Recently in 4th Ward City Council Category

Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - The contest to represent the city's 4th Ward is a rematch between Joe Arnett and Fred Shorett.

Shorett defeated Arnett in the March 17 special election to serve the remainder of former Councilman Neil Derry's term.

Derry left the council after being elected to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Although Shorett earned more than 72 percent of the votes in March, both candidates expect the Nov. 3 election, whoever wins, to be closer.

Some of Shorett's past supporters are now backing Arnett after a realignment that hinged on a debate over Fire Department staffing.

Shorett lost the support of the firefighters' union and council members Chas Kelley and Wendy McCammack after siding with a council majority that rejected Kelley's bid to reverse Fire Department budget cuts.

The reductions excised jobs that had been filled by firefighters working overtime shifts. No firefighters were laid off, but the council did trim the number of crew members on some fire engines from four to three.

Safety laws do mandate that for every two firefighters who enter a burning building, two more must wait outside to rescue their teammates if something goes wrong.

The rule does not apply if it's immediately obvious that someone inside a burning building needs to be saved.

Multiple engines roll out to structure fires, so three-person crews can expect backup. Firefighters' union members, however, have additional units may not arrive in time to prevent the rapid expansion of a fire or brain death.

Fire Chief Michael Conrad has said the cuts do not jeopardize public safety. Shorett and other council members have said they want four-person crews but cannot afford them in the midst of a budget crisis.

Arnett and others have responded that frontline firefighters are too important to be cut.

Joe Arnett

Arnett, 38, is an information technology manager at Loma Linda University who rebuilt his home after it was destroyed nearly six years ago by the Old Fire.

He considers San Bernardino government to be hamstrung by waste, misplaced priorities and a lack of initiative.

Arnett, who does not consider himself a member of any political slate, has received political support from McCammack, the council's de facto minority leader. McCammack is also allied with City Attorney James F. Penman, who is challenging Mayor Pat Morris' bid for reelection.

Regarding the fire staffing issue, Arnett says enough money can be found to pay for the cut positions even as the city's tax revenues plummet.

For example, he says City Hall erred in choosing to acquire new trucks for its graffiti abatement crew, gave a too-generous contract to new City Manager Charles McNeely and should not have allocated funding for a new city spokesman's position.

"I've characterized this as a series of small, but incremental misappropriations," he said.

Arnett also finds irony in his opponent's description of the firefighters' union as a "special interest" since Shorett accepted the union's support and campaign contributions during the special election campaign.

The challenger dismisses criticism that the fire staffing issue is more about overtime pay for firefighters than protecting the public.

Arnett said, as Fire Department administrators have also noted, that it is cheaper for the city to pay overtime than hire additional firefighters who would receive costly benefits package in addition to their pay.

Arnett said he likes the ideas of lowering fees and creating a "one-stop shop" for businesses and developers seeking various permits. He also thinks City Hall needs to be assertive in attracting top notch employers.

A biofuel firm, he said, could be a perfect fit, given the San Bernardino area's status as a logistics hub.

"To me, it seems so logical," Arnett said. "I don't see why they wouldn't want to partner with us."

Fred Shorett

Shorett, 62, is a freelance sales contractor and a Vietnam veteran.

In about six months on the council, Shorett has often voted with the council majority that supports the policies of Mayor Morris.

Shorett has confidence in key city leaders like the city manager and fire chief but is alarmed about the city's financial condition.

"The issues are the economic health of this community. That's being lost in the shuffle," Shorett said.

Arnett has accused Shorett of breaking a promise to support public safety. Shorett responds that he has always supported the police officers' and firefighters' work.

But Shorett disagrees that there is enough city money to restore firefighting positions in the near future. He also contends that the Fire Department can protect San Bernardino residents at its current staffing levels.

In Shorett's view, having four-person engine companies would be ideal, but he considers the current debate to be more about union efforts to sweeten firefighters' paychecks than immediate public safety needs.

"I'll be the first person to be talking about that when we're economically healthy again," Shorett said.

Unlike his opponent, Shorett thinks the decision to create a new job for a city spokesman was a smart move. The council voted in July to create a position for a new communications manager who could be paid $8,850 to $10,757 per month.

The council approved it by a one-vote margin. McNeely reported at the time that the position would be financed so as not to affect the general fund, but those voting against the plan said they did not want to create a highly paid position months after issuing pink slips to some city employees.

`That's a tool to do the job that the city manager has to do," said Shorett, adding that the money spent on that individual would not cover the costs of hiring a single new firefighter.

One of Shorett's campaign themes is the phrase "capital follows certainty." He maintains the frequency of 4-3 votes produces uncertainty that can discourage business owners.

"We've got to eliminate and get rid of the personal politics in City Hall - that means all departments," he said.

"We need to have not unanimity, but more working together, all on the same page trying to get a job done and walking away from the issue once it's over," Shorett added.

The 4th Ward race features incumbent Fred Shorett and Joe Arnett.

The race is something of a sequel to the March special election. Shorett defeated Arnett and two others in that contest to fill out the remainder of former Councilman Neil Derry's term. Derry is now a member of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Arnett got the race off to an early start in July when Arnett formally announced that he would challenge Shorett. One of the key themes that Arnett introduced into the campaign at that time - Fire Department staffing - was repeated during Tuesday's debate.

Arnett and Shorett are both presenting themselves to voters as fiscally-saavy, pro-business candidates who will support public safety efforts, and the Fire Department issue is one of the wider rifts between the two.

Tuesday, Arnett repeated his claim that Shorett reneged on a promise to support public safety when he voted earlier this year to accept budget cuts to the Fire Department. The cuts did not result in any firefighter layoffs, but eliminated positions that had been filled with firefighters working overtime.

The end result was that some engine companies that had been staffed with four crew members ended up having three firefighters attached. The difference means that three-person crews have to wait for backup before entering a burning building unless its obvious that someone needs to be rescued.

Arnett further criticized Shorett for supporting the creation of a city spokesperson's position. The position is not set up to be financed through the general fund, but the move to create a highly-paid communications job while cutting back on payroll was and remains controversial.

"Putting PR ahead of public safety just is not business saavy," Arnett said Tuesday.

Shorett responded, as he has before, that the city's budget situation left no other options regarding Fire Department staffing.

"I voted fiscally responsible to support a level of public safety that can get the job done," Shorett said, adding that the PR job is a way to solve San Bernardino's image problem, an issue that all candidates said needs to be addressed.

Fire Chief Mike Conrad has said that firefighters can protect residents with three-person crews, but he has never objected to four-person crews if the money can be found.

The decision to cut the firefighting budget was made before Shorett joined the council. Shorett acted to affirm the cuts after Councilman Chas Kelley, who initially voted for the cuts, decided the cuts were a mistake and sought to reverse course.

Kelley has made three efforts to fund four-person engine companies. The first two were denied through procedural tactics and the third was rejected via and up-and-down vote.

