Frederick Sutton, a West Los Angeles resident and native from Brentwood annouced his bid for the Council District 11 seat this week. Being a third generation Angeleno, Sutton, 28, enters the race as a young outsider concerned about the city's debt and is running on a platform of common sense reforms.
Incumbent Councilman Bill Rosendahl announced earlier this month that he will not be seeking reelection so he can focus on his cancer diagnosis. Rosendahl's top advisor Mike Bonin, Westchester resident Odysseus Bostick and Venice resident Mark Ryavec have all announced their candidacy for the city council seat.
The primaries are next March.
"Los Angeles is projected to face over a $200 million dollar deficit next year and billions in unfunded liability for its employee retirement fund," Sutton said. "I want to bring a fresh, young perspective to the debate."
Sutton considers himself a millenial and it's his generation who will have to take care of the inherited debt. He also cited his concern for the unemployment rate in L.A.
"I love this city, love this district and it is time to have leaders in city hall who have their constituents’ best interests in mind and not ideological leanings or personal agendas," he said.
Tree trimming, sidewalk repair and other maintenance services are lacking in Council District 11 and Sutton said larger citywide issues have compromised that funding.
"It's pretty unbelievable," he said. "Those are things, as a taxpayer, you should be getting."
Sutton added he's excited about the Expo line and pushed for people to live closer to where they work, noting the Expo line's corridor will be prime for redevelopment. He also noted the traffic and public transportation issues that have plagued the Westside for years, and said there should be continued studies of high traffic zones to look to improve flow in the district.
Sutton attended St. Matthews School in Pacific Palisades and graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor of arts degree in political science, and also took religious studies. He studied foreign policy at American University in Washington, D.C. and interned for the speaker of the house at the time.
Sutton comes off a year-and-a-half stint serving on the West L.A. Neighborhood Council.
For more information, visit Sutton's campaign website and follow him on Twitter.
