PRIORITIES
PROTECTING RENTERS’ RIGHTS/INCREASING AFFORDABLE HOUSING
A renter himself, John is a leading voice on the City Council for increasing renter protections and the supply of affordable housing. – from recently strengthening the Tenant Harassment Ordinance and continuing to fund the Coalition for Survival tenant counselling services for WeHo residents. This year, John approved the 100% affordable housing project on Wetherly Drive which will help the city meet its state-mandated housing quota. His work to pass the Unit Swap for Seniors and People with Disabilities was so innovative that it became state law in 2023.
In his next term, John will continue to support new opportunities to better protect renters and increase the city’s supply of affordable housing supply as one of the best ways to ensure West Hollywood remains socially and economically diverse.
HELPING THE UNHOUSED
John understands the connection between earning a living wage and preventing homelessness. That’s why he has stood up to those who have tried to reverse the City’s ground-breaking minimum wage increase and supported city policies that prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. With so many in our city living paycheck-to-paycheck or on the streets, John will continue to the ground-breaking work he has done to solve homelessness.
In his next term, John will work to ensure that WeHo Care crisis response teams are on the ground 24/7, ensure that the Holloway Drive interim housing project is a success in transitioning people to permanent housing and improve care-centric policies that offer better direct services to ending the regional homelessness crisis. As the Legislative Chair of California Contract Cities, John will continue to lead the way on new regional collaborations to solve this humanitarian crisis.
AN AGGRESSIVE APPROACH TO FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
John’s commitment to sustainability is reflected both in his personal and professional choices. As an advocate alternative forms of transportation, smart growth, transit-oriented policies, and city operations that reduce water and energy use, John has authored a robust set of city policies and ordinances to help address climate change even beyond our city’s borders. Those include: policies that get people out of their cars to reduce our carbon footprint, such as protected bike lanes on Fountain Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard and placing E-Bike Charging Stations in the City; efforts to ban plastic products in food service to go items; the City’s Climate Action Dashboard.
As a member of the Clean Power Alliance and the Santa Monica Bay Watershed Council, John will continue to play a major role in steering the region towards cleaner air, healthier drinking water and greater sustainability.
CRIME-FREE STREETS, SAFER NEIGHBORHOODS
John’s re-election is endorsed by both the Los Angeles County Firefighters and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna who share his forward-thinking approach to public safety. John has cracked down on Grab and Go thefts and crimes against our LGBTQ+ and BIPOC residents and visitors. He voted to reinstate two Sheriff Deputies to the department.
In his next term, John will continue to prioritize the city’s public safety investments – including building a new state-of-the-art new Fire and Sheriff Station in partnership with LA County – so that first responders have 21st century tools to ensure the that our diverse community is safe at home and wherever they go. He will also work to improve bike and pedestrian safety, which he believes are an often-overlooked public safety issues that can save lives.
KEEPING WEST HOLLYWOOD MOVING
Traffic is a regional problem that requires innovative, regional solutions. As Mayor, John is in a unique position to with Metro, the micro-mobility community and elected officials throughout Los Angeles County to improve our transportation options.
In his next term on the City Council, John will work aggressively to expand transportation options for WeHo by: ensuring that Metro makes good on its commitment for the West Hollywood rail extension; helping the City’s Bicycle and Transit Micro mobility Working Group evolve; and the paving the way for the Bike Repair Station Pilot Program to succeed.
PROTECTING THE CITY’S ECONOMIC HEALTH
John has worked hand-in-hand with local businesses to help them further recover from the COVID 19 pandemic. While expanding city services, he has also ensured that every city dollar is invested wisely and is used with transparency and accountability, resulting in a 31 million dollar budget surplus.
In his next term, John will look for new socially responsible and forward-thinking ways to protect WeHo’s economic vitality. John knows the importance of maintaining our remarkable budget surplus and protect our rainy-day fund so the city can continue to provide exceptional services to the community and be fiscally prepared for future natural disaster or another unforeseen health crisis.
John’s commitment to protecting renters and increasing the supply of affordable housing in West Hollywood is key to reducing homelessness. Among the many things he is proud of in his first term is protecting funding for the Coalition for Economic Survival weekly tenant clinic.
Working with Women’s Advisory Boardmember Angela de Silva and Vice Mayor Chelsea Byers, John created a program to purchase and distribute drink-spiking test strips to local bars, restaurants and patrons in West Hollywood. His program has become State law — requiring all bars and nightclubs to have this service available.
Through his work as Mayor and as Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, and Marketing at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, John makes trips to Washington, D.C. to fight to protect our rights at the federal level and to secure funding for programs that benefit the residents of West Hollywood.
John joined Councilmember Meister and Friends of Plummer Park for an Arbor Day tree planting. The greening of WeHo is one of his priorities.
John’s monthly gatherings in Plummer Park help him be a more responsive and proactive Councilmember.