City Council candidate Göran Eriksson and his supporters will gather this evening at 7:30 at The Culver Hotel to celebrate their hard work and watch the City Council election returns come in.
“It has been a long and challenging campaign,” said Mr. Eriksson, who will be knocking on doors and calling voters right up until the polls close at 8 tonight.
The evening will include music, refreshments and a live feed from City Hall, where election results will be reported as they are announced.
Mr. Eriksson, a longtime Culver City resident and small business owner, has earned the endorsement of scores of current and former elected and appoint officials from both sides of the aisle.
He has gained the support of numerous local organizations, including the Culver City Firefighters Assn.
Mr. Eriksson’s list of supporters includes four of the five sitting City Council members and four of the five School Board members.
“As a former science teacher myself, I am excited about Göran’s plan to use cutting-edge science and technology to make our community greener,” said School Board member Sue Robins.
“I support his efforts to bring our school and our city communities closer together. And I know his in-depth knowledge of our city budget will keep us on firm financial footing in the future.
“That,” said Ms. Robins, “is why I encourage everyone who cares about our schools and the importance of a collaborative relationship between city leadership and school district leadership to vote for Göran.”
A video sampling of comments from supporters is available on Mr. Eriksson’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM48kx42fpQnNmlbir1g1tg
“During the campaign, I have met hundreds of Culver City voters,” Mr. Eriksson said. “I think my goals resonate with voters. Being prudent with our finances, maintaining our quality of life and putting neighborhoods first are issues they believe are important.”
As chairman of the city’s Finance Advisory Committee, he has led the committee in making recommendations to increase community involvement in the city budget process, update the city’s current financial policies and extend the city’s long-term financial forecast. In addition, under his leadership, the committee has developed a Measure Y quarterly fact sheet and communication plan, made recommendations regarding the city’s financial transparency strategy and made recommendations regarding the communication of financial information on the city website.
“I believe I have the background and experience necessary to keep our city on firm financial footing while making the tough decisions that will guide us into the future,” said Mr. Eriksson, who also served as a member of the Advisory Committee on Redevelopment.”
He said the heart of his vision is to make “prudent financial decisions so Culver City can continue to provide the services we all have come to expect.”
There is no doubt why the city has been keen to capitalize on his business savvy – Mr. Eriksson has been in international sales, marketing and business development for more than 30 years.
Mr. Eriksson is president and founder of esi Techtrans, Inc., an international business development consultancy he founded in 1987. He also serves as chairman of the board and CFO for Euro VAT Refund Inc., the company he co-founded with his wife, Britta, in 1992.
“I love Culver City,” Mr. Eriksson said, “and I am excited about how we ran our campaign,” Eriksson said. “We stayed above the fray and remained positive throughout. We focused on our ideas and not tearing down other candidates. We talked about moving our city forward, working together to address our challenges and take advantage of the opportunities we have before us.”
Mr. Maleman may be contacted at gmaleman@aol.com
