Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro visited Beverly Hills last week to speak at a Writers Bloc event. As you likely know, Writers Bloc is a foundation of our community brought to us by the iconic Andrea

Grossman. Many Beverly Hills engaged residents attended. He was extremely well received.

Former Mayor Tom Levyn (who attended notwithstanding his serious ankle injury) found him to be “smart, decisive, forthcoming and likeable.” Another former Mayor, Barry Brucker, said that the Governor was “inspiring” and “a centrist and an outstanding potential Presidential candidate well-positioned to move us forward.”

Others spotted at the event included

Beverly Hills City Council candidates

Andy Licht and Rebecca Pynoos, Gay

Abrams, Sue Brucker, Ken and Lori

Goldman, Ada and Jim Horwich, Myra

Lurie and David Goldman, Helene

Harris, Rabbi Laura Geller, Ralph and Jackie Herzig, Joan Isaacs, Alissa Roston, Marcia and Mark Smith, Jeff Thal and Sharon Ross, former BHHS Principal

Dan Stepenosky, Leslie Wachtel and Jeff and Lisa Wolfe.

While on the subject of potential Presidential candidates, Writers Bloc will be bringing us Senator Cory Booker on April

3.

***

While we are still getting used to the fact that we have eleven candidates running for three City Council positions, I thought that our initial efforts should be to get to know them better.

Accordingly, I asked the candidates three questions:

What are your principal qualifications for the office of Councilmember?

Why do you want to be on the Beverly

Hills City Council?

What is the most important thing about the City that you would like to change?

Here, in alphabetical order, are the responses that I received:

Barry Axelrod:

I’m running for Beverly Hills City Council to strengthen communication between residents and city leadership. As a local businessman, I believe collaboration can reduce red tape and deliver practical solutions. Together we can improve safety, cleanliness, and services while preserving

Beverly Hills’ world-class standard and building a stronger future for residents and businesses.

CouncilMember Lester Friedman:

Qualifications:

I served as Mayor during the pandemic, the economic crisis it created, the George Floyd civil unrest and the Palisades fire.

These experiences give me a depth of knowledge that is unique and valuable as the city faces the next four years. I’m ready to share that experience to help lead us through whatever lies ahead.

Why?

My only motivation is service to the community. My involvement with the city began with commissions. The more I learned, the more I wanted to be involved.

As Mayor, we initiated the Police Department’s 24/7 Real Time Watch Center to monitor our streets, a tool that has helped reduce property crime. I brought the national “Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism” to Beverly Hills. There is still more work to be done, and I’m ready to continue serving.

Change?

I would like to see more members of the community involved. The decisions made by the Council affect everyone. Public comment and community engagement are invaluable to the process. We need to find ways to encourage people to join Team

Beverly Hills, serve on commissions or committees and share their ideas and experience.

Andy Licht:

Qualifications:

I bring fourteen years of service to Beverly Hills through civic leadership on three City Commissions, deep community relations and a strong commitment to public safety and responsible governance.

I have worked to advance responsible development, strengthen public safety, and promote policies that make our city more fiscally disciplined and accountable.

Why?

I care deeply about protecting what makes Beverly Hills special while ensuring the city remains safe, well-governed, and financially strong. As a lifelong resident with years of community service, I care deeply about protecting what makes Beverly Hills special while ensuring our city remains safe, well-governed, and financially strong. As a lifelong resident with years of community service, I want to help guide thoughtful decisions that preserve our city’s character and quality of life for future generations.

Change?

• Make our public safety operations more efficient providing better protection for resident and businesses using the latest tools.

• Grow our tax base through responsible business creation.

• I want our tax-base to grow through responsible business creation.

• Stop spending millions of dollars on frivolous litigation.

• Accountability and transparency in City Hall so residents always come first.

Jonathan Mariande:

Qualifications?

Filmmaker and documentary producer with field experience in Iraq and Antarctica. I freelance with the

LA Times on major entertainment shoots. As a Beverly Hills parent, I built precinct captain infrastructure for this campaign from scratch. I bring structural thinking and execution, not political resume padding.

Why?

I walked into City Hall to file my paperwork and learned the city is losing staff hours and taxpayer money to public records lawfare it has no tools to fight. Our charter hasn’t been reviewed in decades.

I’m the only candidate proposing a Charter Study Commission to fix the foundation.

Change?

The city’s governing framework. Beverly Hills faces state housing mandates, public records exploitation, and budget pressures, but our charter wasn’t built for any of it. A Charter Study Commission would modernize our institutional architecture from the ground up. Housing, security, and city independence all start with getting the foundation right.

Mayor Sharona Nazarian:

Qualifications?

I currently serve as Mayor of Beverly Hills and previously as a City Councilmember. For more than 30 years I have served our community through the Human

Relations and Public Works Commissions and as an LA County Commissioner. I bring proven leadership, integrity, and a record of delivering results. I believe in showing up, listening and getting things done for our community.

Why?

Beverly Hills is my home and a community I deeply value. After being forced to leave my country of birth, I never take the freedoms and opportunities here for granted. Serving on City Council and now as

Mayor has strengthened my commitment to protect and advocating for our city, preserve our quality of life, and keep Beverly Hills safe and strong as we plan for the future.

Change?

The most important improvement I would like to see is stronger communication and responsiveness from City Hall.

Residents deserve timely, clear information when something affects their daily lives, whether it is a water main break, a public safety concern, or a major city decision.

Government should always be transparent, accessible, and focused on serving the people. I work hard to practice this every day, but there is always room to improve.

Our residents should never feel out of the loop.

Elected officials have a responsibility to listen, respond, and represent the needs and concerns of the community. When people feel informed and heard, trust grows and the entire city becomes stronger.