Also on Tuesday, Shorett made repeated assertions that the currently-divided City Council, which often votes in 4 to 3 blocs on major issues, is an obstacle to new development in the city.

"Capital follows certainty," he said.

Arnett also restated his view that San Bernardino has potential to market itself as place for green technology start-ups can find a home. He sees a lot of potential, for example, in the idea of using algae to produce fuel.

This is 4th Ward incumbent Fred Shorett's economic development platform. It is not edited.

San Bernardino Economic Recovery

Crime, though down according to statistics, remains the number one concern in San Bernardino. The key to economic development is to continue to reduce crime, change our city's image and ensure that San Bernardino is a safe, clean and vibrant place to live, work and raise a family. Revitalization of our historic business corridors... Highland Ave., Baseline, "E" street (north and south) and 40th street will help in the effort to improve our local economy. This may be achieved through the formation of "Business Improvement Districts" commonly known as P-BIDs. We should take the successes achieved on Hospitality Lane and duplicate it in these important historic commercial areas.

We must stop the politics at city hall that has paralyzed progress. Business owners, as well as citizens at large want, and indeed deserve, professional leadership at city hall. Leaders to be proud of... not embarrassed by. We must continue to eliminate graffiti and aggressively prosecute offenders.

We must promote San Bernardino. Promotion of our many assets, such as location, water resources, international airport, Cal State University and others is critical. One major asset that cannot be ignored is the historic Arrowhead Springs Hotel property. This unique and historic property has the potential to provide high-end housing, resort and boutique commercial development that our city desperately needs. Arrowhead Springs Resort will become San Bernardino's "Mission Inn"

We must create Jobs; the kind of jobs I'm speaking of will be created by small business. Entrepreneurs will open businesses in a safe, clean, vibrant, business friendly city. We must ensure that we are safe, clean, vibrant and business friendly. Aggressive marketing is critical. We must go after "Big Business" as well. We must figure out ways to incentivize "Big Business" to come to San Bernardino. We must think out of the box with advertising and marketing efforts. Budgets are a challenge right now, but we must to do whatever necessary to advertise and market our city and invite all business to come here and thrive. When business thrives we all benefit.

I believe opening the Maya Cinema downtown is paramount to the beginning of our city's economic recovery. It is unacceptable that a city the size of San Bernardino does not have a high caliber movie theater. It is time to get that venue opened. Our citizens deserve nothing less than a state-of-the-art, first class venue to enjoy high quality, first run movies. We must overcome the delays and get that theater opened. We cannot afford to delay this any longer and risk losing this very important opportunity. With the opening of that downtown venue other businesses will follow. That will only be good for our community.

This is 4th Ward challenger Joe Arnett's platform statement on economic development issues. It is presented without editing.

San Bernardino is heading in the wrong direction on economic development. Building another low-income housing project at Arden Guthrie, as the incumbent proposes to do, will discourage new businesses from locating in our city and drive away existing employers. It sends a message to the business community that San Bernardino's leadership is still not willing to clean up its act. Actions speak louder than words and while people talk about goals to become business friendly this action by the incumbent will do just the opposite.

Our city needs quality businesses and good paying professional jobs, not slum housing, thrift stores or minimum wage employment.

As our new Councilman for the 4th Ward, I will take the following steps to promote economic development and bring jobs to our city:

1) Make San Bernardino more attractive to prospective employers by eliminating graffiti, cleaning up blighted properties and stopping the Arden Guthrie housing project. Businesses want to locate in community that is safe and clean;

2) Reduce excessive city fees, regulations, and wasteful spending to protect local jobs. City government should be a resource, not a roadblock, for our businesses

3) Aggressively market San Bernardino's business assets--such as our airport, our access to major freeways and our local universities (Cal State San Bernardino, Loma Linda University and the University of Redlands)--to attract new employers. We need a marketing plan that works.

4) Use my experience as a High Tech Manager at Loma Linda University to develop new job training partnerships and mentoring programs;

5) Secure federal grants that can be used as an economic incentive to attract environmental and technology businesses to San Bernardino. I want to make our city the "Green Jobs" capitol of the Inland Empire. I have suggested environmental industries and technology jobs are necessary to fundamentally change the job landscape. Bio-fuel technology that can be converted to diesel, jet fuel and other types of energy resources will be significant for our growth and development given the plans for the Airport, light rail system (sBX), train, Onmitrans and other commercial transportation services.

The image of environmental friendly technology is healthy, fresh and new all of which San Bernardino needs.

Quality city services will only be developed and sustained by creating a strong tax base not by increasing taxes. This means more tax payers not more taxes. California residents know all too well the limits of continually increasing taxes on residents isn't sustainable and is a deterrent to home ownership and business development.

The 4th Ward City Councilman is not doing his job. We need fresh leadership and innovative thinking to reduce unemployment and rebuild San Bernardino's economy.

Fourth Ward incumbent Fred Shorett's campaign has announced an endorsement from Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands.

Shorett, who won a special election in March, is now seeking a full term. He is being challenged by Joe Arnett, who also ran in the springtime contest.

Fourth Ward City Council challenger Joe Arnett's campaign has announced that he has secured the endorsements of both the Central Labor Council and San Bernardino Valley Republican Assembly.

Arnett, who is challenging incumbent Fred Shorett, has also locked up the endorsements of the city's police and firefighters union. However, the latest round of campaign finance disclosures shows that Shorett was well ahead in fundraising.

Here's a somewhat longer version of a story slated to run in Saturday's edition on candidates who are set to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. It's still pretty basic even at this length, but there's plenty of time to give the issues and candidates more ink and electrons. After all, in San Bernardino, we actually like to cover city elections.

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO -- Election season begins now that the deadline has passed for candidates seeking the mayor's post and three City Council seats to file for the November ballot.

The coming months promise to be an interesting time for San Bernardino's politicos and voters. The Nov. 3 ballot is set to feature rematches in the race for both mayor and the council's Fourth Ward.

The council seats for the city's First and Second wards will also be up for a vote. In all races, San Bernardino residents will be tasked with choosing which men and women are best qualified to face the challenges of fighting crime, keeping city departments funded in the midst of a recession and establishing policies that can foster economic growth.

The Mayoral Race

As of Friday evening, three candidates have qualified to run for San Bernardino's top job. Qualification was pending for a fourth candidate.

Mayor Pat Morris is seeking a second term, and will compete with City Attorney James F. Penman and contractor Rick Avila.

Security company owner Sir Isaac Lindsay could also have his name on the ballot, pending the verification of signatures on his nomination papers.

Penman and Avila are both veterans of the 2005-06 mayoral race.

Morris won his current term by defeating Penman in a February 2006 runoff election. Both campaigned on anti-crime platforms.

Public safety is just about certain to be the central issue of this year's campaign as well. FBI statistics released earlier this year show that San Bernardino's murder rate declined by about half from 2005 to 2008.

