Will La Mesa retain mayor Mark Arapostathis or elect a new one in challenger Kristine Alessio?

The two are running to lead La Mesa into 2023 and beyond. The winning candidate will be seated on Tuesday, Dec. 13, the first meeting in December.

La Mesa Courier recently caught up with both candidates to discuss topics ranging from issues facing residents to bringing added business to town and more.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

LMC: What motivated you to run for this position?

Arapostathis: I am running for re-election because I have the knowledge and a clear understanding of how our local government can best serve the needs of the residents of La Mesa. I want to continue to serve my city. I was born and raised in La Mesa attending Lemon Ave., La Mesa Jr. High and graduated from Helix High School. I have been volunteering and serving La Mesa since I was a child. I am a teacher of 30 years, currently teaching in La Mesa. I speak with the people in La Mesa daily and have a deep understanding of their concerns and hopes. Our city can and will do more to make life better for businesses, visitors and residents. I love and care about this city and feel a duty to serve.

Alessio: La Mesa is the city we live in and love, yet, there are things we should preserve and there are things that must change to make it more livable. Watching residents and businesses try to navigate the infinite red tape at City Hall, watching our neighborhoods change for the worse while elected officials shrug their shoulders and say their hands are tied, are two big reasons I decided to run for mayor. Do we windup like Lemon Grove or El Cajon or remain the wonderful and unique Jewel of the Hills? There are so many things that we could be doing better in La Mesa, from potholes (too many) to police (too few). We need someone who understands both private and public sector concerns, and has the tools to fix our problems. With my background in law and government as well as being a former councilmember, I see simple solutions that will improve quality of life for all La Mesans without costing money and raising taxes. La Mesa government needs to be all La Mesa, all local. I have a five-point plan to improve the City for everyone: We need to change the street repair schedule so that streets that need the most repairs get them first; Provide the Fire Department with smaller more efficient vehicles to get to calls faster; Provide the Police Department with additional officers, decreasing wait times for lower priority calls; We’ve grown, our police force hasn’t. Require the Public Works Department to have a plan for maintenance of City owned property; Presently, you must complain to get something done. It should be part of the everyday business in keep the Jewel of the Hills shining. Giving the Community Development Department precise guidelines for neighborhood engagement on large and small development projects. The City, not Facebook or Next Door, needs to be engaging and informing you; Develop a review process for the planning department staff to ensure your permits and applications are processed quickly. Having to wait over a year to get permits to remodel a bathroom, add an ADU, put a sign in front of your business, or add solar panels is crazy. I will ensure that changes are made to make these things easier for you.

LMC: What do you see to be the three top issues facing La Mesa residents as we wind down 2022 and move into 2023?

Arapostathis: As a teacher in La Mesa I have the opportunity to speak to hundreds of La Mesa residents weekly. In addition, every two years we survey the residents of La Mesa. The top three concerns in La Mesa are: 1. How to take care of the unsheltered homeless population so they are not living on our streets. 2. Well-trained and staffed Police and Fire Departments that will continue to keep our neighborhoods safe. 3. What art, culture and recreational programs does the city offer residents and how are we maintaining and improving parks. Our HOME (Homeless Outreach and Mobil Engagement) program has placed over 70 people in permanent housing. We are also preventing families from becoming homeless through our rental assistance program. We have entered into a contract with the Home Start Program to link more people to housing and services. This year I am proposing to expand the funding for these programs to help solve the homeless crisis. Since each case and individual is different, we triage and prioritize funding and resources to help those who are experiencing homelessness, addiction and mental health problems. I will work with the Chiefs of the Police and Fire departments to ensure that we are operating at 100% of staff. I will support funding that will provide the most advanced equipment and training which will continue to retain the most experienced police officers and fire fighters. In addition, I will increase positions in both departments to guarantee that our public safety response time continues to keep every neighborhood safe for our growing population. I co-founded the La Mesa Arts Alliance and most recently helped create the La Mesa Arts and Culture Commission in order to promote the arts, along with the historical, aesthetic, and cultural aspects of the community by using the arts as a mechanism to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. I was a leader in bringing the La Mesa Farmer’s Market to the downtown village every Friday night. This offers the community the opportunity to purchase food, produce and merchandise from a wide range of diverse vendors. I continue to lead in the renovation and upgrades of our parks that create greater access to facilities while maintaining clean safe spaces. In addition, I have proposed and implemented new recreational facilities including new play structures and new pickle ball courts. I founded the free Sundays at 6 concerts in Harry Griffen Park and support our free movies in the parks and at our swimming pool.