Rebecca Pynoos:

Qualifications?

I’m a two-time City Commissioner and current Chair of the Architectural and Design Review Commission. I bring energetic, thoughtful, independent leadership focused on residents.

I’m the only candidate with educational and professional experience in policy and planning, crucial for council. As a third-generation Beverly Hills resident with deep knowledge of local and regional issues, who can respresent multiple perspectives in our community, I’m the best candidate to lead our city for the next 4 years.

Why?

I deeply care about improving Beverly Hills and do not feel the old guard will do anything differently. I feel frustrated by this and know I can do better for Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills is my home in the deepest sense of the word. I grew up in the Flats and now live as a renter in the Southwest. As a third-generation resident, I feel a profound responsibility to protect and strengthen our community. My family has been involved in the city since the 1950s and I’m 42. I represent the best of the old and new of Beverly Hills.

I’m here to better represent residents from all of our neighborhoods and our small business owners. I want to see our city thriving at its best for residents and global visitors.

As someone thoroughly engaged in local and regional issues, at 42, I bring a perspective that is not represented on Council.

I’m already more deeply involved in the City issues than any candidate other than the incumbents - and have brought up issues no other candidate is addressing.

Over fourteen years I’ve attended Council meetings, served on City commissions, and studied the policies that shape Beverly Hills. I love our city and see where we can improve and I’m here to do the hard work.

I’m eager to use my experience to thoughtfully lead the city through today’s local, state, and regional challenges. I’m the right person for right now.

Change?

All residents should feel heard by Council, especially when they raise concerns about issues like prolonged power outages, speeding cars, development, or safety.

I want to change how the city works collaboratively towards better outcomes.

Good leadership means responding proactively, communicating clearly, and being willing to acknowledge mistakes.

I credit our current Council for maintaining a strong commitment to public safety, and that is something I will absolutely build upon. Public safety and security are paramount.

I would like to see a stronger commitment to transparency and community engagement when Beverly Hills makes major decisions about development, mobility, and neighborhood needs. This disproportionately affects our residential quality in the Southeast and Southwest. I hope to never see another Builder’s Remedy project where we have little local control. Our city failed us here, allowing 16 major projects to come in, and we need an approved Housing Element in 2029 that proactively addresses our regional housing needs and protects what we love about the unique livability of our city.

Ariel Rofeim:

Qualifications?

I’m a Beverly Hills attorney and former BHPD Cadet who understands the importance of public safety and responsible leadership. At 33, I bring the perspective of the next generation while honoring the values that built Beverly Hills; protecting our residents, supporting our businesses, and preserving the character of our city.

Why?

I am a product of Beverly Hills and care deeply about its future. I’m running because I believe the character of our city is under pressure, and how we navigate the next few years will have generational consequences. This moment requires new, homegrown energy. My generation has the greatest stake in what comes next and I believe I am the candidate who can contribute on day one.

Change:

I want to restore urgency in how our city addresses issues affecting residents. Public safety concerns, vacant storefronts, and growing traffic frustration have lingered too long and undermined our quality of life. I will prioritize recruitment and retention within our police department and work alongside BHPD leadership to ensure they are able to implement proactive safety in our community. As a former BHPD Cadet, I understand the demands of the profession and will work to ensure our officers have the resources, staffing, and support needed to make Beverly Hills the safest city in the world.

Clay Saunders:

Qualifications?

Raised in a military family as the son of a retired U.S. Army Colonel, I work worldwide and want to bring that vision and experience to Beverly Hills. I am an entrepreneur and national security strategist serving in a leadership role as West Coast Ambassador for the Gold Institute for International Strategy, working directly with Members of Congress, senior U.S. military generals, and representatives of the European Parliament.

Why?

I want to serve the people of Beverly Hills by protecting public safety and supporting strong safety reform. Having converted to Judaism, I am committed to standing against antisemitism and ensuring safety in schools, synagogues, and temples, so Beverly Hills can be a leading example of a safe city.

Change?

Public safety is my top priority. With the arrival of the Metro extension, I will support strong safety reforms with police at every Beverly Hills station and metal detectors at schools, synagogues, and temples. I promise to enforce strict building height limits and support businesses by developing BHS (Beverly Hills Support for small business) programs.

Roger Tanenbaum:

Qualifications?

My JD from Pepperdine Law and BBA from Loyola Marymount University prepare me for fiscal and governmental affairs.

Managing the literary and business career of my father, former Mayor Robert K. Tanenbaum, I oversaw public relations, speaking engagements, scheduling, and property management. I learned the importance of preparedness, foresight and fairness.

Why?

My years working alongside my father taught me how to lead proactively and manage details. Reactive leadership is costly and damaging. We’ve seen how quickly the balance between commercial vitality and residential quality of life can be disrupted, as with the Builders Remedy.

I’m saddened that many on the South feel underserved as the subway and affordable housing projects move forward. I’d prioritize Beverly Hills as our HOME, focused on preserving our spirit amid growing outside pressures.

Ongoing gatherings across the city and Weekly Walks are just two ways I plan to talk and work together constructively with our residents.

Looking ahead, I’ll focus on infrastructure, a top priority. Our electricity grid is especially urgent given rapid growth in AI.

I have the time, energy, and deep love for our city. It would be my honor to represent you.

Change?

My priority starts with values. I believe in “Home-Grown.” As large corporations expand their influence, it’s crucial we support local talent and entrepreneurship; never taking our residents or small businesses for granted. While welcoming new opportunities, there’s need to protect and uplift the people and businesses that give Beverly Hills its character and humanity.

That includes leadership. Whenever possible, we should hire from within— people who understand our community and are invested in its success. Strengthening “Home-Grown” talent reinforces who we are.

As of press time, candidates Kole and Stuart did not respond.