I have lived in Arcadia my whole life. It’s where I went to school, it’s where I have my business and it’s where I have chosen to raise my family.
My accomplishments, since you first elected me to City Council in 2016, include:
- I championed harmonious and compatible design of new homes with new design review rules, a Floor Area Ratio (FAR): limiting the size of new homes to a percentage of the lot size, and the first Historic Preservation Ordinance for Arcadia;
- I secured $167,000 from LA County to help homeless in Arcadia find housing;
- I helped introduce the Ring Doorbell home security program to our residents, making neighborhoods safer;
- I created a Financial Advisory Committee made up of Arcadia residents, to provide recommendations to pay down the unfunded pensions, promoting transparency and accountability;
- I worked to bring back a basketball court with the renovation of Eisenhower Park, reinforcing the priorities of the community;
- I brought the Patriotic Festival, Holiday Fair and Halloween Haunting to Downtown Arcadia, enhancing the quality of life for residents;
- I connected to the community through many activities including Mahjong with the Mayor and Coffee with the Mayor;
- I convinced LA County to re-open the Spreading Basins in the Highlands, so more water was diverted into our aquifer instead of flowing to the ocean;
- I currently serve as Mayor.
I hope I get the opportunity to meet you in person and share more of what I have done and what I plan to do if re-elected.
Sincerely,
-April Verlato
LATEST NEWS
March 16, 2020
City of Arcadia Important Links for the Coronavirus In the City of Arcadia I want to make sure our residents have the information they need to stay informed. Also, be up to date on the happenings with the Coronavirus here locally. Important Local Links: […]
VOTE FOR SHARON KWAN-D2, CINDY NG MONJE-D3 and STEVE RHEE-5, Arcadia. Salary comparison of 13 Arcadia employees from 2022 to 2025 shows how much the increases awarded in 2024 affected the City’s budget. The police and fire unions have a lot to gain by having a city council that will vote for their compensation at any cost. It caused a budget deficit in 2024 and every year thereafter. Cuts are made each year to equipment and capital improvement expense. There were savings from a 10% vacancy rate in the police department. The vacancies and cuts are a threat to public safety. In 2019, police and fire unions campaigned for prop A to have you, the voters, save their salaries by voting to increase taxes in Arcadia. It was prior city council that voted on their salary increases that overextended the City’s budget. We need council members who are independent and won’t take endorsements and money from special interest groups. The police and fire unions not only endorse candidates they believe will vote for their compensation salary increases they demand, but they actively campaign for them, going door to door, sending out expensive mailers. They expect a loyal council in return that votes for salary increases regardless of whether the City can afford it or not because the unions count on you voting in more tax increases when they threaten public safety unless you pay them the amounts they demand. You, the voters, need to send the message, you won’t be extorted by the unions. Vote for candidates who will remain independent, vote for competitive salaries for our police and fire, and protect our budgets, preventing the need to increase the tax burden on the residents.
When 2 council members (Michael Cao and Paul Cheng) have financial relationships with media company that spreads Chinese government propaganda in the US and is raided by the FBI, there will be questions about foreign government influence. Why won’t Cao and Cheng put it on the agenda to answer questions about these financial interests with their campaigns? #ArcadiaDeservesBetter #ThisIsArcadia #ArcadiaCa #FormerMayor #ForeignInfluence #IllegalAgentOfCCP #eileenwang #JamesSu #EDIMedia #FBIRaids