The numbers also showed that over 2008, San Bernardino had the fourth-highest violent crime rate of all California cities with populations greater than 100,000 people.

Morris listed his achievements as including the passage of the Measure Z sales tax hike to fund an increase in the Police Department's force strength and the establishment of the Operation Phoenix program that relies upon inter-agency cooperation and the opening of two new youth centers.

In a basic sense, the choice for voters is whether the Morris Administration has done enough to reduce crime and blight or if its time to give someone else a chance.

"We've got a long way to go, but we won't back down on our crime fighting," Morris said.

Morris said Friday that he looks forward to publicly debating Penman in public.

Penman wants to reverse Morris-supported plans for an eastside redevelopment project that would set aside 100 rehabilitated apartments for low-income tenants, the elimination of the city's graffiti removal contract with a local nonprofit and decision to create a highly-paid city spokesperson's job at a time when Police and Fire positions have been allowed to remain vacant.

Morris and Penman have repeatedly quarrelled over the last few years, but Penman predicted that the fact that the incumbent mayor now has a record in city government makes it more likely that the campaign will be about policies instead of personalities.

"I think this campaign will be a lot more fun than the last one," Penman said.

Avila finished in fourth place in the Nov. 2005 mayoral vote. He also unsuccessfully challenged Fifth Ward Councilman Chas Kelley in 2007.

He said Friday that he wants to lower the city's utility users tax as a lure to new businesses, build a downtown arena and have City Hall hire foreclosure counselors who would advise troubled homeowners on how to keep their property.

"Foreclosures are very important. Nobody wants a boarded up house next to them," he said.
In an interview, Avila compared himself to the Count of Monte Christo. Like the fictional count, he says he was unjustly incarcerated when a judge jailed him for 14 days in 2008 after finding him in contempt in relation to a child support matter.

Avila said he has filed complaints with multiple agencies regarding what he considers to have been an unjust penalty.

Lindsay, the fourth potential mayoral candidate, wants to enlist residents into an expanded police volunteer team and build a stronger rapport between the Police Department and residents who are often afraid of their uniformed defenders.

He said many residents often feel they have been pulled over for nothing more than "driving while black."

"I do want to see a better relationship between the community and the police," he said.

The First Ward Race

The First Ward comprises downtown and a portion of the Westside. The race has two candidates, incumbent Esther Estrada and challenger Virginia Marquez.

Estrada, currently the council's longest serving member, is set to seek a sixth term in office. She said she wants to remain in office to oversee work on important public works projects, such as the future replacement of the Mount Vernon Bridge.

"I want to make sure that that's well under way," she said.

Marquez works as a part-time staffer for Democratic Rep. Joe Baca. She said she is a San Bernardino native former state parole agent and decided to run after living in other parts of the state, most recently Coronado Island, for three decades.

"I left 30 years ago and I came back and it's not what I remember," she said.

The Second Ward Race

The Second Ward contains many of the neighborhoods north of downtown and around Perris Hill park. Incumbent Dennis Baxter faces possibly two challengers, tow company owner Jason Desjardins and Alex Avila.

Baxter agrees with Morris that the city has made inroads against crime and wants to focus on services for young children, seniors and Perris Hill Park.

"I want to see some interesting things in Perris Hill Park," he said.

Desjardins owns Big Z Towing and has recently spoken out against a proposal to create a city-run impound lot. He also contends that the Second Ward does not receive its fair share of code enforcement and other anti-blight services.

"I want to ramp up graffiti cleanup and hold people accountable who are caught doing it," he said.

Alex Avila's nomination papers were still being verified as of late Friday. He said he works as a parent educator for Knotts Family Agency and the city to establish partnerships with local schools and tackle foreclosure-related problems.

"Certain groups are breaking into these houses and using them for drug sales and prostitution rings," he said.

The Fourth Ward Race

The Fourth Ward comprises San Bernardino's northeastern areas, including the 40th Street corridor. The race pits incumbent Fred Shorett against challenger Joe Arnett.

Shorett, who ran on a pro-business platform, defeated Arnett and two others in a special election that was held in March.

Firefighting promises to be a major issue, as Shorett and a majority of the council did not support proposals presented in April and May that would have reversed budget cuts affecting the Fire Department.

Arnett is accusing Shorett of breaking a pledge to support public safety, while Shorett says its also his job to be fiscally responsible.

"My only promise was to the taxpayers, to do the fiduciarily correct thing and be accountable to the voters," Shorett said.

To Arnett an IT manager at Loma Linda University, public safety trumps all other city operations.
"As much as I want nice parks, I want to make sure I have a safe park before I'm worrying about cutting the grass."

A little more than one week remains for potential candidates to pull papers to run for San Bernardino city offices in the November elections. The deadline is Aug. 7.

The Mayor's seat, as well as council seats for the First, Second and Fourth wards are up for grabs.

SB Now and The Sun will present more detailed stories on the campaign after candidates are officially on the ballot and campaigns begin in earnest. Here is a list of who has pulled papers so far:

- Mayor:

Pat Morris, incumbent
Sir Isaac Lindsay,
Rick Avila (also ran in 2005 campaign)

- First Ward City Council:

Esther Estrada, incumbent

- Second Ward City Council:

Dennis Baxter, incumbent
Sebastian Sanchez
Alex Avila

Fourth Ward City Council

Fred Shorett, incumbent
Joe Arnett (also ran in March Special Election)

Additionally, this reporter received a press release Thursday afternoon from political consultant Chris Jones announcing that Jason Desjardins plans to run for the Second Ward seat. Desjardins has been in the news recently as an opponent of the proposal to establish a city-run tow yard.

Jones is also working on Arnett's council campaign.

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- Election season begins today as the nomination period for the Nov. 3 election opens.

The Mayor's Office and council seats for the city's First, Second and Fourth Wards are up for a vote. The nomination period is set to close on Aug. 7.

Mayor Pat Morris is seeking a second term in office and has already filed papers announcing his intention to run.

"What I hope the election portends is a discussion of what is best for our city," Morris said. "I hope this is not an election that is dominated by special interests."

Morris won his term by defeating City Attorney James F. Penman in a 2006 runoff election. Penman has said multiple times that he will not challenge Morris this year.

The mayor faces at least one opponent who said he plans to drop by the City Clerk's office today to formally begin his campaign. Sir Isaac Lindsay, who said he runs a Loma Linda-based security firm, plans to enter the fray.

"I'm about employment," Lindsay said. "If you give people jobs, they are not going to go out and rob anybody," Lindsay said.

The First Ward, which includes much of the city's downtown and southwestern area, is currently represented by Esther Estrada. The Second Ward, which includes the neighborhoods that surround Perris Hill Park, is represented by Dennis Baxter.

Like Morris, Baxter has already filed preliminary papers for his reelection campaign. Baxter said Friday that he considers his experiencing going through four budget cycles to be an advantage for his candidacy.

