In Hermosa Beach council race, Campbell tries to merge ‘vision’ with realism
Hermosa Beach City Council candidate Mary Campbell. Photo
Mary Campbell describes herself as a relentless optimist and someone who does not shy away from “visionary” projects. It’s not the trendiest philosophy in an era of widespread skepticism about government at all levels. But Campbell believes that thinking big is essential for the government to make citizens feel included.
“If you can’t paint a picture of where we’re headed, it’s going to be difficult when we get to an impasse,” Campbell said.
Campbell is one seven candidates seeking three open City Council seats in the upcoming November election. If elected, she will join in the work of implementing PLAN Hermosa, the biggest “plan” the city has handled in decades. But while she wants to keep focused on the forest, she isn’t forgetting about the trees.
Campbell is a board member of the Hermosa Beach City School District and served as board president for much of the run-up to Measure S, the school facilities bond approved by voters last summer. But Measure S’s success followed the narrow defeat of Measure Q, which fell 32 votes short of passage in fall of 2014. So before putting another bond on the ballot, the district hired a polling firm and held a series of outreach meetings on what the community would want to see in a potential facilities plan. And once the board agreed to put a bond measure on the ballot, Campbell said she spoke with residents who had opposed Measure Q.
Some residents had general concerns, such as opposition to higher taxes. But she said others were specific enough to worry about the fate of a single tree in Valley Park, which neighbors the North School campus that, using bond sale proceeds, is to be reopened to ease overcrowding. Among the changes between Q and S was a redesign to avoid the paving of parts of Valley Park. The person concerned about the tree, Campbell said, ultimately supported Measure S.
Campbell’s tenure on the school board, she said, proved her capable of pushing through forward-looking projects, but also exposed her to criticism from the sizeable portion of the community that opposed Measure S. The bond measure, which needed at least 55 percent of voters to pass, won with 4,040 votes in favor and 2,725 against. A lawsuit, alleging election improprieties and other issues with the bond measure, was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last month.
The strident tone of Measure S opponents, who criticized both the plan’s strategic merits and its impact on the town’s history and identity, offered a kind of preview for the controversy that emerged at the beginning of the year over PLAN Hermosa, the city’s updates to its General Plan and Local Coastal Program. Members of the community were upset with proposals, later dropped, to achieve city-wide carbon neutrality and designate private residences for historic preservation. The council voted to approve the plan last month.
With a characteristic calm, Campbell accepts that disagreement, even anger, is an unavoidable part governing, especially if those elected want to do more than just keep things the same.
“It’s pretty predictable. It always requires a process for people to warm up to change, especially if it impacts the things they care about deeply,” Campbell said.
Campbell has lived in Hermosa for the past 11 years and began following city politics more closely after she and her husband bought a home. She works in organizational consulting, helping companies make changes to maximize their efficiency. (Asked to diagnose flaws in the existing council, she politely declined.)
Those who know Campbell describe being impressed by her thinking process. Maggie Bove-LaMonica, a fellow school board member, was elected along with Campbell in 2013.
“Mary balances pragmatism with idealism in a nice way. She begins by imagining the best possible outcome out there, then recognizes the difficulties that are going to emerge along the way,” Bove-LaMonica said.
Serving on a city council resembles a school board with its budgetary and planning responsibilities, but city council introduces a whole new set of complications. After dealing occasionally, for example, with campus safety, a victorious Campbell would be expected to deal often with public safety.
During a ride-along with the Hermosa Beach Police Department, she spent time on Pier Plaza on a weekend night. Campbell described the interplay of public safety, economic development and civic identity in the city’s downtown as a “complex situation.” The experience made her more aware of issues officers face there, but she also left convinced that the city’s nightlife industry would have to be partners, not opponents, in enacting changes.
“It’s about quality development, where it makes sense. It’s about balance. An all or nothing plan will not make for a thriving economy in our city,” Campbell said.