Simi Valley’s District 4 city council election is nearing its end and time will soon tell which of the three candidates in this race resonated most with the district’s voters.

Simi Valley, Ventura County’s third most populous city, is composed of four city council districts. Each district is represented by one council member. The city’s mayor, also a council member, is elected at large.

While the mayor is elected for a two-year term, council members are elected to a four-year team in staggered elections. Districts 1 and 3 were up for election in 2020 and Districts 2 and 4 are up for election this year. The mayoral seat is up for election as well and in the race for Simi Valley mayor is a former Associated Students of Moorpark College president.

Simi Valley’s City Council is in charge of establishing laws and policies that govern city operations and activities pertaining to the health and welfare of residents. Council members also oversee and approve budgets for the city of Simi Valley.

Simi Valley’s District 4 houses the Wood Ranch population and citizens along populated streets such as Tierra Rejada Road and Fitzgerald Road.

The three candidates vying to represent District 4 are Eric Lundstrom, Nancy Mason and Rocky Rhodes.

Eric Lundstrom has been settled in Simi Valley since 1999. He was elected twice to the Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Education and currently serves as the treasurer of the Simi Valley Education Foundation.

Lundstrom’s campaign focuses on his hopes to maintain a tighter control of the city’s financial budget and increase the city’s operation effectiveness. On his campaign website, Lundstrom provided his views on Simi Valley’s health, safety and economy and also discussed how he plans to handle the drought crisis that has affected the city.

“The city needs to quickly produce a plan to stop wasting the excess ground water that is pumping into the Arroyo Simi and better utilize this water to irrigate the city’s landscaping, parks, and schools,” Lundstrom stated.

Also in the race for District 4’s seat is Nancy Mason.

Mason has lived in Simi Valley for the past 34 years and was a principal at three elementary schools in the area. She has accumulated numerous accolades during her career in education including the Lew Roth Award for Excellence in Management in the Simi Valley Unified School District. After retiring, Mason worked at a food distribution center for over nine years.

In her campaign, Mason preached the necessity of affordable housing, facing climate change and making the Simi Valley community safer for children. Mason expressed that her experience as a principal of three elementary schools will help her provide results in the latter.

“I was in charge of safety during 9/11 and again when Sandy Hook occurred,” Mason stated in her campaign website. “I had to make immediate decisions that sometimes weren’t popular, but I never had a parent who didn’t know I was trying my best to keep their child safe.”

The third candidate for Simi Valley’s District 4 city council election is Rocky Rhodes. Rhodes moved to Simi Valley 11 years ago and owns/runs International Coffee Consulting, a coffee chain that Rhodes says has allowed him to enhance his knowledge of compassionate capitalism.

According to his campaign website, Rhodes’ focus in this election has been on advancing housing affordability and maintaining Simi Valley’s “small-town” vibes. If elected, Rhodes hopes to accomplish these goals and more by working collaboratively with other council members.

“I am committed to find the positive where I can, acknowledge it and then work on problems politely,” Rhodes stated. “If we all did that, we can still disagree without being disagreeable.”

Moorpark College student Jasmine Gilmore already voted in this year’s midterm election by mail. Gilmore emphasized how important it is for college students to express their voices by turning out the vote.

“It’s extremely important [to vote] because what’s being decided in this election heavily affects people our age,” Gilmore said. “Becoming an adult should include all college students to be more involved and aware about what is happening in our state and country as a whole.”

All registered voters of Simi Valley’s District 4 have the chance to decide which candidate will best represent their interests in Simi Valley’s City Council.

The voting period for these candidates ends today, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m.. To find more information on voting sites and ballot drop-off sites, click here.