Policy Platform and Identified Concerns

La Palma has built a strong reputation as one of the safest communities in the region, and Andrew believes protecting that reputation must remain a top priority. As a former La Palma Police Officer and public safety professional, Andrew understands the importance of proactive policing, emergency preparedness, recruitment and retention of quality personnel, and supporting first responders with the tools and resources they need to serve the community effectively. Public safety decisions should always prioritize residents, transparency, and long term community trust.

Residents deserve leadership that treats taxpayer dollars responsibly. Andrew currently manages a public safety budget of more than $22 million and oversees several million dollars in grant funded projects. He understands budgeting, long term planning, and the importance of financial accountability. Andrew believes the city must continue maintaining strong reserves, investing responsibly, seeking outside grant funding opportunities, and ensuring taxpayer money is spent efficiently and transparently.

Maintaining roads, sidewalks, lighting, parks, and public facilities is critical to preserving La Palma’s quality of life. Andrew supports practical infrastructure improvements that prioritize neighborhood safety, traffic circulation, pedestrian safety, and long term maintenance planning. He believes the city must continue investing in infrastructure while addressing traffic concerns near schools, residential neighborhoods, and major corridors throughout the community.

Residents deserve a city government that is open, responsive, and accountable. Andrew believes transparency builds public trust and strengthens community engagement. He supports improving communication between City Hall and residents, increasing accessibility to public information, and ensuring important decisions are made openly and responsibly. Andrew believes local government works best when residents feel heard, informed, and involved in the future of their community.

La Palma is unique because of its strong neighborhoods, family oriented environment, and sense of community. Andrew believes growth and modernization should never come at the expense of the qualities that make La Palma special. He supports thoughtful planning that protects neighborhood integrity, maintains community standards, and preserves the city’s identity for future generations.

Andrew believes local government should focus on practical solutions, long term planning, and responsible leadership rather than politics. His experience working inside local government across multiple agencies has provided him with firsthand knowledge of both successful strategies and areas where improvement is needed. He is committed to bringing that experience back to La Palma to help the city adapt, improve, and prepare responsibly for the future.

As someone raised in La Palma and educated through local schools, Andrew understands the important role families and schools play in building strong communities. He supports continued collaboration between the city, schools, youth programs, and community organizations to ensure future generations continue to thrive in a safe and supportive environment.

One unique issue impacting portions of District 2 involves neighborhoods north of Houston Avenue being assigned to the Buena Park School District rather than schools located within La Palma. Many residents have expressed concerns regarding school accessibility, school quality perceptions, and the long term impact these boundaries may have on neighborhood desirability and property values.

Andrew understands that changing school district boundaries is extremely difficult and would require cooperation between multiple agencies and school districts, making major changes unlikely in the near future. However, he believes residents deserve leadership willing to explore practical solutions, including improved transfer opportunities, expanded flexibility for families, and stronger collaboration between local schools and city leadership to better support affected residents.

After serving within the City for more than a decade, Andrew witnessed firsthand both the strengths of the community and areas where leadership and organizational culture must improve. He believes one of the greatest challenges facing the City is a longstanding resistance to change and innovation, where the mentality of “this is how things have always been done” has too often prevented meaningful improvements from moving forward.

Andrew believes local government should continuously seek ways to improve services, strengthen operations, and better serve residents rather than maintaining the status quo simply because it is familiar. His campaign is not focused on negativity, but rather on bringing accountability, fresh ideas, proactive leadership, and a willingness to modernize how the City approaches challenges and opportunities.

Recent lawsuits involving the City have raised concerns among many residents regarding financial exposure, leadership accountability, and long term impacts on City resources. Andrew believes proactive leadership, strong organizational oversight, professional workplace culture, and sound decision making are essential to protecting taxpayer resources and avoiding costly preventable issues.

He believes City leadership must prioritize professionalism, accountability, employee retention, and responsible management practices that reduce risk while maintaining public trust and organizational stability.

Recent lawsuits involving the City have raised concerns among many residents regarding financial exposure, leadership accountability, and long term impacts on City resources. Andrew believes proactive leadership, strong organizational oversight, professional workplace culture, and sound decision making are essential to protecting taxpayer resources and avoiding costly preventable issues.

He believes City leadership must prioritize professionalism, accountability, employee retention, and responsible management practices that reduce risk while maintaining public trust and organizational stability.

Andrew believes local businesses are essential to maintaining the identity, economy, and long term success of La Palma. His family has deep roots within the local business community, and he has personally witnessed the challenges many small business owners face when dealing with permitting processes, code enforcement concerns, rising costs, and government bureaucracy.

He believes the City should work collaboratively with business owners while maintaining community standards, focusing on solutions rather than unnecessary obstacles. Supporting existing businesses, encouraging responsible investment, improving communication, and creating a more business friendly environment should remain important priorities for the future of the City.

Andrew also believes the City should continue exploring ways to encourage quality reinvestment into aging commercial areas while protecting the businesses and community spaces that residents value.

Throughout his career working both inside and outside of La Palma, Andrew has seen how proactive leadership and innovation can significantly strengthen communities. He believes local government should never become stagnant or resistant to new ideas.

His goal is to help foster a culture within City Hall that values accountability, professionalism, transparency, modernization, and continuous improvement while always keeping the best interests of residents at the center of decision making.

Andrew strongly believes residents deserve a government that is transparent, accessible, and easy to engage with. For years, many residents have expressed frustration regarding the limited accessibility of City Council meetings and public information.

While recent improvements are now being discussed or implemented, Andrew believes the City should have embraced modern public communication tools much sooner. He supports expanding public access to meetings through improved live streaming, video accessibility, online communication, and more user friendly ways for residents to stay informed and engaged with City Hall decisions.

Transparency builds public trust, and residents should never feel disconnected from the decisions affecting their community.