"This is no time for on the job training," he said.

The race to represent the northeastern neighborhoods of San Bernardino's Fourth Ward is so far the most competitive campaign of the year. Fred Shorett, who in March one a Special Election to fill the final months of former councilman Neil Derry's term is being challenged by Joe Arnett, cq who took second place in March.

Arnett launched his campaign Thursday outside City Hall with former Shorett supporters. Arnett is making an issue of Shorett's decision not to support a plan to reverse fire department budget cuts.

"As a councilman, I will absolutely put public safety first," Arnett said Thursday after accusing Shorett of reneging on a campaign pledge to support the Fire Department.

In regards to the Fire budget issue, a majority of the council decided not to restore money to the Fire Department.

No firefighters were laid off, but the cuts allowed a dozen firefighting positions to go unfilled, including eight jobs that had been filled by firefighters working overtime shifts. Eliminating the positions resulted in some engine companies being staffed by three firefighters instead of four.

Shorett said Friday that he didn't change his views, and will run on pro-business and pro-public safety platform.

"I'm trying to be fiscally responsible and provide services to the public," Shorett said.

Recently-elected councilman Fred Shorett is going to have some competition in his effort to win a full term.

Joe Arnett, who took second place to Shorett in a Special Election that was held in March, is scheduled to make a formal announcement on Thursday that he will challenge Shorett in November. He has already picked up endorsements from people who supported Shorett in the previous election.

"March's election was a mile marker in the real race," Arnett said by telephone Monday.

Monday, Arnett's campaign dispatched a press release stating that he is set to make a "major political announcement" Thursday outside City Hall.

Shorett represents the city's northeastern neighborhoods in the Fourth Ward. He succeeded Neil Derry, who left the council after winning a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

In March, Shorett won by a large margin after running with the support of a number of San Bernardino's political players, including the firefighters' union and politicians who often disagree with each other, such as Mayor Pat Morris and Seventh Ward Councilwoman Wendy McCammack.

But now, Shorett's decision not to support other council members' attempts to restore funding to the Fire Department has cost him some political support.

Shorett said he was not surprised by the news, and said he will again campaign on a platform to make San Bernardino government more business friendly and business minded.

"That's the only thing that's going to save this city and cities around the country," Shorett said.

Fifth Ward Councilman Chas Kelley led efforts in April and May to restore funding to a dozen firefighting positions. No firefighters were laid off when the council cut funding for the positions in February, but the cuts meant that some fire engines are now staffed with three firefighters instead of four crew members.

The council never actually voted on Kelley's proposal, which was defeated twice through procedural methods. Other council members said the cash-strapped city cannot afford to pay for the positions, which were vacant and filled by firefighters working overtime shifts.

Some say it's dangerous to have three firefighters on an engine because three-person crews generally have to wait for backup before entering a burning building. Fire Chief Michael Conrad said at the time that three-firefighter engine companies can adequately provide rescue services.

Kelley supported Shorett in the special election but now supports Arnett. The fire union has also changed sides.

"We were just disappointed in regards to some of Fred's issues in regards to public safety," fire union president Scott Moss said.

Businessman Fred Shorett was sworn in today as the new councilman representing San Bernardino's Fourth Ward.

The Fourth Ward includes the northeastern part of the city. Shorett won a March 17 Special Election to replace Neil Derry, who is now on the Board of Supervisors.

After taking the oath of office, Shorett remarked that his family has done business in San Bernardino since the 1920s, and that in 1944 his grandfather was elected to represent the Fourth Ward. Shorett said the city has seen better days, but he repeated his campaign theme that the city's assets - such as water, higher education and highway access - can be used to make San Bernardino prosperous.

"I plan to work as hard as I can and to bring a business approach and a common sense approach to City Hall," Shorett said.

Here it is:

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- Preliminary election results show Fred Shorett is all but assured a seat on the City Council.

Shorett, a sales contractor who says he works with the printing industry, was one of four candidates who ran to succeed Neil Derry as the Fourth Ward's council representative.

Of the four candidates, Shorett had by far the most support from San Bernardino's business and political community. He ran on a platform that include city beautification, support for law enforcement and making San Bernardino more attractive to business.

Reached by telephone after the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters released the first round of election results, Shorett said his victory speaks to the support he received from San Bernardino's business figures and that he's eager to to try his hand at making positive change in San Bernardino.

"I'm very, very pleased with the results and we ran a good campaign," Shorett said.
Shorett won more than 73 percent of the more than 3,100 votes tallied for Tuesday night's vote count. Updated totals are not set to be released until around 5 p.m. Thursday.

Joe Arnett, an IT manager, took second place in Tuesday's totals with nearly 20 percent of the vote. He offered his congratulations to the field of candidates and said he plans on staying in touch with city affairs.

"I'm excited about having the opportunity to be involved," he said.

Pharmaceutical company representative John Valdivia collected nearly six percent of the vote. Internet mattress salesman Saman Saman won nearly two percent of the vote.

"I welcome a partnership to work collaboratively with Mr. Shorett, and encourage him to act immediately on the opportunities that exist to better San Bernardino," Valdivia wrote in an election night email.

Saman could not be reached immediately for comment.

Here are the first batch of results with 25.09 percent of precincts (3,151 ballots) reporting. The Registrar of Voters' next round of info will not come out until around 5 p.m. Thursday.

Fred Shorett leads with 73.03 percent of the vote.

Joe Arnett is in second place with 19.59 percent of the vote.

John Valdivia claimed 5.72 percent of the vote.

Saman Saman took 1.66 percent of the vote.

The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters reports that the first round of preliminary election results for the 4th Ward Special Election will be online around 8:30 p.m. tonight.

Here's a repeat of the article that ran in Saturday's edition of The Sun. If you're a 4th Ward resident and you haven't voted yet, you can still vote today and on Election Day.

The Special Election for the 4th Ward City Council seat is set for Tuesday.

It's a mail-in election and ballots have to be received - not postmarked - by Tuesday. Voters can still vote in person to make sure their votes count.

Voters will be able to cast ballots from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, 777 East Rialto Ave., San Bernardino

Voters will be able to cast ballots from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at the Registrar's office. They will also be able to go to the City Clerk's office from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The City Clerk's office is on the second floor of City Hall, 300 North D Street.

Voters will be able to go to cast ballots from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Registrar's and City Clerk's office and San Bernardino Community Church, 2372 East Lynwood Drive.

At least three of the four candidates, Joe Arnett, Fred Shorett and John Valdivia are set to participate in a forum 7 p.m. tonight at Crossroads Christian Church, 3012 North Waterman Avenue. The race also includes Saman Saman.

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer

San Bernardino: - The race to choose the Fourth Ward's next City Council representative has entered its home stretch.

