administration (added 71 million to the existing deficit) are not dealing with the reality of the cost-cutting and inventive solutions necessary to right this floundering ship awash with now a 113 million dollar deficit. Mud-slinging is not the approach or answer. Issues and solutions not mud. I say this to all candidates.
So tired of everyone running for elections in Compton. Most of these people are not qualified.
It’s a no on Hays for me, seems like his wife Charmaine is the one running while he sits back relaxing. We need someone who can stand on their own two feet and doesn’t have their wife bullying everyone online who doesn’t agree with them. Not to mention his questionable past that we can’t get answers on because the wife runs defense. Sit down Charmaine, you’re not running.
Just Look at some of the people pushing Hays, tells us a vote for Hays is a vote for going backwards. We can’t afford that. We don’t need another gangster Mayor.
You’re right, you need your head examined. The so called Gangsta Mayor gave you a sixty million dollar surplus, you don’t need that! He gave you clean streets, you don’t need that! He gave you an 80 percent decrease in murder, you don’t need that! He gave you new buses, you don’t need that. He gave you tax-refunds, you don’t need that! You need your head examined!
This is one the most important elections in the City of Compton History. There are a host of issues that plague our Community. Voters must pay attention to
*Experience
*Professional Leadership Responsibility & accountability
* Financial acumen
*History in development & successful implementation
*Government knowledge & problem solving in political environments. Laws/rules.
*Team building
The next Mayor of Compton must have all of the above mentioned experience as well as backbone strength to restore Compton. We can’t afford not to make the right choice. I support James Hays not because he is my husband but because he has the experience and skills necessary to move Compton forward.
This is an excellent article that encapsulates key topics that need to be addressed with more than lip service.
Hays is the best choice. I love that he is smarter than the average Joe.
mr know it all james Hays as mayor? mr bourgeoisie with the 250 page manifesto (aint nobody reading) on how to fix compton? hays if elected will spend his time thinking he smarter than the average bear. rather give the seat to the latino with a bow. he knocking on doors stating his accomplishments working with dr willie jones but if you remember willie just slept during council meetings and rarely said anything
250 pages of things that need to be fixed…..think of it as a blueprint. And, God bless the late Dr. Jones.
since you have the blueprint apply to be city manager know it all! and YES! Good Bless Dr. Jones but you never denied you worked hard to elect and reelect a man that slept for 8 years in council meetings. did you support him sitting there sleeping not asking questions as the city dug itself deeper and deeper into this financial mess? did you support the none action of the street repairs? we know the council members are part time and you was his full time staffer, why didn’t you advise him to WAKE UP and challenge what was NOT being done? Mr big time scientist took a job as a council staffer making pennies for what? you wanted the clout! you seemed to be all about a title. why not work your way up, run to be a council member
For the record, I do address the “Crises” in Compton. In videos circulating on Facebook, as well as my direct presentations to voters. I do talk about my ideas on dealing with The Sherriff directly, the LASD and the County Board of Supervisors. Additionally I speak to Compton’s economic crisis. I call my plan a change in the “culture of government” which encompasses how we attract revenue, how we treat citizens and business, how we get our infrastructure repairs back on track and how we enhance the quality of life for our citizens. Compton needs real leadership, team building and experience. James Hays
I think you would be a good mayor for Compton if elected and if you have anything to do with the schools could you see that the janitors clean the classrooms they are never clean you never smell any cleaning fluids the floors are not mopped desk are not clean and the bathrooms are terrible the only thing we see the janitor do is steal the worker comp chairs for the employees in order to keep them they have to take them home when school is out and bring them back when school is in the bathrooms at washington elementary are so bad they had porta pottie brought in also there were two teachers who harrassed by artistic grandson when he was in kindergarten made him mom pick him up at 11 am daily so he only went to school from 8 to 11 cause they did not know how to handle this type of child often made him cry there were miss ignasio and dr a who was vice principle at the time they both should be fired thank you i hope you win but i stay in the unincorporated are and cannot vote for mayor
Yea we need to work on this list some of them and their non or lack of productivity