Honesty. Leadership. Compassion. These are the qualities that we need on our city council. Re-electing Councilmember Tom Chavez in the upcoming election guarantees those qualities for our community.
Not only does Councilmember Chavez have four years of experience on city council, but he has also been a lawyer and an educator. His background guarantees the leadership skills necessary to meet the needs of a diverse city.
For the past four years, Councilmember Chavez has worked on improving the city’s emergency preparedness plan and increasing the city’s General Fund. If re-elected, he would like to see three major plans succeed: the redevelopment of the still empty lot on Rosemead Blvd., the addition of trees and bike lanes along Rosemead Blvd. and the reduction of traffic lanes on Las Tunas from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction with the goal of encouraging more foot traffic and creating a bike lane.
Students who cycle would no longer have to battle for space in the same traffic lanes as cars or ride illegally on sidewalks. Anxious parents would be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing their children would have a more protected way to travel around town. The advantages don’t stop there. A more pedestrian friendly downtown would encourage a more active city life on Las Tunas, and students would find it easier to visit the various restaurants and shops in Temple City without having to worry so much about traffic.
As a parent, Councilmember Chavez cares about the young people of Temple City. He is actively involved with the Sister City Exchange Program, which sends six high school sophomores to the Hawkesbury, Australia every summer. His involvement includes taking the time to personally write a letter of congratulations to the students selected for the exchange program and giving each student a notebook to document his or her adventures. Councilmember Chavez also worked to form the Temple City Youth Committee three years ago, which raises awareness of the issues that young adults face.
Councilmember Chavez truly cares for our community. While many TCHS students cannot vote themselves, I strongly encourage students to urge their parents and friends to support him. Come election day on March 5, re-elect Councilmember Chavez for city council. Those interested in more information about Councilmember Chavez’s campaign can visit www.chavezforcitycouncil.com.