SATURDAY MARCH 31, 2012

VOLUME 6 NO. 13

SIERRA MADRE 
ELECTION COVERAGE 

 On April 10, 2012, voters in Sierra 
Madre will go to the polls and select 
three people from a field of seven to sit 
on the City Council and elect a new City 
Treasurer and City Clerk. They will 
also vote on a local ballot measure on 
whether or not to extend the User Utility 
Tax and a related advisory measure.

 The city council race will fill two seats for new four year terms and one 
seat for the unexpired two year term vacated by former Mayor Joe Mosca.

 The Mountain Views News will provide our readers with comprehensive 
coverage of this election. Each week, as we have done in the past, we will 
profile the candidates and give each of the candidates the opportunity 
to introduce themselves to our readers by answering the following 
questions: (All candidates are being asked to answer the same questions)

1. Why are you running for Office? 

2. What are your plans if elected?

 

The revised schedule:

 

THIS WEEK: Camdidate Bill Tice for City Council - 4 year term

 It is our sincere hope that each candidate will submit 
their answers so that we can share them with our readers. A separate 
letter has been sent to each candidate asking them to participate.

 In addition to the candidate spotlights, we will attempt to cover the 
various forums sponsored by local organizations. Where possible, the 
unedited video of these forums will be broadcast on the paper’s website.

 Our reporting on this election will be as fair and objective as possible. 
However, please keep in mind that our columnists are always free to 
share their opinions. Their opinions are their opinions and may or may 
not reflect the position of the paper. This is true in all things, not just 
this election.

 We will also provide for you the calendar of important dates regarding 
the election. It is our goal to do whatever we can to help you make an 
informed decision on April 10, 2012. 

Susan Henderson, Publisher and Editor 

SO WHAT’S A LITTLE RAIN AMONG FRIENDS?


Despite afternoon rain, the 2012 Wistaria Festival Brought Out The Crowds


For the second consecutive year, Mother Nature has put a ‘damper’ on the Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce’s 
Annual Wistaria Festival. However, this year, without the severe winds and torrential rains of 2011, 
the Festival got off to a very good start. Hundreds were able to view the Vine from both properties, the 
homes of Solz’s and Tony Heald as well as take an historic tour of the Pinney House, formerly the Hotel 
Sierra Madre at the turn of the century. More than 150 food vendors, crafters, artists and musicians participated 
in the event until late afternoon when heavier rains moved into town. Above, a group of Red Hatters 
from San Diego prepare to board a bus up to the vine. Photo by Dean Lee/MVNews

Candidate Eagle Bill Tice

From the Editor: Bill Tice, a longtime Sierra Madre resident, has once again thrown 
his hat into the ring as a candidate for Sierra Madre City Council. However, Tice has 
been unable to attend any of the forums this year. Below you will find his thoughts on 
running for council as discussed with this writer in a previous interview. A summary 
of Tice’s remarks is below, and as he stated earlier this year, “nothing has changed” 
in terms of why he is running for council and what he hopes to accomplish if elected.

BUDGET WOES, REORGANIZATION DOMINATE COUNCIL 
AGENDA - Tuesday’s Council Meeting Discussed Revenue Generating Ideas

“I Am Running Because It Is Fun and Because 
People Listen To Me”

Many people in 
Sierra Madre who 
know Bill Tice 
often underestimate 
him. A former Tree 
Commissioner who 
has been a resident of 
Sierra Madre for most 
of his adult life, Eagle 
Bill has decided for 
the fifth time to run 
for a City Council 
seat. “I love this city. I 
would be a dedicated 
councilman”, says 
Tice in an interview 
during the last 
campaign. 
A man of strong convictions, he 
does not espouse a platform steeped in the usual Sierra Madre controversies. 
On development his response is simple, “I like the town the way it is”. He 
does feel strongly, however, that some things, like the old youth center which 
sits abandoned, can be put to better use. “If I am elected, I would like to see 
that turned into an orphanage for Haitian children.”

 Tice also feels, like several of the other candidates, that changes must 
be made in the way the council operates. Once a frequent visitor to the 
microphone at council meetings, wants more civility among the council 
members and the audience.

 Tice takes any criticism of him in stride. “When I am away, they miss me.”

