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| Affiliation | Nonpartisan |
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| Name | Tom DeMille |
| Address | 980 Palm Avenue Suite 205
West Hollywood, California 90069, United States |
| Email | Tdemille@hotmail.com |
| Website | None |
| Born |
00, 1956
(68 years)
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| Contributor | User 215 |
| Last Modifed | User 215
Mar 03, 2005 09:25pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | Community Activist/Volunteer
Tom Demille's vision for West Hollywood includes not only the gay community, but all residents--seniors, activists, disabled people, and members of the city's Russian community--involved in the political process.
"I believe the people of West Hollywood want a public servant who speaks from the heart, not the wallet," he said. "Together, we can remove the 'For Sale' sign from City Hall."
A longtime community activist who has organized gatherings and marches commemorating 9/11 and honoring Matthew Shepard, Demille believes that public events can encourage dialogue on issues such as housing and development. Town meetings, simplified voting processes, pride gatherings, and cultural fairs are, said Demille, some of the ways to establish common ground and encourage participation among all groups--from residents and developers to environmentalists and the business community.
Demille's plans for improving the quality of life for residents and property owners include a ban on campaign contributions from developers, and doubling the Ellis Act relocation fees and giving tax breaks to landlords to fix existing housing stock. "These tax breaks will defer the demolition of uniquely historical but run-down housing," he said.
Demille said he is both pro-development and pro-business, but acknowledges the need for preservation: "If we destroy the past, we cannot move forward." He proposes building 100 mixed, medium, and affordable units every year for 10 years "or we run the risk of dislocating seniors that have lived in our city in some cases for up to 40 years."
Radical changes in the city's parking policy, he said, would increase revenue and encourage tourism. Demille favors replacing the city's harsh towing policy with "kindler, gentler" $15 parking tickets, as well as creating more off-street parking options.
"The way that I would solve the parking problem is to take 25 cents out of every dollar that is collected in parking meters and earmark it for parking structures. We could also try corporate cooperation. For example, Bank of America on Sunset [west of San Vicente] could easily build 10 stories of parking over their location."
A graduate of the Sheriff's Community Academy, Demille has worked closely with the department on a grassroots level, leading a public-awareness campaign that helped apprehend suspects in the Trev Broudy hate-crime case.
If elected, Demille said he would make sure the deputies get a fair contract: "The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is one of the finest in the country. To ensure pride and security in our city, the deputies deserve a 12-hour, three-day work week."
--J.H.
Age: 48
Years of city residence: 13
Occupation: Community activist
Endorsements: Tyler Cassity, Hollywood Forever Enterprises (Demille said he accepts no endorsements from developers)
Background: 30 years 'hotel/service experience; member of Vision 20/20; third time running for West Hollywood City Council (also ran in 2001 and 2003)
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