The campaign features four candidates, information technology manager Joe Arnett,Internet mattress salesman Saman Saman, self-employed sales contractor Fred Shorett and pharmaceutical company representative John Valdivia.

Whoever wins will get to fill out the remainder of now-Supervisor Neil Derry's term and will then have the opportunity to start another campaign. The election for a full term will be held in November.

The election marks San Bernardino's first experiment in conducting an election almost entirely with mail-in ballots. Although Election Day is March 17, voters have been able cast their ballots for weeks via mail.

If there are still 4th Ward residents who have not yet made up their minds, the candidates are scheduled to meet for a forum 7 p.m. Thursday night at Crossroads Christian Church, 3012 North Waterman Avenue.

Arnett, Shorett and Valdivia all present themselves as business-friendly, right-of-center. Saman, who has pleaded guilty to felony domestic violence and other crimes in his past, could not be reached for comment this article.

Arnett is running a mostly self-financed campaign and says he's reluctant to take other people's money.

His campaign finance reports show that through the end of February, he collected nearly $1,700, which mainly consists of loans and contributions from his own pocket.

Arnett said he agrees with current 7th Ward Councilwoman Wendy McCammack cq that the council should have spent more time trying to find ways to retain city employees before voting on budget cuts.

The council voted in mid-February on several cuts, including the approval of 55 layoffs, in an effort to close a $9 million budget gap.

If elected, Arnett said his immediate priorities would be support the Police and Fire Departments. He also proposed that San Bernardino officials could make the city more business-friendly by focusing graffiti abatement efforts in commercial areas.

"The first thing we need to do is make our city safe and clean it up," Arnett said."You have to change the issue of San Bernardino."

Shorett, who has been endorsed by Derry, Mayor Pat Morris and McCammack -- the council member who is most likely to disagree with the mayor -- has collected more money than his opponents.

His most recent campaign filing shows that he has taken in nearly $30,000 in cash and non-monetary contributions. Donations include $5,000 from the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce, $2,500 from San Bernardino Professional Firefighters and $3,000 from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Shorett also has several three-figure donations from business and political figures who live in San Bernardino and Redlands. Those donations include $250 each from Morris and Arrowhead Credit Union CEO Larry Sharp.

In an interview Tuesday, Shorett said that if elected, his first task would be to obtain a personal assessment of the city's operations. He said the city needs to make itself more attractive to new businesses by marketing assets such as higher education, access to freeways and the San Bernardino International Airport and availability of water.

"It's going to be essential that we attract business here. Business and jobs, which is not an easy task," he said. "Business is what got us into this mess from Washington to City Hall, but I believe business is what's going to get us out of this as well."

Valdivia, like Arnett, portrays himself as a grassroots candidate. He said he doesn't have an agenda and just wants to represent his ward.

As of Feb. 28 he has collected $1,850 in contributions, including $1,500 from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

He has said one of his greatest concerns for San Bernardino is the loss of auto dealerships and restaurants. He approves of recently-approved plans for the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency to provide financial aid to car dealers.

"I think that's beautiful. I think that's what we need to do," he said.

Council candidate Fred Shorett's campaign reports that the San Bernardino Professional Firefighters Association has endorsed his candidacy.

The association is the union that represents San Bernardino city firefighters.

Shorett, an independent sales contractor, is one of four candidates running in the special election for the 4th Ward Council seat. The other candidates are university IT manager Joe Arnett, Internet mattress salesman Saman Saman, and pharmaceutical company representative John Valdivia.

City Council candidate Joe Arnett reports that he's received the endorsement of the San Bernardino Valley Republican Assembly has his endorsed his campaign.

The San Bernardino Valley Republican Assembly is a chapter of the California Republican Assembly, a fiscally and socially conservative organization.

Arnett, a university IT manager, is one of four candidates running in the special election for the 4th Ward Council seat. The other candidates are Internet mattress salesman Saman Saman, independent sales contractor Fred Shorett and pharmaceutical company representative John Valdivia.

Saman Saman, a City Council candidate with a rap sheet that includes guilty pleas on felony and misdemeanor charges of domestic violence, is eligible to run for office.

"Mr. Saman is not on felony parole. He is on felony probation and there is a difference," City Attorney James F. Penman said. "Under the state constitution, he is eligible to run."

Saman, running to represent the city's 4th Ward, could not be reached immediately for comment.

There are three other candidates on the ballot for the Special Election to determine a successor to Neil Derry, who is now a San Bernardino County Supervisor. Capsule profiles for candidates Joe Arnett, Fred Shorett and John Valdivia as well as Saman have been posted previously on SB Now.

Previous coverage can be accessed by clicking on the "2009 Special Election" link under categories on the right side of the computer screen.

I spoke to Mayor Pat Morris earlier today regarding upcoming leadership changes in the city, specifically San Bernardino's need for a new city manager and a successor to Police Chief Michael Billdt. Billdt has said he will retire in March.

Morris is also eligible to run for reelection this year. When I asked him if he'll go for a second term, he didn't say "yes" or "no."

"I am focused on the present," he said. "We've got a host of important issues."

Morris identified - not surprisingly - public safety and the economy as paramount issues.

I'm not reading too much into Morris' remark. It's common for politicians to downplay their future campaign plans until they arrange the requisite hoopla for an official announcement.

In addition to the mayoral election, the November ballot is also scheduled to feature contests for the 1st, 2nd and 4th City Council wards. Those seats are currently held by Esther Estrada, Dennis Baxter, and nobody. Whoever wins the Special Election in March for the right to represent the 4th Ward will have to stand for reelection pretty much immediately.

I was able to reach Baxter before Tuesday's council meeting and he said he plans to seek reelection.

Officials in the City Attorney's office are still researching whether Saman Saman - a convicted felon - can hold office in the city.

Saman is one of four candidates who have qualified for a Special Election to fill a City Council vacancy. The election date is officially March 17 but the vote is planned to be conducted via mail-in ballots.

San Bernardino County court records show that Saman has felony convictions for domestic violence and causing injury to a child. Saman pleaded guilty in both cases but said Monday that the latter charge stemmed from an incident when he accidentally fell and landed on his son.

Penman said he expects the legal research to be completed by Friday.

"So far, we have not found any statute ... that would prevent him from holding public office," Penman said.

In California, it's illegal for a felon who is in prison or on parole to register to vote, and registering to vote is a requirement to run for council. Saman is on probation until February, but he is not on parole.

San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters Kari Verjil said Monday that Saman's name did not appear on a list of felons who are ineligible to vote.

Aside from statutory and constitutional issues, Penman said researchers also need to determine if Saman is the same person as a Sulaman Saman, who according to court records, pleaded guilty in July 1996 to a charge of causing or participating in a vehicular collision in order to present a false insurance claim.

The names Saman Saman and Sulaman Saman are linked in court records with the same FBI and California criminal ID numbers. However, Saman Saman said Monday and Wednesday that he is not Sulaman Saman.

