Meet Our Newest Councilmember Dante Acosta

by | May 27, 2014 | Closeup, June/July

MeetOurNewest1

On April 8, 2014, residents of the Santa Clarita Valley came out to vote for the City Council election, where three council member seats were up for grab.  After months of campaigning, the voters were heard and the three spots were filled.  Santa Clarita 2014 Municipal election final ballot count ended with Mayor Laurene Weste’s 6,210 votes, followed by Mayor Pro tem Marsha McLean with 5,677 votes and Dante Acosta with 4,937 votes.  The three councilmembers were sworn in on Tuesday, April 22, 2014.

The newly elected council member and Canyon Country resident, Dante Acosta, took a moment to talk with us.

Meet Our Newest 1On April 8, 2014, residents of the Santa Clarita Valley came out to vote for the City Council election, where three council member seats were up for grab.  After months of campaigning, the voters were heard and the three spots were filled.  Santa Clarita 2014 Municipal election final ballot count ended with Mayor Laurene Weste’s 6,210 votes, followed by Mayor Pro tem Marsha McLean with 5,677 votes and Dante Acosta with 4,937 votes.  The three councilmembers were sworn in on Tuesday, April 22, 2014.

The newly elected council member and Canyon Country resident, Dante Acosta, took a moment to talk with us.

What made you decide to run for office?
I ran for City Council because I love this city and care about its future and its residents. As a Financial Advisor and small business advocate with many years of community involvement, I wanted to ensure that our city is moving in the right direction.

What do you hope to accomplish
as a council member?
Jobs and the economy, our seniors and youth, public safety and of course traffic!

What are some key issues you plan
to address immediately?
One of my first priorities is to focus on jobs and economic development.

What do you love most about Santa Clarita?
What I love most is its people, its wide-open spaces and small town feel, and mostly how we pull together for each other like the community did for our family in 2011, when our eldest son, Rudy, was killed in Afghanistan.

What activities do you enjoy in your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my family, camping, theater, and coaching kids.
What qualities do you possess that you feel will be an asset to our City Council as well as our community?
Extensive small business, charitable and community involvement plus over 21 years of experience as a Financial Advisor helping businesses grow.  Passion – I worked to stop the CEMEX mega-mine, fought the Chloride Tax scam and supported Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch expansion to bring high-paying jobs to the SCV.  Knowledge of the current issues and my resourcefulness to seek out information, along with my commitment to listen to citizens about an issue.

What do you think the community would be most surprised to know about you?
I was a wedding photographer in high school, and I won second place in the state for photojournalism!

Any advice for future politicians?
It is important to be involved, become knowledgeable about your community and its issues, and always be yourself.

For more information about the City of Santa Clarita, visit www.santa-clarita.com.
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