Layla Hernandez
Aaron Drake is running to represent District 1 on the Bellflower City Council.
Nov. 5 is the last day to vote, with early voting available. To check registration status, request a vote-by-mail ballot, or find a local voting center, visit lavote.gov.
Drake is a law enforcement professional who was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2019 by former Councilmember Raymond Hamada.
Drake lists public safety as a top priority. He wants “to work closely with our Law Enforcement agency to focus on reducing and preventing crime,” but he’s noncommittal about increasing the city’s policing budget, stating he would need to review current spending before taking a position.
Drake advocates capping annual rent increases beyond the state limit to help renters, while also showing support in securing state and federal funding to help renters transition into homeownership.
Drake has lived in both Bellflower and District 1 for over 34 years.
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. The candidate self-reported their occupation and residence.
Why are you running?
To make Public Safety a Priority, by continuing to work closely with our Law Enforcement agency to focus on reducing and preventing crime.
As a member of the Planning Commission, I want to continue showcasing and promoting the City of Bellflower to increase new businesses to open in our city.
Continue our on-going neighborhood Clean-up projects in District-1.
Continue meeting with the local Business owners to work together addressing problems.
Explore programs that will encourage and assist renters to become Homeowners.
What is your vision for the future of the city?
Make Public Safety a Priority, by working closely with our Law Enforcement agency to focus on reducing and preventing crime. Safe, secure, and informed communities thrive.
The average monthly rent for an apartment in Bellflower is $2,111, up 18% from January 2022, according to the apartment search website rentcafe.com. Multiple cities in Southeast Los Angeles County have placed caps on annual rent increases beyond the hard cap of 10%–5% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is lower–passed by the state in 2019. Bell Gardens set a cap of 50% of inflation or 4%, whichever is less; Maywood’s maximum rent increase is 4%; Cudahy’s cap is the change in inflation or 3%, whichever is less. Do you support a cap on annual rent increases in Bellflower beyond the state cap?
Yes. The Housing crisis has reached a critical point. As we are approaching a vote on State Measure-5, which deals with local bonds for affordable housing, we are reminded of our local renting situation. California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), which limits rent increases to 5% plus the local cost of living index (CPI), or 10%, whichever is lower. I would support a rent cap at this time.
One of my campaign goals if I’m elected to the Bellflower City Council is to work on assisting renters with first time buyers programs and any other assistance available to support and assist renters to become homeowners.
What are other solutions to prevent renters from being priced out of the city due to rising rents?
Secure grants and funding from the state and possibly at the federal level to obtain the support and resources to assist renters to become homeowners.
Policing makes up 30.3% of the city budget. Do you think this is the right amount of spending? What public safety strategies do you think the city could implement that don’t rely on traditional policing?
To assist with this, I would review all the operating costs of what the city is spending on police services to ensure the city is getting the services they are paying for. I would explore every option which would include civilian positions to assist with cost savings. I have met with other city officials in various cities and they have privatized some of the operations within the law enforcement operations that have also produced cost savings. We could benefit from having non-sworn personnel handle community engagement programs, neighborhood watch programs assisting with handling reports file from our community residents where a sworn officer is not needed. There are also other duties and responsibilities that can be handled by a civilian without a sworn officer.
Should the police budget increase, decrease, or stay the same?
No opinion. I would need to review the current spending budget and possibly assemble a committee to review the budget. After some additional follow-up we can make some informed recommendations as to the budget- to increase or decrease the spending for law enforcement.
The city’s 1997 General Plan states: “The primary goal of Bellflower’s Circulation Element is to achieve and maintain a balanced, safe, problem-free transportation system which: […] reduces dependence on single occupant automobile travel by providing a high level of pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit travel opportunities,” though current Census Reporter data shows that 5% of the city relies on non-vehicular transportation. Do you have specific goals to increase the number of residents using alternative transportation? If so, what are they, and how do you plan to achieve them?
One of the upcoming projects for Bellflower when completed, is to have the L.A. METRO rail traveling through our city. We can definitely benefit from that transportation project. To assist with achieving the goal of the 1997 General Plan, I would be a supporter of making public transportation attractive to our residents. This can be achieved by partnering with L.A. METRO to provide rider incentives for using public transportation, increase and promote ride sharing to reduce the single occupant automobile traveling, promote the use of our dedicated bike safe passages, and encourage the use of electric bicycles and electric vehicles. I currently promote the use of public transportation and provide MTA tokens for fare-free ridership when possible.