"They always confuse that," he said Wednesday.

Penman said that if Saman Saman and Sulaman Saman are one and the same, researchers are working to find out if a conviction for presenting a false accident claim could qualify as a crime of moral turpitude that would bar him from holding office.

By Andrew Edwards
SAN BERNARDINO -- City Council candidate Saman Saman has a criminal record that includes convictions for domestic violence, but he's hopeful that voters will look beyond his past when they cast their ballots.

"I accepted the charges, did my time, and it's behind me," Saman said Monday during an interview at his home.

Saman, 36, runs an online mattress sales business and is one of four candidates who have qualified for the March 17 Special Election to fill a council vacancy in San Bernardino's 4th Ward.

Saman readily confirmed that his court records show multiple criminal convictions, but was nevertheless upbeat regarding his run for office and personal future.

"What happens yesterday is yesterday, and you only have the moment and you do what you can handle," he said.

Information from the City Clerk's office could not be obtained as of Monday's deadline to report whether Saman's convictions make him ineligible to hold office.

San Bernardino Superior Court records show that Saman has had multiple run-ins with the law. Presented with copies of the records Monday, Saman acknowledged cases that include the following:

- On Sept. 4, 1998, Saman pleaded guilty to one felony count of domestic violence [PC 273.5 (a)]. Court records show he was sentenced to 36 months probation and 263 days in jail, for which he received credit for time served.

- On that same day, Saman also pleaded guilty to a misdeamenor count of domestic violence [PC M273.5 (a)] that stemmed from a separate incident. He was sentenced to 36 days in jail, for which he received credit for time served.

- On Dec. 27, 2005, Saman pleaded guilty to one felony count of causing injury to a child [PC 273D (a)]. In February of the following year, he was sentenced to serve 36 months probation and 124 days in county jail, for which he received credit for 58 days served.

His probation is scheduled to expire on Feb. 8, according to court records.

Court records that were immediately available Monday from the court's Web site do not detail the specifics of the allegations. Saman declined to discuss the circumstances of the domestic violence cases, which he says involved a girlfriend, but said the 2005 case stemmed from an accident.

Saman said that happened at a time when he was on crutches because of an injury to his Achilles tendon. He said he lost his footing and accidentally tumbled onto his son.

"I slipped and fell from the crutch and hit him," he said.

Saman has a barrel chest and powerfully built arms that make him look like an NFL linebacker. He readily admitted his past mistakes, saying he found time to study the Bible while incarcerated.

As to the idea that his convictions may make it hard for him to attract voters, Saman said "it depends on if you believe in the system. The system is to rehabilitate people."

As for his reasons in seeking public office, Saman said he wants to serve as a member of "the council of the wise" and wants to do his part to make the city more business friendly.

Code enforcement and San Bernardino's physical appearance are among his top concerns, and he also said he wants to provide maximum resources to the Police Department.

Saman said he also wants city employees to reside in San Bernardino.

The other three candidates who have qualified for the Special Election are IT manager Joe Arnett, independent sales contractor Fred Shorett and pharmaceutical company representative John Valdivia.

The three candidates declined to comment for this article.

The March 17 Special Election is planned to conducted as a mail-in affair to determine who will succeed Neil Derry as the 4th Ward's council representative. Derry left the council in December to join the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Special Election Joe Arnett has launched his own campaign Web site.

Of the remaining candidates, Fred Shorett said he plans to establish a Web presence and John Valdivia currently does not plan to create a Web site. That may change, of course, if he rakes in some campaign donations down the road.

I haven't been able to contact the only other candidate, Saman Saman, since the ballot list become official on Thursday afternoon. Saman has an Internet based business so it's a good bet he'll have one in the coming days. He may even have a Web site that I didn't find.

The four candidates are running to succeed Neil Derry as the 4th Ward's representative on the City Council. The official election date is March 17, but city officials plan to send mail-in ballots to voters that would be sent in before that day.

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- Voters living in the city's Fourth Ward will have four candidates to choose from in the March 17 Special Election.

The four qualified candidates are Loma Linda University IT manager Joe Arnett, online mattress merchant Saman Saman, self-employed sales contractor Fred Shorett and pharmaceutical company representative John Valdivia.

Whoever wins, Fourth Ward voters will end up being represented by a newcomer to public office. The March 17 Special Election will determine who will succeed former councilman Neil Derry, who left the City Council after ascending to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors in December.

Derry was one of the seven-member council's more conservative members. He was often supportive of providing additional resources to law enforcement and tangled with Mayor Pat Morris on the question of whether new money should have financed youth-oriented services.

In terms of the candidates' political viewpoints, the Fourth Ward could be represented by someone of a similar mindset regardless of the election's outcome.

The four candidates generally agree that public safety is of paramount importance, as is the need to enhance San Bernardino's physical appearance, attract business even in the midst of a recession and manage the budget.

"Everybody will say we've got to attract business to San Bernardino. That's true, but we can't just attract any kind of business," said Arnett, who thinks the city is already too saturated with jobs in the service industry.

Arnett, 37, said he's interested in attracting technology jobs to the city, and ventured that potential activity at San Bernardino International Airport, combined with the local availability of sunlight and water, make algae-generated biofuels a unique possibility.

"What would be better than your own source of fuel oil?," he asked.

Of the four candidates, Shorett, 60, has so far been the most successful in acquiring the support of other local politicos. His endorsements include Derry's, Morris' and San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce director Judi Penman.

Given San Bernardino's current budget situation, Shorett said budget cuts across city departments are going to be inevitable.

If elected, Shorett would want city staffers to look for any opportunities to streamline public services. He threw out the hypothetical situation that there may be a job performed by three employees and a pickup truck that could be done with a single employee.

"My primary goal would be to dig in and look for efficiencies," he said.

Valdivia, 33, listed the foreclosure wave among his top concerns.

"Foreclosures are going to impair the Fourth Ward and we need to put a plug on it," he said.
Valdivia also wants the city to develop a strategy to bring auto dealerships back to town and prevent an exodus of restaurants from the Hospitality Lane area.

He said he supports youth-oriented programs but wants to reevaluate the Operation Phoenix program as well as the recent closure of Police Department substations.

Saman could not be reached for comment Thursday or Friday. In a previous interview, he said improving the city's appearance would be one of his primary objectives.

He also pledged to bring an open-minded approach to city affairs.

"I would listen to see what's going on ... then when I get more information I can render my opinion," he said.

The Special Election is planned to be conducted mostly by mail-in ballot. Fourth Ward voters are scheduled to receive ballots that can be sent by post between Feb. 26 and March 7.

Ballots could also be delivered by hand to Registrar of Voters on Election Day. City Clerk Rachel Clark has also said that a single polling place is planned to open on March 17.

The winner is set to take office on April 6 and complete a term that expires on March 10, 2009.

