Councilman Mark Henderson seeks re-election on March 3.
Henderson, 51, has been a councilman since 2015. He mentioned government transparency as a top issue if he wins a second term.
“People need to stay informed,” he said. “I had the ‘Budget in Brief,’ which gives an introduction to the budgeting process. I would like to do a transparency 2.0, which would be an online transparency portal.”
Henderson wants the city to put more information online. For example, he said that citizens should be able to look up city revenue and other data on a city website.
Henderson would also continue to have Open City Hall and other public meetings “at the parks and with senior groups, so that they know what resources are available,” he said.
Henderson said that Gardena should also look into helping landowners with abandoned land around town. He said that it would be a “win-win situation for landowners and for the city.”
“We need some ordinances to help them help us,” he said. “ It would be good for the quality of life, the livability of life. It would be a positive change. If land is abandoned, it can attract negative elements.”
He added that some of the abandoned properties are “brownfields,” which would require environmental cleanup before they can be developed.
Henderson said that he supported “the right mix” of development for the city. He said that Gardena was in “a unique position in Los Angeles County,” with good access to transportation corridors and rail transit lines nearby. At the same time, he said that Gardena’s relatively small size was a challenge.
“We can have good development if we address the challenges,” he said. “The challenges are physical. Gardena is only so large.”
He said that the area needs more affordable housing. However, the city must also consider traffic issues and parking problems.
He also said that Gardena must do its part to provide housing and services for homeless people.
“The homeless issue impacts all of us,” Henderson said. “In the last count before the current one, we had 75 members homeless.”
He said that Gardena might need a coalition of community partners to help the city deal with the problem.
“There are things that we can do differently to address those in need,” he said.
Henderson said that he had the support of Mayor Tasha Cerda, along with councilmen Art Kaskanian and Rodney Tanaka.
“I have not had the chance to talk to [Councilman Dan] Medina yet,” he said.
He said he also had endorsements from former L.A. County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Assemblymen Al Muratsuchi and Mike Gipson, and state Senator Ben Allen. The Gardena Police Officers Association, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Teamsters Joint Council 42 and other groups had also endorsed him, Henderson said.
Henderson said he has been a resident of Gardena for 25 years. He served in the U.S. Navy before receiving a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Redlands. He also has a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne.
He is currently an administrator at Los Angeles Pierce College in the Los Angeles Community College District.
“I want to preserve the quality of life, and the things which make Gardena, Gardena, while also looking ahead,” he said.
