3 seek Pomona council District 4 seat
Pomona City Councilmember Elizabeth Ontiveros-cole will face two challengers as she seeks to keep the District 4 seat she has occupied since 2016.
Chará Swodeck, who challenged Ontiveros-cole in 2020, and newcomer Guillermo Gonzalez are taking on the incumbent in the March 5 presidential primary election.
Ontiveros-cole was removed from her council position in 2018 due to pension issues following her retirement from Pomona Unified School District. She was reinstated after a twoweek absence.
We reached out to all of the candidates and asked them the same questions. Below are their responses, edited for length to conform to required word liits.
Guillermo Gonzalez
Age: Occupation:
44
Human resources director, RBD
The March 5election will have three candidates for District 4 on the ballot: Guillermo Gonzalez, incumbent Elizabeth Ontiveros-cole and Chará Swodeck.
California.
Education:
Bachelor’s in political science — public service, UC Davis. Master’s in public administration, Cal State Los Angeles.
A 13-year Pomona resident who is married to Tamara Gonzalez, and has two children Lorenzo and Sloane.
Background:
Top three concerns for Pomona:
Economic development: Create a PBID on Holt. Unhoused population: Leverage care court to get the unhoused into treatment. Affordable Housing: Focus on alternatives to rent stabilization, fund first-time home buyer programs.
Two improvements you want to focus on:
Approve more mixed use developments to expand the tax base. Champion redevelopment of the major corridors, beginning with Holt.
Top three community activities:
PUSD Adopt-afamily Organizer, Citizens Oversight Committee, Pomona Heritage, Pomona Historical Society, Pomona Valley Democratic Club.
Campaign information:
guillermo4pomona.com
Elizabeth Ontiveros-cole
Age: Occupation:
No response provided Council member and bring them to a new level of living.
Top three community activities:
provided. 44
No response
Campaign informatio: reelectelizabethd4.com
Chará Swodeck
Age: Occupation:
Owner/consultant, Open Box Designs LLC.
Bachelor’s in communications and marketing, Azusa Pacific University.
Education:
Background:
A 21-year Pomona resident who is married to Joshua Swodeck and has two children: Harvey (18), Jackson (9).
Top three concerns for Pomona:
1) Engage and equip all residents. 2) Increase revenue and commerce in our city. 3) Increase public health and safety.
Two improvements you want to focus on:
1) Engage and equip all our residents through effective communication and outreach to all our residents, including those who have technological, socioeconomic, or language barriers. Ensuring our city is committed to reaching every single individual or family with ongoing programs and resources. 2) Increased public health and safety through expanding city safety and beautification efforts throughout our Holt and Indian Hill corridors, seeking efficient ways of allocating our city resources, such as our community officers and reinvesting into neighborhood watch-type programs, investing into our work to fight and rethink human trafficking and rethinking our approach to the unhoused community.
Top three community activities:
Chair/commissioner, City of Pomona Historic Preservation Commission. Service Unit Manager, Pomona Girl Scouts (GSGLA). Founding 0resident, African American Advisory Alliance (Pomona4as).
Campaign information:
votechara.com; @votechara Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok; votechara@gmail. com; 909-293-9073.