Four candidates have qualified for the March 17 Special Election to determine who will succeed Neil Derry as 4th Ward Councilmember.

They are:

Joe Arnett

Saman Saman

Fred Shorett

John Valdivia

SB Now has previously published capsule profiles of each candidate. The plan is to publish a new story in The Sun this weekend.

John Valdivia II pulled nomination papers on Dec. 18. He is a potential candidate in the special election to succeed Neil Derry as the 4th Ward's City Council representative.

Valdivia said he works for a major pharmaceuticals company but was not willing to disclose the name of his employer before the Jan. 8 closing of the nomination period.

Asked about where he stands poltically, Valdivia said he is a registered Republican.

Valdivia - who has not previously held public office - calls the 4th Ward "the gem of the city of San Bernardino" and said he's concerned about crime and San Bernardino's economic situation.

Police Chief Michael Billdt has said he will retire in March and Valdivia said city officials need to select a new leader for the Police Department as soon as possible. He also favors increased foot and bicycle patrols.

Valdivia also said he is concerned about foreclosures and the recent wave of auto dealership closures. He would favor tax incentives or other strategies to bring replacement dealerships into San Bernardino.

"Let's make opportunities for (car) dealers to come back to our city," he said.

If elected Valdivia said he would "want to build a bridge between all the City Council members and Mayor (Pat) Morris."

Saman Saman pulled his nomination papers on Dec. 18. He is one of the potential candidates in the upcoming race to succeed Neil Derry as the 4th Ward's representative on the City Council.

Saman, who has not held public office before, said he decided to run after going to City Hall to report his concerns about homelessness near the former site of his business near Cal State San Bernardino. Saman owns BestPricedMattresses.com, which is at present an Internet-only business.

He maintained that city government is disconnected from residents.

"It's difficult to get in touch with someone and get something done," Saman said.

Concerning homelessness, Saman sees the issue as a matter for Code Enforcement officers to keep the city clean and other service providers charged with teaching skills.

Saman sees the need to improve San Bernardino's appearance as its most-pressing issue. He proposed that if the city can clean up its entry points, people will develop a greater respect for their own neighborhoods and take steps to improve the city's aesthetic appeal.

Asked about where he stands on the political spectrum, Saman didn't describe himself as conservative or liberal but as "truthful." He said he will support "whatever is good for the common good."

If elected, Saman said he doesn't have an agenda that he wants to push from the outset of his term.

"I would listen to see what's going on ... then when I get more information I can render my opinion," he said.

Joe Arnett pulled papers needed to run for City Council on Dec. 18. He is a potential candidate to succeed Neil Derry as the 4th Ward's representative on the City Council.

This would be Arnett's first attempt to run for public office. He's concerned that the city has gone in the wrong direction in recent years.

"I hope when I tell people this that it doesn't sound negative, but San Bernardino for a long time has been on a downslide," he said.

Arnett manages the educational support services team at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. He said in a telephone interview that he considers San Bernardino's most pressing issues to be jobs and crime. He's concerned that the perception of the city as a high-crime area discourages business owners from coming to the city.

Describing himself as "more conservative than liberal," Arnett said that if he is elected one of his priorities would be to streamline city services. He doesn't want to lay off city staffers but wants to do more to assure that public services are delivered efficiently.

Another of Arnett's objectives is that he wants to participate in efforts to redevelop the downtown area, which he sees as a potential means to eventually improve other parts of the city.

"I hope there would be some trickle down effect," he said.

As of late this afternoon, there are five potential candidates who have pulled papers to replace Neil Derry on the City Council.

However, one of the candidates, Manfred F. Gildner, said today that he will probably not appear on the ballot.

"I think I've decided not to run," he said. "I'm 82 and I just don't want to fool around anymore."

They remaining four candidates are Joe Arnett, Saman Saman, Fred Shorett and John Valdivia II.

Shorett has already been introduced to SB Now readers. He was the first potential candidate to emerge for the special election. Arnett, Sama and Valdivia will receive their own introductions in separate blog posts today.

The nomination period began on Dec. 18 and is scheduled to conclude on Jan. 8. The election is scheduled for March 17 as a mail-in affair.

Third District Supervisor Neil Derry has endorsed Fred Shorett, a potential candidate for an upcoming special election to decide who will fill a City Council vacancy.

Shorett, a business-minded Republican, is planning to make a go for the City Council seat that Derry held until being sworn in as Supervisor on Dec. 1.

Dena Peters, also a registered Republican, has also filed papers needed to prepare for a campaign. The council seat is officially nonpartisan and the formal nomination period is scheduled to begin Dec. 18 and to end Jan. 8.

Derry represented San Bernardino's 4th Ward, which is the northeastern part of the city.

The election is scheduled to be conducted on March 17. City officials plan to conduct the vote almost entirely by mail-in ballot.

The City Council formally called for a special election to replace outgoing councilman Neil Derry.

Derry resigned as of 11:59 a.m. today to take a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. Until today, Derry represented the city's 4th Ward, which comprises the northeastern part of the city.

The council set the nomination period for candidates wishing to succeed Derry to begin on Dec. 18 and end on Jan. 8. The election, to be conducted almost entirely by mail-in ballot, is set for March 17.

Here's a longer version of an article that Sun county reporter Lauren McSherry and myself wrote on former 4th Ward Councilman Neil Derry's elevation to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

By Lauren McSherry and Andrew Edwards
Staff Writers

Neil Derry was not often in the county's political spotlight during his seven years on the San Bernardino City Council, but he stepped into a larger role by ousting longtime Supervisor Dennis Hansberger in the June 3 election.

On Monday, Derry -- who previously served on behalf of San Bernardino's northeastern area -- was sworn in as 3rd District Supervisor. He now represents a vast territory stretching from San Bernardino north to Big Bear Lake and east to Yucca Valley.

"I plan on bringing new leadership into the 3rd district and the county of San Bernardino," Derry said Monday. "I plan on serving the district aggressively."

Derry exits a City Council that over the course of the past few months has had to confront some divisive issues. Officials have dealt with a range of subjects including the arrest of youth center supervisor on suspicion of child molestation, cops' vote of no confidence in the police chief and budget cuts.

The Board of Supervisors has had its share of drama this year as well. Supervisors acknowledge that some constituents have pressured them to discipline Assessor Bill Postmus, who multiple sources say has battled an addiction to methamphetamine.

Meanwhile, San Bernardino Mountain dwellers -- now represented by Derry -- have been working to rebuild their homes after the Grass Valley and Slide fires devastated their communities in October 2007.

Derry was first elected to the San Bernardino City Council in 2001, defeating former Mayor Bob Holcomb for an opportunity to represent northeastern San Bernardino.

In the seven years since he was first elected, Derry established himself in part as a staunch advocate for public city in a city that has seen more than its share of gang-related violence.

