The Bee’s Editorial Board offers its recommendations for the Clovis City Council race
The five candidates running for Clovis City Council in the March 2 election are each sincerely committed to wanting the city’s best.
Two incumbents — Vong Mouanoutoua and Lynne Ashbeck — are being challenged by newcomers Diane Pearce, Noha Elbaz and Herman Nagra. Voting for the two seats on the five-person council is done at large, meaning each council member represents the whole city, not a part of it in a district. The seats are nonpartisan.
In their interviews with The Bee’s Editorial Board, all five candidates showed strong affection for Clovis and the desire to make it better. Two were characterized by their independent thinking and willingness to question the status quo: Ashbeck and Elbaz. The Bee recommends them for four-year terms on the council.
One note: Nagra was arrested by Clovis police last month for allegedly stealing campaign signs belonging to Mouanoutoua and Pearce. . While being questioned by Clovis police detectives, Nagra admitted to the theft. He was arrested on suspicion of grand theft, which is a felony. The court case is pending.
Council veteran wanting more
Ashbeck jokes that, by day, she works as a senior vice president of community engagement at Valley Children’s Healthcare. By night, she puts on her council member hat and goes to work for the city of Clovis.
She has lived in the city since 1977, just after she graduated from Fresno State. She got elected to the council in 2001 and has served five terms, last being re-elected in 2017. Ashbeck has served as mayor twice (the position rotates among council members every two years).
Down-to-earth, Ashbeck can quickly swing into a pointed explanation of issues and values. When asked if she would take part in partisan political rallies as some colleagues did last year, Ashbeck immediately denounced any such possibility.
“ I will pledge to never go because I have never been. When it comes to local government, I am a purist … In Clovis, when a toilet flushes or 9-1-1 shows up, no one asks what party you are.”
Challenger’s new perspectives
An educator who came close to beating an incumbent for a seat on the Clovis Unified School Board last fall, Elbaz is a relative newcomer to the community, having arrived in the city in 2013.
Born in Egypt and then an immigrant when her family moved to America, Elbaz went on to graduate from Columbia University in New York. Professionally, she has been a teacher and a college president. She, her husband and two sons picked Clovis for their hometown because of its good schools, low crime and small-town charm.
“In Clovis, at our core, I believe we all are looking for much of the same things — an economically vibrant, welcoming community in which to raise our families,” Elbaz says in a statement on her website. “I am a proud resident of Clovis and will work to ensure the city continues to thrive, residents have a voice in where and how we grow, and businesses are given the support they need to be successful.”
Answering questions
The Bee asked the candidates a series of questions in the interviews, ranging from the COVID pandemic to housing development to racism. Summing up, here is how Ashbeck and Elbaz responded:
Pandemic: Ashbeck noted that, with her health-care background, she has often been the lone voice on the council backing measures like social distancing and mask wearing. She says the city can do more to instill the importance of the health protocols, even to the point of using police to enforce the rules. That said, she backs outdoor dining as a way to keep restaurants open.
Elbaz said the city needs to take a strong line on such things as mask wearing, and consistently apply the rules. Businesses can better operate knowing what is expected of them, she explained, and then they can stem any loss of customers who might be afraid to venture in.
Partisanship and political rallies: Ashbeck and Elbaz agreed that partisanship has no place on a municipal council. Both pledged they would only join events that have widespread community backing.
Affordable housing: Ashbeck believes the city has enough land zoned for affordable housing, and disputes an allegation in a lawsuit filed against Clovis that it has purposely limited such. “What is very clear, we need to help the market be interested. I have been outspoken that when we take land out of that allocation, I have asked staff to keep track and add them back somewhere else.”
Elbaz said providing a mix of housing types makes for a richer community. “It is important for leadership to communicate the benefits of affordable housing so it is not a trigger word and people worry that Clovis will not be strong.”
Confronting racism: Elbaz said the city has a reputation of having a problem with racism; the Editorial Board’s question was spurred by vandalism and hate messages at Old Town business last year that is owned by a Black woman. Elbaz hopes more diversity on the council could set the tone for how the city operates; she believes her experience as an immigrant helps her be understanding of others.
For context, Clovis remains a majority white city. Census data reported in 2019 show that non-Hispanic whites are 52% of the population; Latinos make up 30.6%; Asians 11%; and Blacks 3%.
Ashbeck agreed that racism has historically been a problem in Clovis. “In the ‘50s and ‘60s our community had a well deserved reputation for racism.” In more recent years, the city has worked to diversify its work force and engage all citizens, she said. “They should be able to feel they have their voice heard. We have to own it as a city.”
Marijuana deliveries: The two diverge on this issue. Currently, home deliveries of legal marijuana are allowed by state law. Clovis is part of a lawsuit seeking to let cities prohibit such deliveries.
Ashbeck said she stands with the stance of Clovis police against home deliveries, even if they are legal.
Elbaz said such opposition is a wasted effort, given state law, and that it would be better to educate residents on how they might legally consume pot.
Recommendation
Clovis is a well-run city with strong finances, schools and neighborhoods. The council’s role is to keep moving Clovis forward. Ashbeck and Elbaz have the intelligence, broad view and independence to meet that challenge, and thus have The Bee’s backing.
The Editorial Board
The Bee’s Editorial Board, which is separate from the newsroom, consists of Publisher Tim Ritchey, Editor Joe Kieta, Opinion Editor Tad Weber, Vida en el Valle Editor Juan Esparza Loera, and Vida staff writer Maria Ortiz Briones. The board conducted two online interview sessions to talk with the candidates.
How to vote
Vote-by-mail ballots were mailed to registered voters in early February. Ballot drop boxes are available in certain locations. Vote centers are now open as well. Election Day is Tuesday, March 2. Any mailed ballot with a postmark after March 5 will not be counted.
For more information, go online to https://www.co.fresno.ca.us/departments/county-clerk-registrar-of-voters/election.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM.