Paul Cheng, a longtime resident of Arcadia, former prosecutor, and city attorney, announced his candidacy for the Arcadia City Council last week.
Cheng, 43, is making his second bid to run for the Arcadia City Council election which will be held on April 14, 2020 against Incumbent Peter Amundsen. He ran ten years ago, before district voting occurred.
Cheng’s interest in public office was inspired by a need for keeping his home city as one of the best places to live in for future generations. “Ten years later, Arcadia is still dealing with the same issues, we have crime issues, the city is still struggling fiscally. We are told that District Four has no crime issues. However, every resident feels that the empty homes and robberies are unacceptable. We are told that morning traffic that clog our streets near schools and the nighttime speeding cars should be ignored. But District Four residents feel differently. I would not be running if District Four issues were being resolved.”
He further elaborated: “I am running for city council because I am committed to protect Arcadia District 4’s unique character and quality of life, and to make sure our younger generation continue to see Arcadia as one of the best places to be their homes. Much of the younger generation of Arcadians have gone to college and have never come back. Now, I am running to serve because I am passionate about giving back to a community that embraced me during my time of need. District 4 is a unique part of Arcadia. I am giving back to the city because this community gave my family the fresh start we needed.”
The candidate said he will work to ensure residents have a voice in the city’s future. He also plans to address a growing need for forming a youth commission that will alert the city and police as to their needs and possible illegal activity, establish joint programs with the school district to increase activities for children, and propose internal regulations at City Hall that every call or email from a city resident is responded to within 24 hours.
In response to recent attacks, Cheng said, “I respect the incumbent. But Arcadians must decide on two views. The Incumbent claims a spotless record and that Arcadia needs no improvement. I believe that every situation can be better. The status quo is the reason why in January 2019 the city was considering letting go of over 13 police officers, 9 firemen, and closing the fire station. We must find new innovative ways to increase our income and decrease our spending. Mere slogans like ‘Keep Arcadia Great’ is not going to do anything if every few years we are told ‘Arcadia has no money’. Unless we have a fresh pair of eyes, another fiscal crisis is going to occur to this great city. And I intend to make sure it never happens again.”
When asked about his position on marijuana he said, “Empty homes have become magnets for illicit activity such as marijuana growing. I was one of the few Arcadia residents that protested a marijuana dispensary in our city limits over eight years ago. Each city has a right to disallow marijuana businesses within the city. Still, many Arcadians are being encouraged to support marijuana because doing so would increase tax dollars into our city. We cannot be tempted by what other cities have done. We must ensure that Arcadians are protected by the potential blight of these businesses and to protect future generations from such use.”
Paul Cheng, a former prosecutor in San Bernardino County and a former Mediator with the Superior Court of California and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office, has had a private practice law firm in Pasadena for the past 13 years. He graduated from UCLA and Southwestern School of Law. Cheng was previously the Arcadia Kiwanis Club President and an adjunct lecturer at the California State University of Dominguez Hills. He is an active supporter of Association of Parents with Special Needs, one of the few organizations founded by parents who have children with special needs. Cheng is a frequent legal commentator on television and is quoted extensively in local newspapers on many issues that concern Arcadians. He is also a panelist on pro bono law days for the city of Arcadia.