He also experienced a major disaster during his first term. After the Old Fire burned a path through San Bernardino in 2003, Derry supported a move to waive permit and inspection fees for fire victims who sought to rebuild homes in the city.

Derry said Monday after the swearing in ceremony that he was motivated to run for supervisor to address the pockets of crime in the unincorporated areas of San Bernardino and because he perceived a lack of cooperation between the county and city on some issues.

Longtime San Bernardino councilwoman Esther Estrada had a somewhat different take. She noted that she and Derry have different viewpoints - she sees herself as a proponent for social services whereas she considers Derry to be a proponent of business - but said Derry's new job as a county supervisor could be beneficial for the city.

However, she said she was pleased with Hansberger's relationship with the city and said San Bernardino officials can also communicate with 5th District Supervisor Josie Gonzales, who also represents part of the city.

San Bernardino councilwoman Wendy McCammack said she hoped that Derry's elevation to the Board of Supervisors means that he will be able to push new resources to the city to help police supress crime.

Derry has enjoyed strong financial support from law enforcement unions during his campaigns and from has pushed for the San Bernardino Police Department to receive a greater share of public funding.

Derry was at the center of an important debate in 2006, when San Bernardino voters passed Measure Z -- a quarter-cent sales tax hike -- to raise money for crime fighting efforts.
But voters also passed Measure YY, a nonbinding ballot referendum that gave voters a way to tell city officials that they wanted new tax revenues to finance crime prevention programs in addition to beefing up the city's police force.

But to Derry, Measure Z was sold to the public as a "police tax" and after its passage, he argued that the tax's sole purpose should be to enhance policing and code enforcement. A majority of the council initially agreed with him, voting in February 2007 to direct the first batch of Measure Z revenues entirely to the Police Department.

Things would change. For the current budget year, the council opted to spend more than $160,000 in Measure Z funds on programs to keep children away from crime.

Council colleague Dennis Baxter was on the opposite side of Measure Z debate, but nonetheless credited Derry for not changing his position on the subject.

"I've always been an advocate for the aspects of prevention, intervention, as well as policing," Baxter said. "Once again, he was consistent. He wasn't all over the map."

Another councilman, Rikke Van Johnson, said he the city would miss Derry's leadership, although the two are far from ideological twins.

"We were practivally on opposite ends of the spectrum," Johnson said. "But I still respected his view because he was articulate in defending his positions."

Like public safety, the stewardship of taxpayer money is a universal job requirement for all elected officials. As a supervisor, Derry can't escape the financial challenges that all local governments are dealing with as tax revenues plummet in the new recession.

"Every municipality is going to be facing the same issues. We're dealing with limited dollars," Johnson said. "We're going to have to make choices that are not going to be well received by the people."

With Derry so new to the county's political stage, political insiders have been left wondering what direction his leadership style will take.

"My hope is that he finds a way to work closely with his colleagues," said Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Claremont. Adams' district stretches to include parts of the San Bernardino Valley.

Asked if he perceived Derry as more of a renegade maverick or a bridge builder, Adams said, "It's difficult to say I would hope for a collaboraritve effort. Politics is a team sport."

Current supervisors Josie Gonzales and Brad Mitzelfelt were also sworn in to four-year terms. During the swearing in ceremony, the supervisors avoided mention of Postmus' name in their speeches although they alluded to the turmoil coming out of the Assessor's Office.

Derry, who ran on a government reform platform, said a proposal for an ethics commission _ designed as an independent body to investigate corruption allegations - is in the works.

Gonzales seemed to be referring to Postmus when, in her speech, she asked voters to evict her from office if she stops doing her best.

"We have enough to deal with individuals who do not take their offices seriously," she said.

Mitzelfelt, won election in June, formerly served as Postmus' chief of staff and was appointed to fill Postmus' seat as supervisor after Postmus was elected assessor in 2006.

In his speech, Mitzelfelt said he had spent 22 months as supervisor, serving out "someone else's term."

The City Council has yet to formally call an election for 4th Ward Councilman Neil Derry's successor, but the body did make a move Monday to make the election a mail-in affair.

The special election date is set for March 17, but voters are set to receive mail-in ballots by Feb. 16 and will be able to send their votes via Post Office in the intervening days. With elections, ballots have to be received by the election date. A ballot postmarked on March 17 will arrive at the Registrar of Voter's office too late to be counted.

On March 17, voters will also be able to turn in or receive ballots at the Registrar's building, the City Clerk's office, or a single polling place that will be open somewhere in the city's 4th Ward.

A mail-in election will cost the city about $33,300, according to Registrar's figures quoted by City Clerk Rachel Clark in a report to the council. A traditional election would cost about $145,800.

Monday would have been Derry's final meeting as a San Bernardino city councilman. However, he plans to attend a special meeting that's planned for Nov. 25.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday to approve incoming supervisor Neil Derry's hiring of current City Council colleague Chas Kelley.

Derry, who represents San Bernardino's 4th Ward (northeast neighborhoods) until December, is set to be sworn in as the county's 3rd District supervisor in December.

Kelley represents the city's 5th Ward (northwest neighborhoods). Derry and Kelley are both on the conservative-leaning side of the council.

Kelley's annual salary will be $125,135, including benefits if the board approves his hiring.

Fred Shorett, a self-employed salesman, is the first possible candidate to file papers for a possible run at succeeding Neil Derry as the 4th Ward's City Council candidate.

Shorett, 59, is registered as a Republican but repeatedly stressed during an interview that the council seat is non-partisan. He also said that he decided to run after reading the news that current 4th Ward Councilman Neil Derry had defeated Dennis Hansberger for a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

In general, Shorett presented himself as someone whose primary interests are improving San Bernardino's appearance and image, being business friendly, increasing the police presence within the 4th Ward (northeast San Bernardino) and calming the political disputes that have characterized San Bernardino politics.

Shorett did not want to issue any opinions on two of San Bernardino's bigger news stories since the summer - Operation Phoenix and the dispute between Police Chief Michael Billdt and the police union. He said he doesn't know all the details on those issues, save for what he reads in the newspapers. He also said repeatedly that he does not want to point fingers at any city figures.

Here are some notes from the interview, which will be part of a future story:

On the city's appearance:
"I think the biggest problem that we have in the city right now is we need to really clean it up, and I mean literally. Street sweeping. Fix up potholes," said Shorett, who repeatedly employed the metaphor of giving San Bernardino a new coat of paint.

Also, "Why is a businessman in San Clemente, driving to his second home in (Lake) Arrowhead, why is he going to consider moving here or starting a business here?" This was in reference to a person driving up Waterman Avenue and seeing unkempt parcels.

On his plans for working with other council members, if elected:
"I don't think that I'm any kind of messiah that can bring everybody together, but what we need to do is work together for the good of our community," he said.

On the economy:
"Obviously, we're going to be hit hard by reduced sales tax and those kind of things," he said. "The best thing we can do is clean up our image and get projects off the drawing board and moving."