He credits himself with being one of the residents who started the campaign

against 1 Carter. In fact, it was that protest that earned him the nickname 
of “Eagle” Bill. During the protest he gave other like minded citizens an 
Eagle pin, a symbol to remind people of the wildlife habitat that would be 
destroyed.

Although he does not like raising taxes, he supported the User Utility Tax.

 A very spiritual man, Tice and his wife Yoko have resided in the city since 
1979. They raised two sons in Sierra Madre. He says marriage and family 
make you pause for reflection. While speaking of his religious beliefs he 
added, “I’d like to see prayer at the council meetings. 

 Tice very much wants the public to know that he is a devout Christian and 
that his religion comes before anything else. ‘Eagle’ Bill Tice is running his 
own campaign without any frills. For additionalinformation contact him at 
626-355-4678. S. Henderson/MVNews

 Both council meetings in March reviewed 
possible cuts/reorganization 
of city staff and operations in an effort 
to recover from the dismantling of 
the city’s Community Redevelopment 
Agency. That action, initiated statewide 
by Governor Jerry Brown, has left an 
$800,000 hole in the city’s budget and 
left this council, and the next looking 
for ways to best deal with the situation. 
Below is a recap of the first meeting in 
which the council discussed staff cuts. 
COUNCIL DELAYS 
CUTS By Bill Coburn 
After hearing numerous 
impassioned pleas by City staff, 
including at least two that would 
find themselves out of work, and 
from resident proponents of 
the library and the Community 
Services Dept., the City Council 
decided to place on hold consideration 
of a proposed reorganization 
of the City Departments 
that would ultimately have saved 
about $260,000. Among many 
changes, the plan called for moving 
the Human Resources aspect 
of the Community and Personnel 
Services Dept. into the 
Administrative Dept., making 
the Community Services Dept. 
more of a Recreation Dept. that 
also oversees Transit.

 

The move would have eliminated 
the Community and Personnel 
Services Director and Deputy 
Director positions. An Assistant 
City Manager position would be 
reinstated. The equivalent of 7.8 
full-time employees would be 
removed from staffing.

 

Development and Planning Services 
would close their doors for 
half a day, allowing employees to 
work uninterrupted to keep up 
with their workload with fewer 
employees (a full time administrative 
aide position and some 
intern positions would be removed 
from that department). 
Still, there is expected to be an 
increase in the time applicants 
would have to wait for projects 
to be approved and building inspections 
to take place. In addition, 
it would take longer for 
minutes from Planning Commission 
and General Plan Update 
Steering Committee meetings 
to be prepared, and the idea 
of cutting Planning Commission 
and GPU meetings to once 
a month would be considered.

 

The Library would eliminate a 
Library Tech II position (putting 
a 17-year employee out of work), 
and add a technology position. 
Additional staff hours would be 
cut at the Library, meaning library 
hours would be reduced 
by six hours a week.

 

In addition to the elimination 
of the two director positions in 
Community and Personnel Services, 
enough hours would have 
been eliminated in the Aquatics 
division of Community Services 
that the pool would be closed 
on weekends and in the evening 
following evening swim lessons 
in the summer. Family Swim on 
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 
evenings and Lap swim on 
Tuesday and Thursday evenings 
would also be eliminated.

 

Despite assertions by candidates 
at the two City Council Candidate 
forums that have been 
held so far that Public Safety 
services are a top priority and 
will continue to be fully funded, 
the reorganization calls for 
$130,000 in cuts to the Police 
Department. A part time deputy 
position would be eliminated, 
meaning longer times for investigations, 
due to an increased 
case load for the single police 
officer assigned to detectives. 
There would be a reduction in 
part time cadet hours, with on-
duty officers picking up some of 
the cadets’ duties. The full-time 
Code Enforcement officer position 
would be eliminated, and a 
part time Code Enforcement officer 
would replace it, with funding 
coming (cont. page 
3) from Development 
Services, rather than the PD. The 
hours of a part-time administrative 
clerk would also be cut in half. All 
of these cuts would be being made 
at a time when the PD is already 
understaffed, since a Captain’s position 
and an Officer’s position were 


Eagle Bill Tice

This Week’s Highlights:

Section B

SPORTS

Rock N Roll Vegas and The 
Jets

PASADENA/ALTADENA

5

SIERRA MADRE NEWS

1

Officers identified in 
Pasadena Shooting

Homes & Property 
Opinion and More

Budget Woes, Reorganization at 
top of Council Agenda


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