In April, several Sierra Madre citizens will be vying for seats on the City Council, and we'll be taking quick looks at some of the candidates who'll be running as they file papers by the Jan. 17 deadline.
John Capoccia and his wife, Marta, moved to Sierra Madre in 1983 and in his words, "can't think of living anywhere else." He credits the "village atmosphere" of Sierra Madre as a big help in the rearing of his three kids.
For 27 years, he worked for AT&T, functioning as general manager for the past 10 years before his retirement in April. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Cal State L.A. in mechanical engineering, and he's a certified Project Management Professional.
In the city, Capoccia has served as chairman the Parks and Recreation Commission (now Community Services). He's also spent plenty of time on the boards of both the Sierra Madre Little League and Pony League, eventually becoming President of the Pony League, where he writes that he saw the "best of Sierra Madre." He has also helped develop the Youth Master Plan and is a board member of the Sierra Madre Community Foundation.
In a statement to the media, Capoccia writes:
I am a long-time member of our community, and I am well qualified with regard to education, experience and skills to ensure that Sierra Madre remains safe, retains its distinctive character, provides essential city services, and does so in a financially responsible way.
We have many challenges ahead of us. We are in the process of updating our General Plan, which will define our vision of Sierra Madre for the next twenty years. We’re facing increasing budget pressures from rising costs and misguided mandates from the State government, and we’re facing development pressures that if not managed carefully, could change the nature of the town that we love dearly. I promise to seek input from Sierra Madre residents and discuss and debate the issues purposefully and respectfully while proposing and pushing for solutions that are in the best interests of Sierra Madre.
I would be honored and privileged to represent the Citizens of Sierra Madre on the City Council.
Patch will be posting more about other candidates in the coming weeks. If you have questions you'd like the candidates to answer, please send them (along with your name) to sierramadrepatch@gmail.com or redmond.carolipio@patch.com so we can prepare them for a future forum.