Alessio: 1. Again, to repeat, adequate police and fire protection. La Mesa has grown and is growing, neither our police force nor our fire department have the staff to ensure that they can meet the community’s needs. We cannot have an undersized police force stretched so thin that it takes them 30 minutes to respond to a lower priority call. We cannot have a fire department that would have to request mutual aid if there were a large car accident because they are dealing with a homeless person. These are not negotiable items. They must happen, to keep us all safe. I am proud to be endorsed by both the La Mesa Police Officers Association and the Heartland Fire Fighters of La Mesa. 2. Cost of living and inflation. We cannot allow La Mesa to be more expensive than our businesses and residents can afford. We must not adopt policies that lead to expense for basic household necessities such as power and food. Currently, there is a plan being suggested to ban the use of natural gas in La Mesa for new development and for home remodels. As the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers have noted, this will drastically increase the cost of living for the average person. To these we must say no. Nor can we allow additional taxation for projects benefitting the City of San Diego, that’s just wrong. Recently La Mesa’s SANDAG representative voted to add a vehicle mileage tax to every car trip a resident takes. Again wrong. Current leadership at City Hall did not even feel the need to let La Mesans know that this SANDAG vote was happening. We already have high prices for everything in California, La Mesa must not impose burdensome new fees and taxes on those who can least afford them. 3. Housing balanced with preservation of neighborhoods: Land use in La Mesa are established by General Plans and Specific Plans. These are how a local government exercises what is left of local control over land use. La Mesa has multiple outdated Specific Plans – the Downtown Village Specific Plan, the Eastridge Specific Plan and the Grossmont Center Specific Plan. They have not been updated since the late 1980’s to 1990’s. These must be updated and tailored to the unique parts of La Mesa where they apply. There are a lot of state laws that trumps local laws, but Specific Plans are a way to work around State law. In addition, we also need general design guidelines for the City as a whole. Our goal? Visit Santa Barbara, and you will see the result of careful planning and design guidelines, the way new developments fit with the existing neighborhoods. We must demand the same high standards. Given the projects our elected officials have approved, we were on our way to a far different looking and feeling La Mesa. Growth and housing are not inevitable, but they must be done in a way that does not change the look and feel of La Mesa. Again, we do not want to become Lemon Grove or El Cajon.

LMC: Politics in general have taken a nasty turn nationwide in recent years. What is your message to La Mesa voters as to how you will govern with those having different viewpoints to yours?

Arapostathis: Unfortunately, in this election I have been the target of false negative mailers that are intended to fool and confuse voters. I have always taught my students and lived my life with honesty and integrity. This is the only way to be a servant leader. I have never and will never say anything negative about others. The city council represents all La Mesa residents. I have and will continue to listen to all viewpoints. During my time on the council I have always tried to treat everyone with kindness and civility. La Mesa residents care about their neighbors and I am proud to be part of this community.

Alessio: If I may quote Bill Maher, “No one really loves America who only loves 50% of its people”, I will be a people’s mayor. I will take into consideration all viewpoints. And we will focus on La Mesa issues, not irrelevant national or state issues. La Mesa all the time and nothing but La Mesa. Most La Mesans can come together despite any political party affiliation for La Mesa issues. The outpouring of support after the riots is an example, MAGA Republicans and Progressive Democrats working side by side, with one goal, cleaning up our downtown. Another way to overcome any divides is to listen, and respect diverse viewpoints and acknowledge them. Too many of us are afraid of partisan ridicule and contempt. This will not be the case for La Mesa, open dialogue and communication is necessary. As a councilmember I spearheaded various initiatives with others that were not of my political party. By keeping national and state issues off the agenda and insisting on basic manners from the Council we can bridge political differences in a way that shows regard for all residents. As mayor I will hold open office hours one day a week and make myself available to all. Come talk to me, I will listen. I will be there for La Mesa.

LMC: What will you do as mayor to bring more business to La Mesa?

Arapostathis: Business is the backbone of our city. I have always created opportunities to allow business to start and thrive in our community. Most recently I worked with our staff to create the La Mesa Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program (LEAP). This is a grant program that offers up to $20,000 for new business startup in La Mesa. Our business department and all of city hall is now working on a culture of “yes”. Finding ways to help come up with solutions. We are working toward being a city of outstanding customer service. After the devastation businesses faced during the pandemic I am committed to finding new ways to help business be successful. Allowing for more outdoor dining, reducing the cost of business licenses, offering grants to improve the exterior of business and allowing business associations to take over events, such as the LMVA (La Mesa Village Association) now running Farmers Market. I will partner with businesses to create a system for greater ease to access city services.

Alessio: This is crucial, without vibrant businesses La Mesa is broke. I will make it easier for businesses to do business and prosper by insisting on simple guidelines for staff and promoting business development. I will talk with business owners and leaders meeting once a month to stay updated on their concerns. I will personally reach out to anyone who wants to start a business in La Mesa and walk them through the process. Here I have experience and having already helped multiple businesses – from barbershops to breweries navigate the City’s permit processing department, I’ve seen a lot and believe me, a lot needs to be changed. Here is an example to show what businesses are currently up against. A local businesswoman wanted to improve her store signage. The City’s response – go get an aerial photo of your building. Imagine the cost?! She was in tears. What the City didn’t tell her was that she could just copy a photo from Google images. So simple but the City left her hanging with what seemed like an insurmountable problem. Imagine being told that the lattice covering your air conditioner unit is slanted the wrong way so your renovations cannot be approved? These are crazy and true things that are happening today to businesses in La Mesa. This is unacceptable. It takes a business owner to see the problems and find the solutions and I aim to do that when elected. I will also ensure that there are adequate police and fire responses to the needs of businesses. Homelessness as we know is out of control, and businesses across the City are being vandalized, and their employees harassed and threatened. The police and fire departments must have what they need to be able to prevent this.

LMC: What is something positive you can say about your opponent?

Arapostathis: Ms. Alessio is a loving supportive parent.

Alessio: He is a loving and dutiful son and conscientious neighbor. He directs a great theater program for kids, my daughter is an alumni. His dedication to the kids and school is unparalleled.

Editor’s note: This article will appear in the Oct. 28 print edition of La Mesa Courier.

Photo credit of ballot: Kendra Sitton

– Reach editor Dave Thomas at: [email protected].