[img]1845|right|Jeff Cooper||no_popup[/img]Mayor Jeff Cooper, running for a second term on the City Council, is unequivocal in his stance on rent control.
“Not in favor of it, period,” he says succinctly.
“Our Landlord/Tenant Mediation Board does a good job.
“Does it solve everything for everybody? Maybe not.
“In the four years I have been on the Council, complaints I have heard about the Board have been minimal,” said Mr. Cooper.
“When we are compared to West Hollywood and Santa Monica on rent control, frankly I don’t think that is fair, and here is why:
“We have probably one large apartment building in Culver City that is over 100 units.
“The two cities I mentioned have multitudes of those types of buildings owned by corporations. In Culver City,” said the mayor, “more often than not you will find buildings more in the size of four to eight units.
“Those buildings are not owned by corporations. They are owned by your neighbors, people who finally have saved enough money to make an investment in a property.
“If they bought the property recently, they paid a premium price because property is so expensive on the Westside.
“I feel it is their right,” Mr. Cooper said, “to charge what it is worth, the market rate.
“Should we apply rent control to a supermarket. Tell them what to charge because groceries have gotten awfully expensive. Gasoline has gotten expensive.”
Does Mr. Cooper have empathy for renters who say that they have unfairly had their rates raised, beyond their capacity to afford on fixed incomes?
“Absolutely I do,” he said. “I feel badly for the situations they are in. But it is hard to kind of get around that sometimes.
“I am sure many people will handle raised rates and be just fine, or they may choose to live somewhere else.”
