Layla Hernandez
Incumbent Dorothy Pemberton is running to represent District 3 on the Downey 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.
Pemberton won her first term following last year’s successful recall of Councilmember Catherine Alvarez, and is now seeking re-election.
Pemberton emphasizes maintaining Downey’s high standards of safety and schooling, as well as giving her full support to the police and fire departments, stating, “public safety is a top priority, not only for myself, but all my council colleagues.”
Regarding rent stabilization, Pemberton opposes capping annual rent increases beyond the state limit, pointing to rising property costs as a reason not to implement additional caps and argues that accessory dwelling units and empty nesters renting out rooms will make housing more affordable.
Pemberton has lived in Downey for her entire life, with more than 35 years in District 3.
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. Candidate self-reported their occupation and residence.
Why are you running?
I love this city and have always been involved at different levels with many organizations and this is the highest level to serve. I am the most experienced in knowing Downey with over 35 years of volunteering and living here my entire life. It is now the right time for me. I want to continue to make a positive difference in Downey and keep our city thriving. Many feel politicians do not put their residents first, are hard to reach and have bigger aspirations with a political career. I consider myself a public servant and not a politician. That means I must be available to the residents in my community and be their voice. I have done this for my 1st term in office and get things done. We need to do more in District 3 and I plan to continue to get results and be accessible to all residents.
What is your vision for the future of the city?
People love to live in Downey because we have a safe and clean city with a top-rated school district. I want to keep these high standards and will give my full support to our police and fire departments as well as support city staff to accomplish this. Residents tell me the city needs more family friendly businesses and entertainment areas. We are getting Round 1 Arcade and Bowling in Stonewood Mall, by the old Sears building. I would like to bring in more stores to Stonewood so we can keep our tax dollars here. We need to bring businesses with good paying jobs for residents to work and live in Downey. With our mandated housing requirements, I would like builders to plan for more low-moderate housing developments that are affordable for 1st time buyers. Keeping Downey’s high quality of life will always be a top priority.
The average monthly rent for an apartment in Downey is $2,241, up 11% 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 Downey beyond the state cap?
No. Expenses for owners are not going down just like all other costs for the general public. Property taxes and insurance are two of the highest expenses that have annual increases built in. Property insurance alone has doubled with some properties. With that being said, if owners cannot afford to make necessary repairs or improvements, it hurts the tenants. Properties are not well kept like they are in Downey.
What are other solutions to prevent renters from being priced out of the city due to rising rents?
Downey has many different areas that are more affordable than other areas. With the addition of ADU’s, that is making housing more affordable for renters as well. Lastly, many long-term homeowners who are empty nesters are also now offering to rent rooms which are very affordable.
The police department makes up 38% 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?
Yes, it is the right amount of spending. Public safety is a top priority, not only for myself, but all my council colleagues. It is also top priority for residents with increased crime. We need to have enough officers for our growing community, which we all feel we currently do not have. An independent research company will give the council a report shortly which reviews the police department and will give recommendations as to best practices and areas of improvement. I’m looking forward to hearing that.
Should the police budget increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Stay the same. Until we hear the independent report of what is needed or not needed, the budget stays the same. However, if it is recommended that we hire more officers or staff, then the budget of course will increase to accommodate pay for new officers.
The 2015 Downey Bicycle Master Plan proposes 33.6 miles of added bike lanes in the city, though the city currently only has just over 5 miles of bike lanes. If elected, what steps would you prioritize to improve non-motorized travel, especially biking infrastructure, and how will you ensure the city remains on track with these goals?
The city currently has heavy congestion and reducing lanes of cars for bikes needs to be done carefully and not on main roads. Many residents were not happy with the lane reduction on Old River School Road for a bike lane and the bike lane never seems to have bikers in it. The council will be addressing continuing a Bicycle Master Plan, however it must be done on streets with less traffic. Our streets must continue to adequately move traffic through our city.
