Malibu Voters Get Their First Opportunity to See All City Council Candidates at One Time

• Panelists from Chamber and Realty Board Lead Q and A

BY ANNE SOBLE

Dueling Web sites are up and running, lists of supporters are being touted, the mailings have started to arrive, and signs are cropping up on front lawns throughout the community—all are clear indications that the race for the two open city council seats on the April 13 ballot has begun in earnest.
City of Malibu registered voters will have their first chance to see and hear all 10 council candidates in the same venue, answering questions at a forum jointly sponsored by the Malibu Chamber of Commerce and the Malibu Association of Realtors that is scheduled for Thursday, March 4, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Hughes Research Labs Auditorium.
In their announcement of the forum, the two groups noted that the field of 10 candidates seeking one of the two council seats “is very important for the future of Malibu, and the leadership decisions are critical to the future of the city and business community.”
The free event is open to the public. All 10 candidates are currently expected to take part.
A panel composed of members of both organizations will ask questions that are viewed as “important” to business and real estate interests, “whose common goal is to serve the community we all share.”
The forum will be recorded for future airing on the municipal cable television channel. Both the chamber and the realty board are also considering the endorsement of candidates “based on the results of the forum.”
The 2010 city council campaign was off and running as soon as the 10 individuals were certified as candidates. Some city government watchers, however, are saying, not entirely tongue-in- cheek, that the 2010 campaign began two years ago, if not earlier.
The more aggressive and well funded candidates have started major door-to-door campaigning and are using social networking sites to send upbeat messages to supporters, fence-sitters and even some opponents.
Coffees are starting to jockey for position on local calendars, as campaign momentum shifts into high gear.
The 10 candidates met last week with Malibu officials, including the city manager, the city attorney and most department heads. They were given a cram course in Local Government 101: how city government works in general and the role of each agency and its staff in detail.