Four Running For Sacramento District 8 Council Seat

Four people are running to become the next Sacramento City Council member from District 8.

Larry Carr is Director of the Florin Road Partnership. He says the hardest hit areas of his district during the recession must be treated like the rest of the city.

"The first thing I'd like to do is see that the basic city services -fire, police, permitting, garbage collection, street maintenance- the basic city services are delivered in a fair, equitable, transparent, efficient and customer-oriented way."

Carr says his district has suffered in attempts to attract business because of the perception that it is a high crime area, though its burglary rate is lower than the city average.

That's true, but it's also second in assaults and third in vehicle theft among the police department's six districts.

Ronald E. Bell is a pastor and state employee who would focus on the relationship between the Sacramento Police Department and minorities.  

"We're faced with the mass incarceration of black men, police brutalizing black men. I think politicians have got to come out and be a voice of opposition and someone needs to be held accountable.

Bell was 14 when his father was executed for a robbery that led to a death of a police officer. Bell hopes to start a junior police academy through his church to encourage young minorities to pursue careers in law enforcement.

Toni Colley-Perry is an education consultant for non-profit organizations.  She says people need to be better citizens.

"Neighbors need to know neighbors. People have to have pathways to participate in citizenship. And they have to understand what it is to be a citizen. Because it is just a little bit more than just going into your house and shutting your door."

Colley-Perry says one of her neighbors was dead for weeks before anyone discovered the body.

Ted Ware is retired from a career that includes work at the boys ranch and as an administrative law judge. He says he's prepared for council work because of his volunteer work -like the establishment of the "Friday Night Lights" events.

"Gang problems went down to zero. There were no shootings and that's the kind of thing I like to do for the city, is to get the youth involved, give them somewhere to go, keep the problems down. Police were involved. They were there every night -on a pleasant basis- not coming to arrest anybody, but getting to know the kids."

Ware says he would like to create advisory councils for neighborhood and police-related issues.

This is a special election with a winner-take-all format. Incumbent Bonnie Pannell was forced to retire because of health problems.