La Quinta City Council Incumbents Seek Re-election

City council hopefuls from Cathedral City to Indio have already announced their candidacies for the November election and the La Quinta City Council has now begun, too.

Each of the three incumbents on the five-member City Council — Robert Radi, John Peña and Linda Evans – has filed a Form 501, a Candidate Intention Statement, Deputy City Clerk Monika Radeva confirmed for Uken Report.

Radi and Peña are seeking four-year City Council terms while Evans’ is seeking re-election to the two-year mayoral post.

Radi, first elected to the City Council in 2014, is holding a kick-off party on Thursday, March 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 58300 Almonte Drive in La Quinta. It is hosted by John K. Miller and James Blanton.

“I love the city of La Quinta and the community at large,” said with emphasis on love. “Hence, I desire to keep serving in this capacity for another four years. By continuing to provide proactive and thoughtful leadership, I will continue to make a positive impact and shape policies designed in function of our vision as a city. I am always willing to fight for what I love, for what is right, and I love serving my community.

“As the only member on council that is also the parent of a child under the age of 18, my service is oriented toward the future,” Radi added. “As I tell my students at the (California State University San Bernardino Palm Desert) campus, ‘it is not a matter of if you will take over this beautiful valley of ours, but simply a matter of when.’”

Peña, a longtime political staple in the Coachella Valley, began his public service in 1982, when he served on a school site task force with city and school district officials to locate school sites in the city of La Quinta.  Elected to the La Quinta City Council in 1984, he served on the Council until his retirement from public office in December 2002.  Peña came out of his retirement and was again elected to the City Council in 2014.

Neither Peña nor Evans could immediately be reached for comment.

Evans, a California native, moved to La Quinta in March 2003. She was appointed to the City Council in June 2009 to complete a term through November 2010. She was elected to the City Council in 2010; and elected Mayor in 2014 and 2016.

The La Quinta City Council serves as the legislative and policy-making body of the city. The Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m.