Alhambra voters will head to the polls on November 3 to elect representatives to three City Council districts. District 1 has two candidates on the ballot, District 2 has one unopposed candidate, and District 5 has three candidates.
Ahead of the election, Around Alhambra asked candidates in contested races to respond to the same set of questions about their priorities, policy positions, and vision for the city. The responses give voters an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates about why they are running, what they hope to accomplish, and how they would approach key issues affecting Alhambra. Candidates who submitted responses are presented in the order they were received.
For residents who would like to hear from the candidates directly, the Alhambra City Council Meet the Candidates Forum will be held October 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Alhambra Library. The forum will be moderated by the Pasadena League of Women Voters, giving residents an opportunity to hear candidates respond to questions about issues affecting Alhambra ahead of the November 3 election.
Ron Sahu – District 1
- Why are you running for Alhambra City Council?
Alhambra has been my home for more than 38 years. After graduating from Caltech with a PhD in 1988 I moved to Alhambra, where my wife and I raised our children in the same house where we still live today and sent them to Alhambra public schools. In addition to my work as an environmental engineer with clients throughout the country, I have been a community advocate and organizer in Alhambra for several years, championing multiple successful initiatives to advance election reform, protect public health, and address transportation funding and implementation. Over the years I have served on Alhambra’s Parks and Recreation Commission, the Planning Commission and the Environmental Sustainability Commission. I understand the needs of our residents and am deeply committed to the well-being of current and future Alhambra residents. I’m very excited to continue to bring my expertise and experience to Alhambra City Hall to advocate for Alhambrans. - What is one thing you’d like to accomplish for Alhambra during your first year on the City Council?
Govern with facts, not politics, and focus on local issues rather than national or other issues that the City is ill-equipped to solve. We need leaders who can set ideologies aside, gather facts, and work across differences to focus on solving problems for residents. I’ll bring an independent, evidence-based approach to the City Council—asking difficult questions, considering all sides, and making decisions based on what is best for Alhambra rather than political interests. I have a track record of doing that successfully as a community member and I will bring that experience to the City Council. - If elected, what current issue would you spend less City Council time on and what would you hope to replace that time spent doing?
I will steer the Council away from focusing on divisive issues that have little relevance to our residents’ lives. We have plenty of local issues that need attention rather than trying to “solve” national and international issues. Our time should be spent improving public safety, reducing crime, strengthening our neighborhoods, reducing traffic and speeding, and growing our existing businesses while attracting new ones. - What do you think should be Alhambra’s top priorities when it comes to spending public funds?
Alhambra’s approach to spending public funds must be guided by strengthening our budget reserves, and spending with accountability and transparency – focusing on crucial priorities like public safety, public infrastructure, attracting businesses small and large, and avoiding wasteful spending. I am no stranger to fighting for greater transparency and accountability at Alhambra City Hall. For the last two decades, I’ve proudly led the non-partisan community advocacy non-profit Grassroots Alhambra. We have delivered results and benefited our residents by moving the City forward in many ways. - What is the best way to create more housing for those who want to live in the City?
Alhambra cannot solve regional or statewide housing issues. However, within our constraints as a land-poor City, Alhambra can create more housing in certain areas without destroying our current neighborhoods. We can further strengthen our Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, which was enacted when I was a Planning Commissioner in Alhambra. We can simplify our permitting process for ADUs so we can add more housing supply at all levels. We can clean up contamination in various areas of our City so that safe housing can be built that won’t make future residents sick. And we can leverage our limited public land assets with meaningful public-private partnerships to create affordable housing, especially at the low- and very-low income levels. I will advance these and other ideas to add housing supply responsibly, without destroying our current neighborhoods. - Specifically, how can you help businesses thrive in Alhambra: What policies would you champion to support the success of those here and make it attractive for others to open here?
Attracting businesses that add to our tax base is a priority. Businesses evaluating options to locate or expand in Alhambra need clear signals that obtaining approvals from the City will involve the least friction—in terms of time and fees—and that their businesses will be located in a safe city with minimal crime.
We need to attract quality businesses so our residents do not need to travel elsewhere to spend their tax dollars. That will meaningfully increase our local tax revenues, right here at home.
We also need to look to the future and assess how our large sales tax generators—such as car dealerships and retailers like Costco, Target, Home Depot, and others—can continue to invest in Alhambra.
Slowing traffic along commercial corridors such as Fremont, Atlantic, Garfield, Main, and Valley so that pass-through traffic can pause and spend money at Alhambra businesses is another aspect I would explore.
Attracting businesses might mean providing subsidies. I would be open to subsidies if we can generate good returns on those dollars. In other words, I would view subsidies as investments.
We also need to continue the Chamber’s efforts in enhancing the Alhambra brand in the region and the greater Los Angeles area. Our retail food scene and our car dealerships are obvious attractors. But beyond that, we need to make it easy for the two million plus residents within 5-miles to think of us as their first choice.
I believe that a sustained push on all of these aspects can and will result in more and better businesses in Alhambra. - What do you see as the primary role of the Alhambra City Council?
I see Alhambra City Council’s primary roles as safeguarding bedrock interests such as maintaining public safety, growing our budget reserves to deliver more services for residents, reducing traffic, speeding, parking, and congestion, and minimizing costs such as fees. The City also has a role to engage more citizens to understand their issues and unmet needs, or areas of frustration when dealing with the City – whether it is obtaining approvals, dealing with code enforcement, or any other issue. Citizens should leave any interaction with the City feeling positive about the experience. This “public service” and “public facing” role will enhance both the City’s and residents’ quality of life. - What do you love most about Alhambra? What makes this City special?
I love our neighborhoods, our sense of community, the richness and diversity of our many citizens – as reflected in our amazing food and cultural aspects. I like that Alhambra is not walled off into gated communities and that we can go anywhere and interact with anyone–whether during a simple walk or when trying a new restaurant—unimpeded. I believe that our schools are excellent and always improving. I like that we feel safe because of the amazing police officers who sacrifice so much for us. Similarly, we have world-class fire and paramedic services with very short response times. Finally, I love our City’s history and the many stories that our residents have. All of this makes the City special. As a Council member, it will be my goal to enhance these special aspects for the current and next generation of Alhambrans. - BONUS: What is your favorite restaurant in Alhambra to take visitors to and why?
This is a tough question because there are so many. Pepe’s on Valley. Xiang La Hui on Main. Amazing food, consistently. But this list could be much, much, longer!
