by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

The Claremont City Council welcomed its representative in the 41st District of the California Assembly, John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) on July 31 to discuss a variety of local and state issues.

On the agenda was the state budget, pending legislation, south Claremont concerns, open space acquisition, and the city council’s local control.

Harabedian, an attorney and a former member of the Sierra Madre City Council, chairs the state’s Joint Committee on Legislative Audit and Select Committee on Housing Finance and Affordability, and serves on a number of other committees.

State budget

Some positives were contained in the recently adopted $321 billion 2025-2026 state budget, including a California film and television tax credit, Harabedian said. But he cautioned that recent national developments would impact California’s financial health going forward.

“Obviously, the federal budget right now is very uncertain,” Harabedian said. “We’re seeing cuts that are probably going to come especially on the health care side and education side that are only going to exacerbate our budget issues and we, in the next one to two years, we could see — projections are always inaccurate but the current projections are we could see a $40 billion deficit in two years.”

Legislation

Harabedian’s second day in Sacramento was the day the Eaton Fire started. And much of his focus over the last eight months has been to address issues stemming from that tragedy. In anticipation of the next devastating wildfire, Harabedian described bills and amendments he’s worked to introduce — many of which pertain to getting displaced victims priority compensation — including AB 238, the Mortgage Forbearance Act; AB 239, State-Led County of Los Angeles Disaster Housing Task Force; AB 493, amendments to policy related to hazard insurance proceeds; and AB 597, amending the Public Insurance Adjusters Act for more transparency.

California Assemblymember John Harabedian (left) receives a plaque from Claremont Mayor Corey Calaycay at special meeting on July 31. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

Other bills he’s worked on include AB 91, the MENA [Middle Eastern or North African] Inclusion Act; AB 1024, San Gabriel Valley Bear Management and Community Safety Act; and AB 1206, which, if approved, would require local agencies to “develop a program for the preapproval of single-family and multifamily residential housing plans,” according to the bill.

One resident inquired about the state reexamining its oil and natural gas policies in order to capture the resources and to avoid losing more refineries.

“We are trying to figure out how to stabilize the market, because we’d rather produce and provide cleaner oil and cleaner gas here in California rather than the alternative of just importing dirtier oil, using dirtier methods of getting it here, which is loading it across the world. And I will just say this is top of mind for the governor and the legislature,” Harabedian said.

South Claremont improvements

Harabedian heard concerns about traffic congestion in south Claremont, particularly near the 10 Freeway and Indian Hill Boulevard. A 120-room hotel will soon open nearby on San Jose Avenue, and a 70-unit townhome condominium project just south of the Motel 6 on American Avenue is in the works.

Council member Sal Medina asked Harabedian to help facilitate talks with state, regional, county and local officials to address such concerns, to which he responded, “I will continue to quarterback this.”

Harabedian briefly spoke on Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act. The bill concerns folks in Claremont who hold it’s a state housing law that favors high density development in transit-oriented zones over practical safety.

“I think that SB 79 is not a perfect bill,” Harabedian said. “I will leave you with this … Let’s just assume that it becomes law. What else would you like to see in the bill to make it more palatable for Claremont? What else would you like me to convey to the author?”

Local control

The biggest talking point on local control was discussion of a potential switch from district-based elections back to at-large voting for City Council races.

Mayor Corey Calaycay said that Claremont’s 2019 decision to switch to district elections was financial, as it followed a costly, unsuccessful legal fight with Golden State Water Company. “We weren’t in a position to take on more litigation, so that was the reason for that choice,” Mayor Calaycay said, referencing the legal challenges brought against other municipalities at the time over at-large voting and possible violations of the California Voting Rights Act.

Harabedian acknowledged some cities that switched to district-based elections have since experienced “buyer’s remorse.”

“Right now, I don’t think that you need, based on my work and my staff’s work and our conversations with legal counsel, under the current existing law there’s nothing against you guys going back to at-large elections,” Harabedian said. “You have to go through the same process that you did, that you went through to get to districts. Nothing is actually preventing you from doing that.”

Open space acquisitions and access

After Lissa Petersen of Claremont Wildlands Conservancy informed Harabedian of the work it took to build the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park into the sprawling 2,600-acre giant it is today, Harabedian committed to touring the land in the future. He also said he’d work with his connections at the state to facilitate fire safety workshops.