Re “A Surprise — Jim Clarke Will Run for City Council”
[img]1048|left|Jim Clarke||no_popup[/img]City Councilman Chris Armenta’s withdrawal from next spring’s election was only part of the reason Jim B. Clarke, best known as a political deputy, signed up last Thursday for the quickly reshaping Council race.
His new assignment in the office of Mayor Villaraigosa, moving from being in charge of federal relations to Director of Grants, takes him off the road and tethers him to Los Angeles. “Now I have more regular hours,” said Mr. Clarke, “and that was a big consideration in my decision.
“I want to be able to keep my job here with the Mayor, and I wanted to have sufficient time to do my work for Culver City.”
Term Will Be Ending
Mr. Clarke’s responsibilities with the term-limited Mayor Villaraigosa span another year and a half, until July 1 of ’13.
Who does a seat on the City Council appeal to Mr. Clarke?
“It is something I always have been interested in. I have lived in Culver City for 18 years, off and on since 1977, and 11 of the last 15 years” (the other four being in Washington as senior deputy to retired U.S. Rep. Diane Watson, D-Culver City).
Mr. Clarke knows his way around City Hall in Culver City as well as any of the regular denizens.
Twice before Mr. Clarke has applied for roles with the Civil Service Commission. “The first time,” he recalled, “I lost on a 3 to 2 vote to Steve Rose. The second time I lost on a 3 to 2 vote to Andy Weissman,” a rival in the race for four seats, although one seat carries only a two-year term.
Your candidacy will significantly change the role you have held most of your career, coming out from behind the curtains to stand at the podium as the main attraction.
“That is true, and I hope what I have to offer complements the other members on the Council — the contacts I have on the federal, state and regional levels. I also bring a real need that local governments throughout the country are looking at, the desire to form partnerships. I am talking about partnerships with other government entities, and we have a lot of them in Culver City — the MTA, the Community College District, the School Board.
“ I also am thinking of partnerships with nonprofits and foundations, where you can leverage funding to continue to maintain services while the city is facing budget problems.”
(To be continued)
