Paulette C. Francis wants to help Gardena improve.
Francis, 65, is one of eight candidates running for one of two city council seats up for election on Mar. 3.
“I want to improve the quality of life in Gardena,” she said. “I want to improve senior services. I want economic development in Gardena. We need more events for young people.”
Francis mentioned Los Angeles as an example of what Gardena could do for youth at Rowley Park or elsewhere.
“L.A. has a teen center where they teach leadership, career skills and college readiness,” she said. “Young people are our future. … Inglewood also has one. It is more easy-going, and they provide help with homework.”
She also linked youth services with economic development, which could bring opportunities for youth.
“I am always keeping an eye on the future,” she said.
Francis talked about the economic differences between north and south Gardena.
“I live in the north, and the south looks great, but there have been missed opportunities,” she said. “These warehouses [in north Gardena] are not coming back.”
Francis, who is the vice president of the Gardena Holly Park Homeowners Association, said that the city “needs more balance.”
“I have talked with my neighbors, and they want a drug store, or a supermarket,” she said. “We need more retail, more commercial development. We need need development to attract families.”
At the same time, she said that she was also concerned about growth and density.
“We don’t want to bring in more cars or more traffic,” Francis said. “We do need more housing. We need housing to attract families. Families can stabilize a neighborhood.”
Francis said that Gardena could also do more to help the homeless.
“I am a housing-first advocate,” she said. “There are motels on Rosecrans which could be used. This is not a new idea.”
Francis said that she hoped that Measure H, a Los Angeles County sales tax initiative, would help homeless people find shelter and housing.
“We need to get people off the streets,” she said. “We need case workers to help people with getting documentation. When people end up on the street, they could lose their driver’s license or their birth certificate.”
Francis said that she had the support of state Senator Steven Bradford (former Gardena councilman), Board of Equalization member Jerome Horton (former assemblyman), Los Angeles Councilmen Curren Price and Paul Koretz and Compton Councilwoman Emma Sharif.
She said she also had endorsements from the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper and the Gardena Valley Democratic Club.
Francis is a first grade teacher with the Inglewood Unified School District. She has a master’s degree in education from University of Southern California.
She also leads the Gardena Dr. Martin Luther King Cultural Committee. She is a delegate from the 62nd Assembly District for the Los Angeles County Democratic Party’s Central Committee.
She previously served on the Gardena Recreation and Parks Commission, and on the Planning Commission. Francis has run for city council before. Most recently, she ran in 2017, where she came in third behind Rodney Tanaka and Art Kaskanian.
“I’ve been here a long time,” Francis said. “I have the ability. I’m reliable. People can trust me. I’m going to fight for them. I am ready to serve.”
